Challenge: Week 2

Well. Those sticklers among you will note that this is technically week 3, even though this is the week 2 update. My progress to date:



From left to right: one sleeve, one teeny-tiny bit of a sleeve, the back, and (gulp) half of the hood and a teeny bit of the front. Clearly, I have my work cut out for me! But I haven't given up hope yet - at least to have the pieces done by June 30. I've finally gotten the hang of the lace pattern, so it's going more quickly now - and having a stockinette sleeve to work on is great stress-relief knitting. (not that I need stress relief knitting or anything...ha!)

Well, it's back to knitting for me. But before I go, I want to plug a new magazine that you should run out and buy: Adorn Magazine. I bought the premiere issue, and it's a really fun magazine. Perfect for you multi-craft multi-taskers out there! Lots of stitching, sewing, paper arts and beading. Plus, I love the tag line: The Crafty Girl's Guide to Embellishing Life.

That's what I need: some embellishment.

Later, y'all.

Challenge: Week 1

The sweater continues...I've finished the back piece and have started on the front. It starts at the middle of the hood, and you knit down to the shoulder, then down to the hem - you turn the lace border (it's reversible), cast on more for the other side of the front, and continue back up the other side. I guess I'm being so descriptive because what I have so far is this:


Kinda small!
It's a little bigger now, since I took this picture yesterday. It's going okay, but it's pretty time-consuming. Also, I realized that this is my first real lace pattern, and I have no idea how tightly or loosely to knit the lace section so that it stays the right size once the sweater is finished. I don't think it's supposed to be blocked very much, if at all - so it's anyone's guess.

Work is kicking my butt this month, so finishing the sweater will be even more of a challenge than I anticipated! But I guess that's why I don't decide to make a sweater a month, every month. I love seeing it take shape, so that keeps me going. I might also cast on a sleeve to carry around, for those times where I can't break out a chart and concentrate but want to knit.

Anyway, that's all I've got for tonight. I'm tired! Hope you are all well. Thanks for stopping by...

Big Post!

BLOG POST PART 1: In which I recap my Mass. trip and stash flash.
I'm back! I had a great time at my college reunion, in spite of myself. Everyone was so happy to see each other that the competitiveness vibe seemed to have worn off...leaving us free to have fun and reminisce about our younger days. As for myself, I had a number of happy reunions with college friends, and a few that left me wistful - and still more that showed me how I've grown as a person since college. I always think that seeing old friends is a time to evaluate where you are in your life, and even more importantly - how authentically you are living your life. Are you still the person your friends once knew? Is that good or bad? Are you living in a way that reflects more or less of who you really are? Big questions...

...on to the yarn. I made it to Webs! In fact, I drove there straight from the airport. Believe it or not, I was not the only person attending my school's reunion who had done exactly that! Webs was all I hoped it would be. Everyone talks about the warehouse, which led me to believe that's what the whole store was like. In fact, it has a beautiful, large "retail" space before you even get to the warehouse part. I think they have just about every brand of yarn there is (except for Rowan). Anyway - you can find any color, any fiber, any weight of yarn in this place. And the friendly staff will help you do it. Here's what I got:



Tahki Willow in a mottled beige-y color, and some Debbie Bliss Wool/Cotton. The Tahki Willow is becoming the Norah Gaughan hooded pullover from VK Spring/Summer 2005. I've already started; this cotton/linen blend makes a beautiful fabric. (here's a closeup.) The DB w/c is for a hat for my little bro. The Tahki was discontinued - combine that with the Webs volume discount and it was a super deal. The DB wool/cotton is also discontinued - a very nice yarn; too bad. I also got some ebony wood circulars - they are so smooth. It's like they're not even wood. And the best part about these is that they are recycled remnants from the manufacture of musical instruments.

BLOG POST PART II: In which the Gauntlet is Thrown.
So I was waiting for an appointment the other day, and decided to knit for a few minutes. The receptionist noticed what I was doing.

Nice Receptionist Lady: What are you making?
Me: A sweater. This is just the back, not too exciting.
NRL: How long do you think it will take you to finish it?
Me (thinking): Maybe about 3 weeks. But it all depends on how much time I spend on it, how busy I am...

We continued chatting. NRL told me how she had tried knitting, but didn't have the patience for it. She went on, "My grandmother did embroidery - oh! she did the most beautiful work! And my aunts, well - they can look at what you're wearing and go and sew something just like it. My daughter crochets, my sister and my nephew both knit; and then there's me." Apparently she's the only person in her close family who doesn't do anything with needles.

So I was listening and talking, but then I was also thinking: how did I come up with a timeframe of three weeks? What went into this calculation by gestalt, as it were? And - could I do it? Would I get bored? Would my hands cramp uncontrollably? Would I have a finished garment by June 30?

You're about to find out.