Please Tell Me It Looks Bigger…

I’ve been knitting like crazy. You know how it is when you get to a point where you knit and knit and knit, and feel like the product isn’t getting noticeably bigger? That’s where I am with this sweater. I knit every chance I get. I’ve been ignoring e-mails. My addiction to Bejeweled Blitz has gone mostly unanswered. I did go shopping with my daughter in the rain yesterday; school pictures are on Tuesday and the princess who wears hoodies and high tops requested a new dress. How could I say no to that? But, other than that, it’s been about the knitting. Does it show? Can you see a difference?

I keep hoping that I’m almost to the end of the yoke section. I keep trying it on, and it still looks huge, but sadly, it’s not big enough yet to be called “done”. So I keep doing the raglan increases. I secretly was hoping that it wouldn’t be necessary to do the number of increases stated in the pattern for the largest size. Well, shoot. I’ll have to diet, so I can make a smaller size someday. That should be a dieting incentive, right? Get smaller so I can use less yarn and be done with my projects faster. You’d think that would work…

Look what I found yesterday on the magazine rack at Barnes and Noble. It’s a magazine by Lana Grossa, called, “Filati Infanti.” I don’t really know much about this, if this is a special issue, or if they put this out periodically, or what. But it’s made with heavier paper than a typical magazine and it is loaded with the most adorable patterns for babies and little kids. I’ve never really purchased their yarns, but I am hoping that there are lots of appropriate substitutes already in my stash. There are lots of babies coming or already here in the extended family, and I’ve been meaning to knit for them. I’m hoping this little book will lead to some inspiration.

But for now, I’ve got a sweater to knit. And knit. And knit. And knit….

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.

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.

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.

February Lady–Again

On Wednesday I received some new yarn in the mail. Ok, I know, this isn’t exactly earth-shattering news around here, but, look how pretty it is!

It’s Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted in the colorway, “Purple Club.” Of course I’m just a wee bit partial to purple. And this yarn is not disappointing me! It’s the first time I’ve ever had any Lorna’s Laces yarn. People say that the colors are really beautiful. And you know what? They’re right. This yarn is so gorgeous and so soft, that I knew I could not just let it languish in my stash. So, yesterday, I started this:

It’s another February Lady Sweater. Ok, I know I never finished my other one that I started last Spring. But, truth be told, as much as I thought I would love the yarn for that one, it feels good in my fingers, but I didn’t really like working with it. Plus it’s a lighter weight yarn and the progress was painfully slow. And for an ADD-knitter like me, that is a recipe for disaster. I probably will finish it someday, because I do love the color, but I think I want to do the purple one first. The purple one is thicker yarn, so it’s going faster already, and well, it’s… purple. ‘Nuff said.

Also with the blue one I honestly think I should visit the frog pond and start over. It was my first time trying buttonholes, and I didn’t like the way they turned out. Thankfully, Amy from Knitting Help.com has a fabulous YouTube video buttonhole tutorial which I watched about 5 times before work this morning, and then I did my buttonhole with no problems. I’m sharing the video here, so I can use it as a reference for myself for when I get to the next buttonhole in a couple days:

I know my sweater doesn’t look like much yet but this is only one day’s worth of work and it is already progressed much further than it would have in the same amount of time with the other yarn. I’m enjoying it.

I have hope. Maybe 2010 will be the Year of the Sweater.

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