Knitting Away on the Sweater

I hope you’re not sick of seeing photos of my sweater-in-progress, because it’s probably going to be around a while. I’m about three weeks in, and I only just finished my first ball of yarn today. So today was a milestone. I did the third buttonhole, and I joined a new ball of yarn. I guess that means I’m into this sweater for the long haul.

Reaching the third buttonhole has made me ponder what sort of buttons to get. Then a friend of mine from work (also a knitter) showed me this fabulous website: Bergschultz Buttons. Turns out, if you send this lady a bit of your yarn, she’ll make some buttons to match your sweater. I’m thinking of the circle-in-circle ones. Something simple, because the yarn itself is uber-busy. But we shall see.

I think it must be the purple in the yarn, and the amazing way it blends with the blues, that’s making me so excited and happy about the project. It feels nice, and the colors are just amazing. I can definitely see why so many people are so in love with Lorna’s Laces. Now I can count myself among them. It’s been a while since I’ve been so happy with my knitting, and I don’t know how long it will last. So I’m on a quest to get as much knitting done as quickly as possible, before the feeling passes. I’m almost sure that it will, but I can’t think about that now. For now, the knitting is great, and I’m attacking it. Am I knitting manic? Haha… maybe. But for now, it’s a good thing.

14, And One to Grow On…

At the risk of sounding mushy, I’m going to tell you that 14 years ago tonight, almost to the very moment of this writing, I became a mother. That moment, at the sound of her first cry, on what was a snowy night in March, was so much more than the realization of a lifelong dream. It was EVERY dream. Practically the only thing I ever wanted in my whole life. And there she was, pink-faced and perturbed that we disturbed her napping with the business of being born. The enormity of the moment thankfully didn’t hit me just then, but eventually it did… that I would be completely and utterly responsible for the well-being of someone other than myself. That not only would I have to keep her fed and warm and clean and dry, but that also I would have to teach her things, and help her find her way through this life that is becoming more and more complicated.

Would I be up to the challenge? To help this little, wriggling girl know the difference between right and wrong, and to help her make good choices? Would I be able to share my knowledge with her without passing on the guilt of my own mistakes?

Would I forget to be so serious all the time, and teach her how to laugh? Would I teach her that the most wonderful places in the world are the ones you conjure up in your imagination? Would I show her how to be curious without being afraid?

Fourteen years ago, as all these things were crossing my mind, I could not imagine being here. Fourteen years on, with a daughter who now towers far above my head, but has the shyness of a child. One who is a giggling schoolgirl and an old soul all at once. We are a work in progress, she and I, and only time will tell me if I have done well. I think so, though, and so far I am very proud that of all the daughters in the world, God gave me this one. I am truly lucky.

Happy birthday, sweet girl. I love you.

Friday Night Sweater Update

It’s late on a Friday night and I’m dead tired, but I couldn’t let the weekend kick off without showing you this:

Yay! It’s starting to look like the top of a sweater! I am quite proud of myself. I have been knitting and knitting at spare moments as much as I can–lunchtime at work, riding in the car, TV time, you name it. I’ve been really good and really focused this week.

I have a technical question for those of you that have made this sweater, though. I’ve read, and read, and read about the sizing. And, as educated as I am on the subject by now, I have to admit, I’m pretty confused.

Let me start by stating the obvious. I’m not a skinny girl. To top it off, I’m pretty short. Under 5 feet tall, to be not quite exact. I keep reading that you should not let the garter stitch section go below the bustline. But, given how much I have to add to the sleeve sections yet before they hit that critical “almost” around the arm, I’m pretty sure that the rest of it will fall below my bust. Also, my bust is not the biggest thing on me.That prize goes to my waistline? Wait. What waistline? I haven’t seen that since I was 24. So, when do I stop increasing in the yoke? I honestly think that because of my short but wide self, it’s hard to just apply a set number of rows or stitches. How will I know when the fit is “right” for me?

As always I will appreciate your wisdom.

And on that note, I’m headed to bed. BIG day tomorrow, including a birthday bash for a daughter who is moving squarely into the realm of teenworld. Last year, we were just starting down the road. This year, we’re definitely in the mosh pit that is the middle of teen life, and I’m just hanging on til somebody throws me out at the other end. Wish me luck.

Cute As a Bug in a…

Isn’t it adorable? I got this little corder from Noreen Crone Findlay at http://www.crone-findlay.com. I don’t know why but I have a thing for do-dads that make i-cords. Sure, I can just knit them myself, and I usually do. Or, I crank them out with one of any number of the crank style that I already own. But someone posted this link on the KnitList last week and I couldn’t resist. I even got a couple of idea books that show how to make animals and dolls out of i-cord. I’d never seen a 2-peg corder before, and the lady who makes these does them all so cute, I just had to have one! It was actually pretty hard to decide.

This weekend started out with a knitting disaster. For some reason, the stitches around my second buttonhole started to unravel. No photos to show of the event, but I estimated that I had about three days worth of knitting that I lost. Not that I typically knit a lot in one day, but I hate having to rip out. I tried to avoid the ripping, but since I couldn’t really see the problem, fixing it was not possible. So I ripped to below the buttonhole and re-picked up the stitches. And I knit, and I knit, and I knit. It was a marathon knitting weekend. And you know what? I managed to knit past the point of my mistake. Still, visually, it doesn’t look much different than the picture I took the other day so I’ll spare you another one for now.

My friend Steve was over for supper yesterday too, and he wound the rest of the yarn that I had bought. So now all the balls of yarn are just ready and waiting to be knit. I have no more logistical issues that will keep me from progressing on this project.

Alas, it is a work week again, so time for knitting will be sparse. But I have a renewed commitment to knit at least a little, every single day. What’s that I hear? An audible gasp from the readership? Yes, it’s true. There are days, especially lately, that I have not knit at all. Sometimes for two or three days in a row. And yet, I wonder why it can take me three months to finish a hat. Well, no more. I have no illusions that this sweater won’t take at least half a year, but hopefully it won’t be because I simply don’t knit. If I ever expect to get anything done, I just have to keep on knitting.

And on that note, I’m off to bed. Ciao for now!

One Week Later… Good Progress

You’ve heard me say it many times. I believe that I am the slowest knitter in the world. So slow in fact that I usually lose interest in a project long before it’s done. But this week, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made on my February Lady Sweater in such a short time:

I even got to the second buttonhole tonight, which was actually something of a close call. All week as I’ve been knitting I’ve been laying the knitting on my shoulders, to see if I am doing ok with the size. And I’ve been getting this increasingly sinking feeling that the sweater was looking too big, and that maybe I should go down a size. This morning I went into my co-worker’s office and announced my intention to take a trip to the frog pond at lunch time. She’s a knitter–a quite accomplished one–but had never heard the term, “frog pond.” After explaining myself and what the term meant, she suggested that maybe we should go in the bathroom so I could see it in a mirror. (A fabulous suggestion from my co-worker, who happens to be blind.)

She helped me position the yoke on my shoulders just so, and you know what? It’s looking good! The increases are laying right where they should and the neck opening is not too wide. So, she saved me a trip to the frog pond, and I was able to keep right on knitting! Whew! That was definitely time well spent at lunchtime today.

So I will keep knitting, knowing that I have miles of garter stitch to knit before I can get to the lace pattern, and hoping that I can maintain my resolve. I must get over my, “I’ve never knit a sweater” knitter’s block. Because, you see, I’ve got big plans for the next one. But it’s too soon to talk about that. Right now let’s just bask in the glow of my progress this week. This is MY Olympic moment.

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