Molasses Sweater

Just when I think I am making progress on my Locke Street Cardigan by Glenna C in Baby Alpaca DK, I take out the measuring tape and measure. Only 5 inches. Yikes!!

Each row is taking 20 minutes to knit because of all the cabling and the DK yarn knitted on size US 5 needles. I have been using Addi Lace Clicks. They are so slippery that the stitches keep falling off the needles. Also the join is so rough, that the stitches are getting hung up on it. Not the greatest knitting experience. I have made a vow to myself to knit two rows a day, because I really want to finish this sweater. It is so pretty. But . . .

The sweater is creeping. Soooooo..... While visiting our son and his family in Pennsylvania, I dragged Tom to the Knitter’s Edge in Bethlehem. What a knitting nirvana!  So many yarns, so many books, so many needles, great displays, and lovely, friendly, helpful people working at the store. I could have stayed all day.  I bought new bamboo needles for the Locke Street Cardigan. We’ll see if these work better and . . .

. . . . . I bought a sweater’s quantity of worsted weight cotton yarn in a warm beige to make a summer pullover. I searched Ravelry and found a fun, quick, neck down beach sweater. In five hours, I am to the sleeve separation.  Yippeee!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah  . . . . . I knit two rows of the Locke St also.

Until next time . . . . .

Inch by Inch

The last couple weeks have seen little knitting and even less weaving. I am dealing with kidney stones as a result of a drug side effect. It has been quite painful. The only position that is even remotely comfortable is standing and/or walking. Hard to sleep that way.  I think the sinus infection would have been easier to live with.

I did finish the second sleeve of the Locke Street Cardigan by Glenna C. The pattern is actually pretty easy, but it is cabled on size US 5 (3.75mm) needles. So it is knitting up slowly. I am knitting the sweater out of Baby Alpaca DK by Plymouth Yarns in a beautiful dark green.

Of course, it would have been faster if I actually knit on it in a consistent manner. I started the sweater on March 13, 2012, with both sleeves on one needle. I remembered very quickly why I hate knitting projects two at a time. Tangled yarn and interminably slow!

On February 16 of this year, I pulled the project out of hibernation. The first sleeve was finished in about 4 days. The second sleeve was finished on March 13, 2013. Can you believe it? A year to knit two sleeves! Yikes!

I have cast on the body of the sweater. Instead of knitting the back and two fronts separately, I have cast on all 225 stitches and have 1-3/4 inches of the 1 x 1 ribbing completed. Still have another half inch to go. Then I will pull out every stitch marker I own and begin the cables. Haven’t worked on it in 4 days because of the pain. Hope to get back to it soon. Going to doctor tomorrow morning.

I tried to convince myself to speed up the knitting by making the back plain stockinette, but it didn’t work. The arguing with myself wasn’t pretty. So, I am going to continue as the pattern is written. It is such a beautiful sweater that I don’t think I would be happy with a plain back. Now after I finish the hundred-million cables and crossed stitches, we will see. Maybe my happiness could have been bought with a few thousand stockinette stitches. Hmmmmm.

Until next time. . . . . .

A New Love

Lucy is Finished!  What a delightful knit. She has had a bath, lovingly squeezed and is drying on her yoga mat. The pattern directions were very clearly written. I am pleased with the colorwork and plan to use the alternation of variegated and solid yarns on future projects. Great design feature. Cudos to c2knits!

I tried on Lucy before her bath. She feels like a luxurious bathrobe. She fits well. Unfortunately, I am finding that while I like knitting raglan sleeve sweaters, I don’t like the way they look on me.  I think I need more structure in the shoulder and sleeve join.

I plan to wear Lucy and show her off. She will be a great sweater to grab when the air conditioning gets too cold to bear. She will be warm and cozy.  

Since my needles were lonely, I cast on and finished a 7 inch by 7 inch lace acrylic square for our guild blanket project. Each month someone teaches a new skill that we adapt to a square. One brave soul in the guild is sewing the squares together. Thank goodness, it is not me!

A few mistakes - Realized I needed stitch markers!

My small needles were also  lonely, so I cast on and finished one very tiny baby sock in watermelon pink Pediwick sock yarn using my Fingering Weight Baby Sock Pattern. The project made for an enjoyable evening. The needles are calling to me to finish the other one. Maybe, I can ignore them for a few days.

Another sweater has become my new love. I picked up the Locke Street Cardigan by Glenna C. and looked it over. I am about 5 inches into the sleeves working them two at a time. The reason for my straying from this sweater is not the cables, is not the small needles (US 5 (3.5 mm)), and is not the dark forest green alpaca yarn. The issue is two at a time. Constantly untangling the yarn. Just not fun. So slow!!!! I know many knitters like the technique, but I hate it.

So, I put one sleeve on hold and am only working with one sleeve. In 30 minutes, I have completed two pattern repeats. Yeah!  The knitting seems to be flying by. This sweater also has set in sleeves which should be a better fit for me.  So far, delightful. Like we are dancing smoothly together. 

Don’t tell Lucy!

Until next time . . . .