#aroace sweater

[prettycraft5]

I finished the aroace sweater just in time for ace week!

It's a Step by step sweater by Florence Miller, knitted with Mondial Merino Plus yarn. Here is the project page on Ravelry and here the tag with all my posts about this project here on Tumblr.

obv inspired by that JaidenAnimations video.

I'm so glad it's done! I cast it on last June! I don't think I'll get much wear out of it since the yarn is SO SCRATCHY. I have tried fabric softener and steam-blocking but it didn't work. I hope a run in the washing machine will help, otherwise, I guess it will stay in my closet until I'll decide to reuse the yarn for something else (NOT a garment). Which would be a shame but oh well.

Things I've learned:

Always buy more yarn than necessary

Don't try to wing the sleeves

I have to find a less visible method to change colours in the round

I should probably have used bigger needles

[prettycraft5]

Aroace sweater update

Yesterday I found the courage to soak the unfinished sweater with fabric softener to see if it would help with the yarn's scratchiness.

Here it is drying on my "blocking mats".

It's not pinned since I'm only interested in seeing if the yarn is going to soften.

I left it in the water for a 1 hour and a half or so. I'm not sure if I managed to rinse the softener completely out because the sweater was so HEAVY soaked in water.

This is the back, btw. You can see when I changed colours, especially in the sleeve on the right. I did the sleeves TAAT and they are still joined because I didn't finish casting them off (I worked half a row more than I should have so I need to rip back and fix it).

IF the softener has worked, I will cast off the sleeves and then cut between the white and light green section in the sleeves so I can knit there and make them longer (I finished the black yarn and don't want to buy another skein).

If the yarn hasn't softened, I'll try it again with hair conditioner.

If that doesn't work either I'll just sulk for a month and never buy Mondial yarn again :)

[prettycraft5]

Aroace sweater poll!!!!!

I'm recreating the aroace sweater from the Jaiden Animations video Being Not Straight and have hit a roadblock with how to make the sleeves. Basically I don't have enough yarn left to repeat the same stripes as the body so I need a new idea

Here are the two options:

Which stripes should I make?

First picture (more black)

Second picture (more green)

Voting ended onJul 4, 2023

Personally I like the black one better but I'd need to buy another ball of black yarn for it ugh.

Here is a progress picture and the inspiration for this project:

(I hadn't finished knitting the body at the time and now I have but it's already set up for TAAT and I'm too lazy to undo it to take another picture so bear with me)

[prettycraft5]

Plans for upcoming projects

For the first time in my life, I have too many unfinished projects AND virgin (?) yarn in storage and I'm going crazy thinking about all of it. I need to tidy my brain. Here is a chronology for this autumn:

Socks for Hannah. This is a gift and must be finished and shipped ASAP [done! they are currently blocking 10.10.2023]

Aroace sweater. Need to cast off and lengthen the sleeves (yes, in this order). [done! 22.10.2023]

Mending: light blue Jeans #1. My first time trying this. I need to press them to the fusible interfacing. [done 12.2023]

Deborah Cardigan #1. Start swatching (for needle size, stripe width AND modifications to the patter)

Mending: summer dress + light blue Jeans #2. I'll need to take out the sewing machine for both of them so might as well do them together. [done 27.12.2023]

Deborah Cardigan #2. Cast on and full-time work on it. [done 01.11.2023]

Mending: dark blue Jeans. If the first experiment is successful.

Light blue socks. I've finished knitting the leg for the first one but had to start working on another pair so they are currently on hold. I'll try to work on them as I knit the Deborah Cardigan [done 28.12.2023]

[prettycraft5]

Do you find knitting with bulkier yarn more difficult as well? It's my first time using aran weight and it's being so hard on my hands. I've developed a mild case of trigger thumb (taking a break until it's completely healed). Never had any problem with sport weight or finer.

[prettycraft5]

Yesterday I finished my second pair of socks ever! Not blocked because I wouldn't be bothered (having to block socks feels like a scam) (but I wouldn't be bothered either if someone gifted me a sock blocker, just saying).

This only means one thing: I can finally start working on my aroace sweater!!! During Pride month!!! On Aromantic Visibility Day!!! I'm so excited.

[prettycraft5]

Break from knitting update

We are now past the first half of my month-long break from knitting. Yay!

I miss knitting. I miss keeping my hands busy and knowing that I'm making progress with my me-made wardrobe. The worst of it is that I can't even whine about it to someone since I don't know any other crafters in real life. Sad.

I think it would be easier if I hadn't two WIPs. The almost finished aroace sweater and a just started new sock. Sometimes I wonder if I could just go and knit a couple of rows but then I stop myself and think: better a break now than an even longer later on!!

My hand and arm are mostly ok but still feel weird once in a while, especially if it's colder outside. I don't know if I should start incorporating some hand-strengthening exercises in my daily life.

We'll see how it goes.

[prettycraft5]

Aroace sweater update

I am almost done with the sleeves (I literally just need to cast them off) but then today I woke up with a trigger thumb.

It gradually disappeared as I got ready for the day and now it only feels a little sore so it's not that serious but it's still not nothing. Last time I got trigger thumb (last June, same sweater) it went away after a 1-week long break but it clearly wasn't enough.

This time I'll be on break for the whole month of August. No amount of cute sweaters outweighs a functioning hand. I'll decide in September whether to go see my doctor, extend the break or quit knitting altogether.

What I do know is that I'm never using aran weight again.

If you all have any tips or experience with knitting & trigger fingers please tell me.