CPH PATTERN AVAILABILITY

************* THIS JUST IN *************
Lisa Shroyer, editor of Knitscene magazine, has compiled a book entitled The Best of Knitscene, featuring a "reworking of Heather Lodinsky's "Central Park Hoodie" [Yarn Market News, January 2012], available from Interweave Press. The links below take you to the pages for the paper version and the eBook version.

Paper [144 pp, paperback, $24.95]

eBook [144 pp, PDF, $19.95]

The book includes 20 of the most popular knitting patterns from the first five years of Knitscene magazine, including Connie Chang Chinchio's Geodesic Cardigan and Katie Himmelberg's Phiaro Scarf. The offerings vary widely from mitts, hats, socks and scarves to vests and sweaters, in addition to providing tips and designer profiles.

**************** UPDATE ****************
PATTERN AVAILABLE NOW!!! :-)
The pattern for the CPH is now available
for purchase from Knitting Daily as a downloadable PDF! The pattern includes expanded sizing for PLUS sizes—52", 56", and 60"!

The Knitting Daily Blog has featured the CPH in some posts:
The CPH--PLUS!
The CPH--Which Size to Knit?
The Finished Plus Size CPH
The CPH Plus Size Gallery

If you receive the Knitting Daily email, you already know that the CPH is the NUMBER ONE best-selling pattern in the KD Online Store!


Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Greetings and hood question

Hey everyone, new to KAL and I have a question about continuing the cable from the fronts up into the hood. There's probably something I'm missing in the pattern because I haven't found anyone else with this problem, so I'd definitely appreciate some help. On the right front, my last row on the cable chart before moving the stitches to a holder was a RS row. But it appears that when you start the hood, you start with another RS row on the right front. If this is true, then my twist row will end up being on the WS, which doesn't quite seem right. What am I missing?

I'm not quite at the point of starting the hood (I'm working on the sleeves right now which seem endless) but I wanted to make sure I have my ducks in a row when I do get there.

Thanks in advance for any assistance, I'll be sure to post up pictures of my progress soon!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Finally, it is done!!!

Not bad for my very first sweater, huh?
My Cascade 220 Central Park Hoodie is finally complete. I finished it just in time to wear it in Rhinebeck this past weekend. It took forever for me to get the seaming right. Nonetheless, I absolutely love this sweater. So much, that I decided to make a second one.
I am making it using Aruacania Naturewool in a Fuschia-Amethyst color. I am loving the slight variation of the color in this yarn. I also picked up some buttons at Rhinebeck from Briar Rose Fibers. I am working this all in one piece, because I have come to realize that I certainly don't like seams. I intend to work the sleeves in the round as well. I am trying to have this finished by Thanksgiving. I refuse to let so many seasons pass between casting on and casting off.

Swimming in the Frog Pond

I only hit a minor bump in the road Saturday night. My brilliant plan to do both fronts at the same time seemed easy enough, only I should have read a little more carefully before I got started. I made it through the 4" of ribbing on Friday & decided to work on putting them onto the larger needle over the weekend. Well when I sat down Saturday evening to do the deed, I discoved a slight flaw. I had two left fronts. The ribbing begins opposite of one another (k2, p2 or p2, k2) & I hadn't forseen that. What to do? Yank one of those puppies off the needle to redo it, of course! I put one of the left fronts on the bigger needle & reknitted the right front ribbing. Wouldn't you know the very thing that takes hours the 1st time, flies in an hour the 2nd time around? That done, I was able to whip up to 13" on both fronts together on Sunday afternoon. So, the back's done & the fronts are halfway. It's all good. Learning from mistakes is half the fun anyway. BTW, the cables for the shoulders match up to the back without any finagling. Both the sizes I used for front & back have 14 side stitches before the cable. I didn't have to make any adjustments for the cables to match.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Finished

I finally finished my hoodie, and I love it! I started in February, after taking apart a failed "Tubey," and cast on with my yummy Debbie Bliss Cashmerino.


There are a few more pictures on Ravelry--I'm courtneyq.

I finally finished and was delighted to find it fits. It's snug, but fits. When I knit the fronts, they seemed more like suspenders than sweater sections, and I was terrified that I was knitting yet another sweater that wouldn't fit, but I took a friend's advice and blocked the front pieces before picking up stitches for the button band, so I could see if I needed to make a *really* wide button band. It turned out I didn't need to.

I did the short-row shaping for the shoulders--I think I did it right--and I like the effect. I didn't carry the cable up the back of the hood because I wasn't sure what to do with it. I did a few quick searches to see how others handled it, but didn't find anything right away. I like how it turned out.

If I were to do this again, and I very well might, I would try it in the round for ease, so that the ribbing comes out the same length (oops), and to avoid a seam on the sides, though they aren't that bad. I think having it in parts made it easier for me to set the sleeves in, a task that made me nervous. I might also do some minimal waist shaping (or, really, add room for my hips, perhaps by somehow loosening the rib a bit).

I mistakenly flipped the order of cables on the back, so flipped them on the sleeves as well. I kept making cables too small, so did a good amount of frogging, but it's a joy to knit, so not as miserable a frustration as I'd expect.

I have a feeling I'll be wearing this sweater *all the time.*

Thanks to everyone for sharing your solutions and advice and beautiful knitting as inspiration!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Hi

Hi, My names is Lyndsey-Jane (bagpuss on Ravelry) and I have just cast on for the CPH. Thanks for letting me join the KAL. I have knit a few sweaters/cardigans in the past but most recently they have all been top down raglans - so no seaming. I am also thinking about putting a zipper in. I am using Rowanspun Aran in Caviar. So far I have completed the ribbing and one repeat of the charts on the back and really like the look of it. I have come to a stand still as I have been using my 5mm straights as I don't have a 5mm circ needle but I have bad joints and am finding it too heavy to knit comfortably on the straights. I plan on ordering the circs over the weekend so should be back in action early next week. I will take photos over the weekend so show. Feel free to friend me on Ravelry is your are over there.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Couldn't Resist the CPH


I bought Moda Dea Silk 'n Wool in Sangria for my Central Park Hoodie rendition. (It's a dark color & very difficult to capture in a photo. Sorry about that.)
I am combing the smallest size Back with the next size up Front to get the measurement I want and the majority of the sizing on the front side. This will accomodate my smaller frame with my larger than average cup size. I got the idea from my years of sewing experience alongside sweater attempts that resulted in "baggy in all the wrong places" finished products. I have 8" pictured here on the Back View. I'll knit it up to the 14" in order for the Fronts & Back pieces to match.
I decided obviously not to knit-in-the-round. I felt that this yarn was pretty hefty & my wrists are already sore from the weight of my Puff Sleeved Cardi. This yarn has a pretty sheen (my current obsession) and is very soft, yet it holds stitches crisply. I think that this will be a fast knit for me as it is an easily memorized pattern & pretty mindless. I am knitting away here.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Central Park Hoodie



Finally, here it is. My Central Park Hoodie, easily my favorite knit. I've been wearing this all the time, it's so warm and toasty.

I knit this in Briggs and Little Heritage, the color is their Anniversary Twist. This Hoodie was very economical, $15.50. The yarn was 1.50 a skein when I bought 2 other Briggs and Little yarns, and the buttons were 5.50. The yarn is rough, definitely not for next to the skin, but so far there has been no signs at all of pilling, this is one hard wearing sweater. I don't prefer the rougher yarn, but it's great for a jacket.

Mods: I short rowed the shoulders and did a 3-needle bind off. This is such a great way to seam the shoulders, I will be using this from now on. Also, I carried the cable up the hood and grafted the hood together and I knitted the button band in one piece. I'm so glad for this knitalong where I was able to glean so much help.

My only complaint is that the hood is to small for my head, but that's not the patterns fault just my not realizing I have a bigger than average head and compensating for it.

There are a few more pictures on my blog if anyone's interested.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Finished! Thanks everyone!




My first adult sweater, I'm thrilled. It even fits! Thanks to everyone on Ravelry and the CPH KAL and my LYS who helped me.
Cascade 220 Smoke Heather, almost all of 7 skeins. I knit the size 40 pattern, following advise of everyone who said the pattern runs small. Almost could have done the next size up, I like a roomy, cozy sweater. I knit the body in one piece, eliminating side seams. I added length in the bottom ribbing and sleeve ribbing, since I have freakishly long arms and a long torso, also added length in the body itself and the sleeves. I did short row shaping to the shoulders and did three needle bindoff, instead of seaming. I grafted the hood instead of seaming. I added short row shaping on the button band in the body, to add width without making the hood too deep (thanks Lara for all your help and suggestions). I did a two stitch ICord bindoff, and incorporated button loops into it on the right side. I haven't picked buttons yet. I'm too excited to wait. Thank goodness cool weather is here!

Saturday, October 6, 2007

Thanks!

Thanks for all the kind comments about my sweater.In my excitement at finally being finished I forgot two things. First, I did knit the body all in one piece. Second, there are additional pictures on my blog here.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Finished At Last

I joined this KAL in February and have been working on my sweater off and on since then with a long break over the summer. This week I finally finished it and am really pleased with my first sweater.
Yarn: Classic Elite Skye Tweed, Scottish Mist, 12.5 balls

Needles: Addi Turbo Size 6 and 8

Size: 44

Modifications: Shortened the ribbing on the sleeves but otherwise followed the pattern.
I've enjoyed seeing and reading about all the sweaters created by this group.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

Almost there..coming down the home stretch

It has been a while since I posted, so I wanted to update everyone. I am trying to finish this before the trip to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival at Rhinebeck, which is in 16 days.

Here is a work in progress of my buttonband done all in one piece. I joined 3 cables from the Boye Needlemaster kit to make this work

In order to pick up the stitches, I picked 3 then skipped 1. When I got to the center of the hood I picked up every stitch for about 8 stitches. I had to add 4 on each side to even out the ribbing. I picked up 328 stitches in total.

I also found a mistake on the left front portion.
I made one cable cross a few rows before where it should have been. However, I am going to keep it. I think it makes my sweater look very special, and noone will have the same thing. LOL!!! Funny I say that on a KAL forum.