Dreams come true

This is the finished Debbie Bliss fairisle. A few words on fair ilse (shetland style)
1) it is done in the round
2) it is made with fingering weight wool
3) each pattern row is done in 2 colors

This sweater breaks all 3 rules
1) it is done flat
2) it is made with cotton
3) 2 patterns require 3 colors per row

This did not stop me from knitting it -- however, it nearly stopped me from finishing it.

Look at the detail of the collar -- it is picked up from the body -- see how nicely it mirrors the patterning from the bottom of the sweater? I didn't plan that -- it just happened. There are lots of little serendipitous things like this that happened, like the patterns match at the seams -- even the sleeve seams -- this could be the genius of Debbie Bliss. I know one thing that is the genius of Debbie Bliss -- it fits my daughter, 4 years after I started it. Okay, I planned the sweater for my older daughter -- but even she was 7 at the time I planned to finish it. This is sized for a 5-6 yo. But this is Debbie Bliss and she designs her sweaters to run big.

Okay now here's a secret, another thing that nearly kept me from finishing -- I was running out of the maroon. I finished the back, looked at what I had left and realized that I may run out. With all the difficulties I was having with all the broken rules, I put the sweater away. Several years later, I found the sweater and wondered why I never finished it. As I started the front I soon found out. I re-realized I was running out of not only the maroon but the black as well. I thought I'd purchase one more of each. I found the black -- obviously not the same dye lot but it was close. But, I could not find the maroon anywhere, apparently it was discontinued. This was nerve-wracking. Why didn't I buy the extra yarn before? Ugh. What could I do? I did what any knitter in with cyberspace at her fingertips. I googled for the yarn and the color number and it came up in a shop in Germany! I e-mailed them, and purchased one skein (I now get their newsletters in German -- it's entertaining if nothing else). However, it took a long time to come. I waited. I couldn't work on the sweater until I had all the yarn. Just as I was about to contact the store, it finally arrived and I discovered that it ended up being sent to Canada before making it to California (get it CA, vs CA?). It seemed a tad darker but I saved it and used it for the last section of one sleeve and the collar. Can you tell? I think it's the sleeve on the right. You can't tell from the collar. I'm just glad it's done and it's a dream come true. Except of course it's not quite done. I need to weave in the ends. If finishing (knitting and making up) is a dream come true then this...















is a nightmare.

Dream On

Haven't started the new projects yet. I can't do it. What I need to do is finish the last of the 2001 projects. I did work on the fairisle pullover this weekend. The sleeves are done. I prematurely finished the first sleeve only to find that it wasn't quite long enough so after I finished the second sleeve I lengthened the first. The directions say next to bind one shoulder and pick up for the neck. Remember this is fairisle done in cotton and therefore is written flat. After the collar I can sew up the other shoulder and the collar, attach the sleeves and seam. Then I'll have to deal with the ends. I haven't counted them. But I'll just say this -- there's a story in the new Yarn Harlot book (Secret Life of a Knitter) about a sweater she calls, the Bird Jacket (pg. 140 "Freakin' Birds"). It is by the same designer -- in fact my fairisle is a version of a sweater from the very same book as the Bird Jacket. Read the story -- feel the pain.

Speaking of the Yarn Harlot I'm catching up on her blog. I started reading it in March of this year so after reading her first book I decided to go back to the beginning of her blog. I'm up to October 2004 now. I can see it coming already. Christmas 2004 -- did she finish all the handknit gifts she started? Somehow I doubt it. This year she's started a hotline. Yup, a support line for those of you (not me) who overcommit. I've got the number in the sidebar. On another note, for some reason I have the urge to knit mittens...

Swatching something new

So there was this sale this weekend at Knitting Arts. Notice I've told you after the sale. The owner decided to close out all Trendsetter yarns. All of them. Including what you see swatched above. It's Blossom. Do you see the green sticker on the ball -- that means I got it at 30% off. All 14 balls. Not that I needed 14. But that's all there was. The swatch is for the green basketweave sweater. It's done in pattern. Can you see the pattern? Of course you can. I only needed 11 for this sweater, but I didn't know that when I bought the yarn and well even if I did I still would have bought all of it, sorry, I was there first.

Right, I know I said I wanted to start the Vogue shrug. No, I haven't cast on for it -- but the skeins are wound. And yes, I am suppose to finish the fair isle -- and I had every intention to do it this weekend, but you know, there was this yarn sale and well I spent the rest of the weekend reading this. There is good news. I'm on the toe of the 2nd sock I was working on. Oh and then there's the afterthought heel still to do.

And the winner is...

Last night I wound up the skeins I needed to start the Vogue shrug. While I think the OSW would be fun to knit, I doubt I would actually wear it. I could knit one foreach of my daughters -- that would be cool. Anyways I've yet to cast on...progress is being made on other projects, however. Hey, notice my new blog pix? This weekend was my company picnic and they had a caricaturist. He asked what I liked to do and I said "knitting". While he was drawing he said he was reminded of the movie FFolkes with Roger Moore, where he knits throughout the movie -- an afghan complete with a cat! (ETA: Actually -- he doesn't knit an afghan he needlepoints a scene with a cat...he does wear a knitted hat and scarf)

Contemplating...

I'm trying to decide on starting thisor this

I know, I know. I really do have to finish the last of the 2001 projects. But in order to achieve yarn harlotry I must give in to whim. I don't usually do this Well, there was the Maggie, oh and the Magical Mobius -- which reminds me, I wanted to make another one of those...

Anyways, I'm pretty much set on the Vogue shrug. I mean I've settled on the yarns (mostly from stash mind you--I only had to buy the Grace). Now I just have to wind and get started. As for the One Skein Wonder...I'm wondering...well, my arms aren't exactly uh, firm, shall we say? And it being fall I was thinking of extending the sleeves to 3/4, y'know? I do have 3 of those skeins (again from stash -- see a trend here?), so it wouldn't be a problem. I dunno. Still contemplating...