Rill...and rill again

Aibrean is finished.  It still needs a vigorous washing and an aggressive blocking to soften the linen, but I think it will be fine.  Do you see the three sleeves? No? Good.  I knit three.  The first was way too wide, so I aggressively narrowed the next two, and they seem fine. 

Aggressive?  Fine? 

I like this sweater, but it will probably not ever be my favorite.  My 'style' (and I do use that word lightly, because I am probably the most unstylish person you will ever meet) is looser and boxier; this sweater is not that.  It's more traditional.  Fine for summer.  See? Fine.  If I manage an overly aggressive blocking...I might elevate it to pretty fine.  We'll see.

Aibrean had been languishing in the UFO pile since last July.  It felt so great to click the finished button in Ravelry, that I thought I'd dip into that same UFO pile for something else.  

Hello, Rill.  It's been in the pile since....July 2016.  This is a second go round with Rill.  Here is the first version...

which I have loved, and not just because it's grey.  This one took over two years from start to finish.  I remember tangled lace weight yarn and maddening short rows.  Once the tangled yarn was sorted out...and I discovered German short rows, it pretty much flew off the needles.  

Another knitting love must have dropped into my world, because this one had neither the massive mess of yarn nor the German short row learning curve to overcome.  Of course, it's not grey.

Question.  How did you learn to do short rows?  w&t?  Me, too.  If you've never done German short rows, please do yourself a favor and give it a try.  My favorite tutorial is here.  Totally changed my short-row life.  They are almost invisible after blocking and so intuitively easy.  Unless a new shiny thing comes into my magpie knitting life...this might actually be done sometime THIS year.

Comments

[Diane]

The first short rows I did were wrap & turn, then I learned the German short rows, and then the last sweater I made the designer showed how to do "garter short rows" -- also easy but only able to be done in garter stitch.

[steph@woolythyme]

garter short rows?!?  something else to look up!!  thanks.

[Jane]

Thanks for the tip on German short rows. I will have to give that a try. I love the purple sweater. Very rich looking.

[Caffeine Girl]

Thus far, I have avoided short rows like the plague! Thanks so much for mentioning German short rows. Maybe this is a technique that I can learn!

[Mary Lou Egan]

I do like German Short Rows. I teach a class on different types of short rows. German and Japanese are always the winners, with strong preferences! I like the purple sweater, and the Louet Linen softens every time I wash it. I machine wash and dry, although that may not be the recommendation on the label.

[karen]

I think I've done short rows many ways, I usually do the one that is indicated in the pattern since the pattern is detailed in the short row shaping. Lovely knitting as always Steph!

[Tracy]

Your Aibrean is lovely, Steph! I just LOVE that purple color! Your grey Rill is so pretty too... I love anything grey. I'm learning short rows now... What can I say, late to the party. ;) But the German short row is fascinating. I've read about a Japanese short row too? Oh, and I also have no style... I'm not even sure what that is... LOL! Happy Knitting! ((HUGS))