Spring cleaning

For once I have a week or two in between projects:  I'm waiting for a yarn delivery so I can start my next one.  In the meantime I've finally been able to do some required ripping.  I find ripping large swathes of knitting rather depressing, but once it's done there is definitely a feeling of moving forward again. 

The first one is a top down raglan pullover I've been struggling with off and on for a year; I love the yarn (Tilli Tomas Fil de la Mer) so much, and it's so pricey, that I want to really love the finished product.  Last fall I thought I had it figured out, but I didn't like the twisted stitch columns I had hoped to use as waist shaping darts: they looked odd among the lace cables, and hardly decreased the waist circumference at all.  I did like the effect I got at the hem and the sleeve edges-- a slight flare and a more lacy look-- when I stopped crossing the cables and just kept on with the columns of eyelets and stockinette.  But the proportions didn't seem to work; the edging needed to be wider, or the sleeves longer, or something.  Another thing to love about this yarn: it looks great after ripping! 

The second is the Wyvern I began knitting for myself; I finished the fronts and then realized that I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish (and yes, I did try hard to get more!).  Once again this yarn-- Filatura di Crosa Trilly (cashmere and silk, and unfortunately discontinued)-- is too gorgeous NOT to reclaim.  But I decided not to rip out the entire thing-- I also really love this stitch pattern, and I decided I'm going to try making a more conventionally constructed wrap cardigan, with set-in sleeves.  This should use less yarn than the wide sleeves in the original pattern, and I can also adjust the sleeve length depending on how much yarn I have left after the fronts and back are done.  It may be awhile before I finish this one, though-- the other one comes first, since I'm hoping to write up another self-published pattern when it's done.