Marathon Knitting

Joanna has been home sick the last two days and I saw this as a great opportunity to get caught up on the cardigan. I've been knitting until my hands hurt but this is the result.



One left front! I've started the right front and planned out the buttonholes. I guess I will need to start thinking about the back soon.

Ghosts of Knitting Past

I was scanning through the knitlist today when I saw a subject line that mentioned a pattern I had submitted to the list back in 1997. Someone was looking to make the sweater and wanted a picture of it.

I had completely forgotten about this sweater. I remember there was a picture of me wearing the thing but it was back in my film camera days and I had no idea where to find it. I had an idea where the sweater was so when I got home I rummaged around and there it was. I held it up and I knew there was no way this sweater was going to fit me anymore. Being a glutton for punishment, I had to try it on. It wasn't pretty. I got it buttoned but the buttons were pulling. The stitches were stretched so much you could tell what brand of bra I had on. My belly peeked out from underneath. This was not something I wanted photographed. I had to find a better model.






PERFECT!!









I think I need to revisit this pattern. A long sleeved version for the fall. In a larger size. I hope I can read my own pattern.

Anyway, if you want to see the pattern, I put a link on the side. If I get around to doing this again I will probably rewrite it. I think I need to Google my name and see if I have any other patterns lurking out there. Just wish my name was Laura Greenqwchver, fewer Google hits.

Progress -vs- Anti-Progress

While working on the blue cardigan, I kept getting the feeling that it was just too darn small. I told myself that this was just because my own size would be so much larger. Ah, the lies we knitters tell ourselves. On Sunday I found someone at church who was about the same size as Joanna's teacher and held it up to her. It would fit if one wanted a form fitting cardigan. Not what I had in mind. So here is the first try abandoned in place.



I started a wider version and have now made it just past the pocket.



I like this version a lot better. I need to figure how long it should be to the armpit. Off to the pattern files.

Ready to go!

The gauge is done, swatch is measures and the pattern all planned out. It is going to be a basic cardigan with pockets and a collar. I will be putting a cable on the sleeves and using a shoulder strap sleeve to continue the cable to the neck. I made myself a single page chart for the left front.




The right front will be a mirror image, with button holes. I still need to think about the back. I can figure that part out when the fronts are done. :)

In the Home Stretch

The vest is almost done! I just need to tuck in the yarn ends and block it. If it doesn't fit, Joanna could use it as a blanket.



I celebration I started swatching the next sweater, an aran cardigan for Joanna's teacher.
I am thinking about using this for the front.



The pattern is from Julie Hoff-Weisenberger's Great American Afghan square. I can't wait to get started.

Progress!

I finally made it to the armpits of the vest. I think it should really speed up know with only half as many stitches being active. I can't believe how big it is!



I've ordered the yarn for Joanna's teacher's sweater so I really want to finish this vest. I can't wait to start planning cables!

I think the initial designing process is my favorite part. So many possibilities.

Brain Cells Dying

I took the Civil War shawl to round 93 before putting it away. That is the end of a section in the pattern. There are now 576 stitches in the round. This is also the point where the pattern suggests you switch to circular needles if you haven't already done so. The mind boggles.

I put the unfinished shawl on top of the TV cabinet so it can remind me to hurry up and finish my other projects.

I am in the never ending stockinette stitch that is my brother-in-law's vest. Why did I do this in the round? It feels like it is taking forever!

As of just now it measures 10".

That means I have another 10" to go before I get to the armpits. Why does the Green family have to be so darned long waisted! There are 272 stitches in a round and I'm getting 11 rounds for every 2 inches. That means 14,960 more mind numbing stitches! At least when I get to the arm holes I will only have to deal with just the front or just the back.

I just have to keep remembering all the nice yarn and knitting kits my brother-in-law gets me for Christmas and be thankful he didn't want a Dale.

Basement Rescue, Project Diversion and Purchases

Basement Rescue

I found some perfectly good yarn sitting idle in the basement.

I got this yarn for a pair of socks. I was using it to learn the magic loop technique. After about 2.5 inches I found I really didn't like the magic loop. While I like the idea of doing both socks at once, I found this method to be rather slow. I'm not sure if this was because I was learning the method or just because knitting across 2 socks is naturally going to take longer than one, but whatever the reason I wasn't enjoying it. I think this very pretty yarn might be good for Pomatomus. I always like to carry a sock project in my bag so when the current one is done I think this will be next up.

Project Diversion

I am now on round 91 of the Civil War Shawl but I think I will need to put it aside for a bit. I have 2 looming deadlines I need to deal with. I promised my brother-in-law a vest and he is coming out to visit on June 1st. I have already done the bottom ribbing and a few inches of the body but it is just lots and lots of rounds of plain stockinette. I really need to just rent a couple movies and start trudging through the thing. Perhaps for every 2 inches I can reward myself with a couple rounds of lace.

My other deadline is a gift for my daughter's teacher. You can read more about that below.

Purchases

Books don't count right? I picked up a book at Old Sturbridge Village. Nursery Rhyme Knits by Teresa Boyer. Lots of really cute patterns in this book and I couldn't resist the price of $6.99.

I also purchased some yarn for a project. I wanted to make a gift for my daughter's preschool teacher who will not be returning next year. I noticed that she wore a cabled cardigan almost every day during the winter. She is even wearing it in a picture on the school's web page. I thought she might enjoy having another one in a different color. She wears a lot of blue so I chose KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in the color "Rain". I am debating weather I want to duplicate the pattern on her current sweater or come up with something new. The last day of school is June 9th so I need to get this going.

There is one problem with KnitPicks. They offer free shipping on orders over $40. Of course this means I feel compelled to purchase at $40 worth of stuff. Since books don't count, I got a book. I ordered Fabulous Felted Bags by Nicky Epstein. This really should could toward stash reduction because it will have lots of project I can use my leftover skeins of wool for. Sure it will!