Minimalist Cast-On

While the Tubey was blocking, a couple of days before I was aware of the sleeve snafu, I cast on for the Minimalist Cardigan from the '07 IK Fall issue. I'm using the Blue Sky Sport Weight Alpaca I bought last March to make a pleated skirt. The skirt is cute, but really? A wool skirt in Texas? Really?

The yarn is a little hairy to show off the stitches well, but my gauge is dead on and I think yardage-wise, I have enough. It's so soft, I know (if I can actually knit it correctly) that it will be something I'll actually wear.

The ability to type in a pattern's name, see a ton of examples, and read everyone's experience knitting it is the biggest reason I use Ravelry. The cardigan seems to be well liked by all, seaming being the only complaint. And really, does any one seek out seaming?

Not So, FO

*This used to have two sleeves*

I finished the Tubey, yay! I frogged most of it, yay! This is my first sweater, and I made a lot of modifications to it. Some worked, others didn't. The body tube fists perfectly. I drastically reduced the number of stitches after reading a lot of complaints on Ravelry about how it stretched out and sagged.

Then I got lazy on the sleeves. I didn't have the pattern handy when I got around to them, so I kind of winged it. And I ended up with winged sleeves. The sleeves are supposed to be belled, but after I blocked it, they grew quite a bit in length and width.

Now, I would be more than happy to wear my sweater, even out in public, looking all the world like grandma hand-knit, but S is making me fix them. Well, ok, not MAKING me, but he has a way of pointing things out. So I frogged back and started decreasing again.

*Bunchy under-arms leave room for saggy triceps*
*Also, the waist isn't that roll-y, I just didn't bother to pull the body down*

So, good thing I've been home miserably sick with allergies with nothing to keep me company but a giant mountain of Kleenex.

Rest in peace sleeves.

Gifts That Keep on Giving

I received some wonderful Christmas gifts this year, and I wanted to share the knitting related ones. Fist off, my mother-in-law gave me a set of the KnitPicks Options needles. I have wanted an interchangeable needles set since I knew they existed, but never indulged myself.


Then, my little sister made me a matching set of fingerless gloves and a scarf. She told me that since I always am knitting for other people, she wanted to give me something knitted. I am truly touched. To make them, she learned how to knit with dpns, do a buttonhole thumb, and ribbing.

I apologize

I've been a bad blogger recently. I have quality content to post about...excellent Christmas gifts, a new FO, a new project in the works. But the best I can offer tonight is a picture of one of my pets. I hope this will do for now.

*she's so happy her eyes are glowing*

*all the cool kids are doing it*

*from tip to tail*

Izzi was in no way harmed during this punk rock process.
Her "Top Hair" is naturally black, and her "Under Hair" is naturally gold, making for an excellent mohawk/body color ratio. The hair cut was done at our local PetSmart, for no additional charge.