A Sweater!

I cast on for this sweater way back in November, but lots of things came along in the meantime that kept pushing it to the back burner. At times, I was ready to give up on the whole thing. I made many mistakes, the ribbing was hard to maintain, and I wasn't sure that it would fit since it looked so small.
But I kept going, reasoning that even a bad sweater is of more use than a pile of crumpled yarn. And today....it is a sweater! And not that bad after all.

Because the rib design is remarkably stretchy and adjustable, it fits snugly and quite well.

It hasn't been blocked, and I might decide that this is actually too snug.
And it is remarkably warm. It matches a mock turtleneck that I have perfectly, so I can wear it without wondering what to put under it. But unfortunately, I managed to finish it just in time for the cool weather here to come to an end for the next 6 months. I might wear it a few times and then give it a soak and a blocking before I put it away for the summer.

But all in all, I am very happy to have persevered, and I am proud to have a wearable sweater that I made with my own two hands.

The pattern is from Clara Parkes The Knitter's Book of Wool and this sweater was designed by Sandi Rosner. I knit it in Patons Classic Wool in the colorway Plum Heather (which I love!). It's 100% wool and cost less than $25 for the yarn (plus $7.50 for the buttons!)

Folk Festival Footwear Finally Finished

Ok, so I'm a slow knitter. But I keep on knitting! And if you keep on knitting, eventually you finish! I cast on the first sock and got the cuff done before I even went to Chicago.


I knit from LA to Chicago, and during substantial parts of the 4 days I spent in Chicago. I finished the first sock during the plane ride home and immediately cast on the second sock, to avoid a life time of one orphan sock.

And then I knit and knit but it never seemed to get done. Until suddenly it did! Kitchenered it off on Saturday morning. And immediately went out and bought more sock yarn, in case of a sock knitting emergency.

So now I have to apply this same logic (if you keep knitting, you will eventually finish) to the sweater. I am kind of bummed about the number of screw-ups in this sweater, and yet I can't even bear the thought of frogging back, so onward I go. If I keep knitting, it will be a sweater. Some day. Just in time for spring! Yeah, not much motivation there.