Additional pictures

Well, I managed to trick my camera and get the latest pictures out. The purple neck band lining is evident here, as well as the area cut away from the neck. The third picture shows the two lines of stitches from the inside that will be joined with the outside stitches to encase the cut area. I used light blue on the outside, light turquoise on the inside, just for a bit of fun.

The Never-ending Fair Isle Cardigan

I CAN NOT wait for this project to be done. I have spent 4 of the last 4 weekend days working on it almost full time. Yes, knitting a body tube without having to worry about purling while doing colorwork is a great idea. Not so great is the machine stitching and picking up stitches. These two activities make the actual steeking look easy and carefree. I am indebted to all the posts at Luna-Knits as she went through the process--I
know mine will be much better for learning about encasing the cut areas so that the mess doesn't show, and reading about how to keep the button band edges from curling, as well as other advice. I found the encasing directions a bit late for the sleeves, but that is ok, as that area really doesn't show. But I lined my neckband (with a new color, just for a little oomph, though my camera doesn't seem to want to disgorge the picture of it), as she describes, and now I am knitting the rows that will encase the front steeked edges. I am a nervous wreck (well, I've been a nervous wreck most of the time over these four days), but the latest cause is my worry that I haven't picked up the right number of stitches, and the button bands won't lay flat. My row and stitch gauges were the same, so I I picked up in every row. We'll see. More pictures to come when my camera decides it is willing to share them.

I passionately long for some uncomplicated, but still interesting, knitting projects for the next few weeks. I feel like I've been challenged enough for now. My goal is to finish it by the end of January. There's a chance... (I think my husband hopes for this, too. He has said he's a bit tired of coming second to a cardigan!)

On a cheerier note, I received my first shipment from the Webs/Storey Publishing Skein of the Month Club. I am impressed. It is Sheep Number Three from Sheep Shop Yarn, and a pretty pattern for a scarf. A friend wonders how well the pattern details will show in the variegated colorways--I guess we'll find out! (Once I get to my post-cardigan life...)

Changed Store or Changed Knowledge?

Several months after I started knitting, I visited Amazing Threads, a yarn shop in Lake Katrine, NY (near Kingston). It isn't a very large store, but I was really impressed by the unusual yarns and the lovely sample items and the patterns they had available. When I had a chance this weekend to finally get there for a second time, almost two years later, I couldn't wait. However, this time I wasn't overwhelmed by what was available. Lots of Plymouth yarn, and Alchemy Yarns of Transformation, and some others. (They also had a box of a beautiful plum/copper/brown yarn, labeled "Amazing Threads Special," which I couldn't resist (only $3 for 77 yards!) and which is already being made up into fingerless mitts.) There were very nice people working yesterday, but overall, I felt a twinge of disappointment. I'd had such fabulous memories of my first trip. But after thinking about it for a time, I realized the store and its stock probably hasn't changed all that much. What has changed is how much I know about yarns, and how many more yarns I've worked with since I was an absolute novice. I will cherish that memory of my first trip, and instead of being disappointed about the second, I will celebrate how much I've learned and how much I've gotten from this wonderful craft in the last 21 or so months.

New Year challenges and a new book that caught my eye

I hate New Year's resolutions such as losing weight or eating fewer desserts or that kind of thing. I am sure this is because I know I have no intention of doing such things. But I am happy to try to find a couple of knitting challenges that might fit as resolutions. I wonder if it is fair to put one on my list that I mastered in the last week, before I firmed up my resolutions? I am pretty proud of it, since while I was still learning, I wasn't a very happy camper, and I think my husband would have been pleased to move out for a few days. To explain: As I mentioned in my last post, I went to the Webs book launch for Melissa Morgan-Oakes's book 2-at-a-time Socks in mid December. I was thinking of getting the book, but wasn't completely decided. It was, however, a great excuse to go to Webs! Well, you know I won the kit and bought the book. I was off from work last week, and thought this might be a good time to concentrate on learning this technique, rather than starting some evening when I come home from work ultra-tired. The first day I worked on it, it didn't go well. I was misinterpreting what to do with the needle after finishing the first half of the first sock, and what should have been K1P1 ribbing turned into two knits in a row, moving from the last stitch of the first half of sock 1 to the first stitch of the second half. I contacted Melissa, who suggested just doing some stockinette practice rounds. Something clicked when I tried this, but then it took another couple of sessions to get the hang of moving the socks and/or cord around and not getting totally tangled up. But as is said in My Fair Lady, "she's got it, I think she's got it"! I am still working on the practice toddler socks, but feel much less clutzy now. I am actually a fan of double-pointed needles, but I do suffer from second sock syndrome, so I think I'll try knitting a pair of adult socks this way next.

In Borders yesterday, I found a new book that really caught my attention: Knit Tricks by Rebecca Wat. The garments, which run the gamut from scarves to vests to shrugs to sweaters, are all made out of rectangles, but a number of them use really interesting wrapping techniques. The author is very interested in origami, and that shows in some of these designs. There are 3 or 4 I'd like to make right away, but of course there doesn't seem to be anything appropriate in my stash. I think there is another trip to a yarn store in my near future!

Besides the socks, I have just started working on a short sweater, Cherish, by Kim Hagreaves from Heartfelt, and my Celtic Cardigan and Fair Isle Sweater continue to languish (though I did finish enough of the Celtic Cardigan to wear it as the Celtic Vest for the time being). The multidirectional scarf in Noro Aurora is moving along. However, my second knitting resolution is to finish the Fair Isle Sweater and do the steaking! It would be nice to wear it this winter, and there aren't many inches left on the body (the sleeves are both done, one is below). Wish me luck!