So I finished the body of the Montego Bay Scarf, and I tried and tried to get a really nice photo showing the way the stitch pattern shows off the yarn, but I can't do it justice. Trust me, it's beautiful. I didn't have enough yarn to do fringe, so I am working on a buttoning arrangement. I'll show you how it looks when I get it worked out.

The aran sweater is coming along slowly. It feels lovely, and the cabling is beautiful, but those two side panels that move one stitch cables are time-consuming and tedious.


And here we have my current addiction. The Yoke Sweater I am making for Alexa. I have never knit a sweater bottom up, seamless before, but it is really fun. The pattern is irritating. Apparently no one proof read it, so there are errors, which I will detail on Ravelry. However, this mindless stockinette in the round is exactly what I need right now.

There are so many other things going on in my personal life right now that I don't want to think about my knitting too much. They are good things..I started swimming for exercise, and I can swim about 80-85% of a mile now. I am just beginning to lose a little weight which is really exciting. We are working on paperwork to adopt a second child, from Ethiopia! I am trying to figure out ways to help Alexa achieve some of her physical therapy goals. Anyway, busy in a good way, but busy nonetheless. Thanks to the two of you who read my blog now and again!

I am doing my homework

Today I finally had enough of sweaters that don't fit. I have been storing several sweaters in my under bed boxes that just plain don't fit for one reason or another. There is the cardigan that I knit from Pima Tencel that expanded drastically, so now it looks like something for the saggy, baggy elephant. There is the Molly Ringwald sweater, that I knit in a smaller size to accomodate the tendency to sag, which worked in the horizontal direction, but now the armholes are too tight and the straps still slip off my shoulders. As I put these into the resale/donation bag today I vowed to not make that mistake again. So-I decided to use the sleeve of the sweater I am making for Alexa as the gauge swatch. I am making her the Yoke Sweater from the Reynolds Kids book (#82467). I tried to add this pattern to Ravelry, but I don't know if it worked, since I can't find it. I am hoping it is just pending some sort of editorial approval. Also I can't find a picture of this sweater online, so I can't link that. The LYS had a sample sweater that I loved, and the yarn, Reynolds Hopscotch was so soft, I just had to take it home with me. I made the sleeve striping different than the pattern, (Fibonacci stripes!! fun!) My gauge at this point was 5.5 st/in and the sleeve is 11.5 inches long with the end rolled. I just washed it, and now it is drying on top of the dryer. This is my new resolution, not just to knit the gauge swatch, but to wash it and dry it, and maybe even hang it for a day or two to assess its proclivity for growing. (My Apres Surf Hoodie is a couple of inches longer than it was when it was a newborn!)

No more wasting yarn and frogging whole finished sweaters. I am currently pondering frogging the Pimlico Shrug because I just don't wear it. It is really big and baggy, and I don't look slender and waifish and stylish in it because I am not slender and waifish..

Resolution #2: Follow Wendy Bernard's recommendations for choosing your projects wisely. In other words, evaluate whether this sweater fits your lifestyle and your wardrobe. Choose things similar to those store bought sweaters that you wear frequently. I am a mom, I was dishes, I do laundry, I cook...I need to be a little more realistic here about what I will actually wear. In fact I am thinking about scrapping the Backstage Tweed Jacket project for those very reasons. It is really beautiful though..opinions anyone?

Various catching up stuff.

A long time ago, way back in September, we had one of the semi-local annual fiber festivals in Canby called the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival. This was my first year to attend, and I was so excited to go. Unfortunately I got sick on the day of the festival. I went anyway, but I had that major head fog and feverish feeling all day. This is not a good way to go to a place that is overwhelming in the first place. There are so many wonderful fibers and people and wheels and I wanted to see it all, and I wanted to take home that perfect thing, but I could hardly make a decision because I couldn't think clearly. Even at my best I am a slow decision maker...I finally bought these two things from the same lady.

Two 8 oz rovings of merino and alpaca (70/30 I think). Unfortunately the tag and receipt don't mention her name or business name..I think she was from Roy, WA. She was selling these for about 20$ each, which was a really good deal IMHOP. I also got some yarn called Inca Organic Cotton in a pretty cream color.

And here we have the Montego Bay Scarf..the picture doesn't do it justice. This open lattice-like stitch pattern really looks great in this yarn. I don't have enough to do the fringe, so I am going to try some sort of button arrangement..I will post a picture when I am done so you can see how it worked out.