Let down

Is there such thing as post-sweater blues? Think post-holiday blues, only about the sweater being over. I didn't think I enjoyed the sweater THAT much. I enjoyed making it for someone that I knew was excited about it and doesn't ask for much from anyone ever. For him to ask for this was an honor, but really missing the act of knitting the sweater? I'm glad I miss it because it proves to me I can take on big projects and not get burned out. Sock Sis said to her a sweater was a commitment because of how long it took but she thought since I was used to crocheting queen size bedspreads I wouldn't be fazed as much by the length of time a sweater requires.
Yesterday I worked on "Sock 0.3" so it is now "Sock 0.5" and now I'm trying to get myself psyched to actually do some work instead of creating "Sock 0.7" because I get paid to work, not to knit. Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (www.yarnharlot.com) has a chart of the types of knitters and one kind is the kind who always knits and wonders how they can quit their real job to paid to knit. Tempting on some days.

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Figures and configures

Succeeded in getting up at 6am and calling the pils (parents-in-law; NOT intentional on meaning! :) ). Phil was rather surprised with the phone call but excited. Little Guy noticed I was up so he got up too and we both took the sweater across the street. Phil and Mil loved it and Phil put the sweater on right away. It washed beautifully; the washing brought out the "satin" part of the yarn that was advertised on the label (Bernat Satin Sport) and I had washed it in a lingerie bag so there wasn't a chance of it pilling. I did make a mental note that when I do my gauge for any other projects make sure it's a little smaller than what it calls for or just go a size smaller in the pattern because it seems that no matter what my gauge measures, the object still comes out a little big.
Phil is wearing the sweater on their chilly flight and I'm excited. Excited because I finished another project and excited because he likes it. Now to finish "sock"s mate and my friend's shrug I promised her.
I don't think I've told you about that project. I have a friend that I've known since college who I do sewing for; anytime she needs something fixed or altered she puts it in a stack and calls me when the stack gets big enough. Well, about 2-3 years ago she was watching tv and saw a shrug/wrap/short poncho that she wanted me to find a pattern for so I could sew her one. I couldn't find it because it had to be fitted and shorter than customary. I'm sure if I was feeling creative then I could have whipped something out but she's fairly particular and I wanted it to be right; I knew what she wanted and I wasn't going to settle for anything else or make adjustments to what was wrong in the first place. The project stayed in the back of my mind and lo and behold I got into knitting, started collecting the "Stitch and Bitch" books, and in Stitch and Bitch Nation there is a short, close-fitting poncho/shrug in 2 versions that can also be worn as a short skirt, depending on which choice you make. Or just wear tights for the version with the lace pattern down each side. (whatever makes you happy) It's done all-in-one piece with worsted yarn and has a little funky part on one version where you put intentional diagonal holes across the hip, like it was ripped. This is SO my friend and I called her up, excited, telling her in August I got her Christmas present. She was surprised, happy, and told me purple for the color. Now that I finished the sweater I can work on this! It's on #0 Addi turbo circular needles (to get gauge; my stitch is that loose) so that should make it adventurous. Thank goodness I've had the practice on the #00 double points for "Sock."
I was thinking this morning while walking back to my house on how much these things would cost if we tried to sell our knitted items. The truely hand-knitted clothing, not machine knitted. Not that I'm knocking machine knitting. I've never done it but if I had to get something done quick I'm sure that would be the way to go. I'd rather knit for the process and give my stuff away but right now I'm nursing a baby and in the evening it's my personal time activity. That might change if I have to start cranking out several blankets, scarves, and/or sweaters. I don't see that happening here but never say never.
But anyway, the truely hand-knitted things. First, there's the cost of the materials and if any needles need to be bought. I buy Addi's so that's on the more expensive side to begin with (the Cadillacs of knitting needles; they are amazing. Susan Bates I am so sorry). If the yarn is more on the quality side you have to account for that up in price and how much you need. Then there's the TIME INVOLVED. I started Phil's sweater at the end of August. The materials were $40 for the yarn (I got lucky) but $75 for the needles (I needed all new sizes (#4 & #5) and 2 different lengths for each size; thank goodness I only needed one 40 in. #5 needle and already had the 16 in. #4 and #5s. For time I worked at least 2 hours a day for 5 days per week (average) so for 5 days a week for 9 weeks that's 45 days, times that by 2 that is 90 hours. The real time is more or less (probably around 80, truthfully, but who's counting the time when knitting?) but even if you do 80 hours by $10 an hour that's $800! Say only $5 per hour that's still $400!!! That's a $500 sweater, at least! Even if you own the needles at the start.
Whoa.

Graduation!

Just a late night note to say... I FINISHED THE SWEATER!!!!! It is lovely. So lovely and blue. And soft. And I'm washing it really quick (don't worry, it's acrylic) so I can get up really early tomorrow morning, run across the street at 6am and give it to Phil before he and Mil (mother-in-law) leave for their little flight up North. We have been told it's lots cooler than here and here has been pretty cool of late so I was thrilled that things worked out for me to finish the sweater tonight.
So I am now a 2 sweater person. Or 2 sweater giver I should say. A 2 sweater, 1.3 sock knitter. Does that make me fully intermediate? Or does me not getting heart palpitations when I read a knitting pattern mean I'm intermediate?
The lovely little knitting shop here is offering a session of 10 knitting stitch classes and I enrolled today. We will be knitting a wrap using the worsted yarn of our choice and knitting up separate blocks that are joined to each other as we go by picking up the stitches on the sides of those already knitted. I found a beautiful blue (almost country blue but brighter) that's mostly acrylic but with some wool. It feels wearable, is WASHABLE, and wasn't $10 per skein like the alpaca I was eyeing. Alas, I needed enough for 1000 yards and budget doesn't allow for 1000 yds in alpaca. But it was decadent. And in peacock blue. Maybe one day...

Sun, sun, sunny day Sunday

Still working on the yoke of Phil's (father-in-law: f-i-l in case you don't remember) sweater. Going great. The adjustments are working nicely and I have started the diagonal line that goes along the collarbone to the collar. It looks wonderful. I am so SO glad I decided to grit my teeth, frog it, and do the yoke again, even though that meant hours of work undone. I count it towards hours of work learning how my knitting works so I avoid other potential problems. I even tried the sweater on Phil and it looks so good. The lines work much better this time around.
Have also started looking around for good knitting magazines and blogs. I read "Yarn Harlot" daily but I've had trouble finding another that I like to read. I don't want one that is political commentary under the guise of knitting how-to, I don't want to read about various misc. things (like where they find the best beer in their neighborhood, even though that would interest me otherwise) instead of knitting even though the blog title was knitting, just knitting and having fun knitting and other little entertaining tidbits. Any ideas?
As for magazines, I picked up "Interweave Knits" at Buckets of Noodles and am enjoying it. I think I'll pop into the LYS to see if she has any old editions, too. It's more the kind of knitting I enjoy. Tips, history on different things, and really nice patterns that look like something I would wear for years and enjoy. (By the way, Snakewoman, saw your sweater pattern in there. Fabulous. Hoping everything is going well, you sexy thing! :) )
As for life, it's calming somewhat, like Phil's sweater. Today was nutty but I was able to sit and knit for almost 2 hours while watching the fabulous Joan Hickson as Miss Marple. BBC, how do you do it so well?

Sew good

Not much knitting going on. Major work load happened and I had to be a normal, contributing citizen. Did find time to make another baby sling. It was for a friend of someone I had made one for last summer (catch that?) and that was a small adventure. One reason was I decided to tackle the project at oh, 11:30 pm when I was too tired to even think of knitting (I had fallen asleep the night before trying to knit) and the other reason was it was double knit fabric and I usually use woven fabrics for my baby slings. Also, the fabric was not yarn-dyed (i.e. not double sided; it had a right side and wrong side. I usually use double-sided fabric) so I had to sew the two pieces together like a pillow I wasn't going to stuff, just let it lie flat and sew the edges. I am not used to any of this in the first place fully rested and awake; I should have known it wasn't going to work.
My sewing machine does not like that much double knit fabric, especially when I am trying to cram a pleated inch of it under the needle. And guess what. The fabric wouldn't fit. And at that late at night (keep in mind I haven't slept a full night since February due to Little Guy), I continued trying to convince myself it was the sewing machine and I just wasn't holding my mouth right; this would eventually work. Who cares that I kept breaking needles, I had to get this done and I was going to force it through. Well, sanity did prevail and my sewing machine is still in working order. I stopped myself in time, noted the crazy thought patterns, and decided to continue the project the next day. I did, after rethinking my strategy and ripping out the failed attempts, and everyone is happy.
I did get to knit more this evening. I am one round away from being 2/3 finished with the yoke (2nd time around) and everything is looking great. The # of stitches I should be aiming for at the end of the next 2 groups of rounds aren't adding up, however, so I am going to mull over how to finagle (is that a real word or did I just spell it wrong?) it out. Hopefully the sweater will be finished next weekend. I have 2 other projects calling to me: the skein of yarn for "sock" 's mate came in the mail and I promised a friend of mine a shrug for Christmas. Not to mention Hubby's socks and more socks for me.
I can't wait.
(By the way, I found some Mary Jane's in my shoe size!!! That is my favorite all time shoe (note the web address; that was not a lesbian porn site reference). Being a large, narrow foot this is amazing!!! I can't wait to show off my hand-knit socks in all their glory...)

Padawan learner

I've heard from some and read advice from others that when you start a knitting pattern you should always read the whole pattern to check for mistakes, get an idea what the project entailes (sp?), and see the process. They also say that even more experienced knitters will be able to pick out parts that they know will go quicker other ways, know where to add or take away parts to make the sweater fit the body-being-made-for better, and just do what they want with the pattern as a guide.
Lovely.
Me and my post-it self can't get past a sentence with one instruction. If I read ahead, I chicken out and go back to the never-ending scarf collection (which I think is an interesting way to store yarn until I frog the boring scarf I never wear and finally make something interesting with it. Not that I'm knocking scarves, there just isn't much need for them when it's still 70 degrees F at Christmas sometimes.) But I am also doing a step-by-step process of working through my intermediate/beginner insecurties and am having to rethink the way I look at patterns. Especially with this sweater wrestling match, which I think I have figured out hopefully, officially, and finally. It's interesting that now that I am looking at everything in retrospect and with a little more experience (frogging will do that to you, along with eyeing things and thinking about how many steps will I have to do so to NOT rip out anything more and it still look decent), I am finding myself saying, "Oh, I should have known in the beginning that it wouldn't go like that. It only makes sense that it should be done this way instead." But of course in the beginning I didn't know then what I know now and in the beginning I had the policy of not looking further than the next line, which is still a decent policy probably AFTER reading through the pattern, not letting myself freak out, and getting a good idea of where everything will go when.
Like all padawans, I have much to learn. Like all padawans I also appreciate the patience of the older and wiser knitting Jedi, even when I'm being cocky and whiny and don't want to appreciate anyone who isn't me. It all comes down to realizing the older you get, the less you feel you know, and the more you have to rely on the rules because you'd get lost going to the grocery store without a map. Or maybe it's not exactly like that but that was a point I wanted to throw in here somewhere. Basically it comes down to realizing all over again that those who write the patterns do know what they are doing, I'm just not quite on their path; just taking a short-cut to find their end.

Bits and pieces...

Ok, I am tired. I am now officially too tired to knit. Especially since I am trying to refigure where these decreases are supposed to go, they aren't working, my brain is begging for mercy, and it is all driving me a little insane. It should be easy, right? Decrease just here. Trust that the stitch marker is all that needed to be changed and move along. Don't worry that it will look just like it did before. Don't change the stitch marker placement AND the stitch number placement for the decrease. STOP IT!!! JUST STOP IT!!!
So I've decided to come here and write instead. Little tidbits of interesting info and things I thought would be neat to pass around:

• Bath and Body Works are giving away little fluffy lambies with the purchase of $15 or more. I got one because I needed an excuse to go on ahead and buy my sister-in-law's Christmas present. It's gray, so cute, and is now sitting on my pillow. Hubby has said I need to name it. I've gotten as creative as "Ewie" (hah hah) and he wanted to know how I knew it was female. It's telling me to think a little more. Anyway, the lambies are really cute and if you want to spend money at BBW they are a cute little prize to snuggle.
• The older lady who taught me how to knit's daughters friend who is an avid knitter (how many times did you have to read that to figure it out? I dare you to diagram it!) is now embarking on spinning her own wool. That isn't a dream of mine but I highly admire her for it and think it would be really neat to try. By they way, Sock Sis, did you ever figure out a way to get that wool from Pineville to Austin?
  
• Hubby and I are still giggling over "Flight of the Conchords." (That's what we were watching when I decided to give up on the sweater for the night. Well, that and "Father Ted") Anyone who has off-beat senses of humor needs to watch it. Both, actually. The latter as long as you aren't offended by Catholic jokes.
  
• Little Guy went down the slide at the fitness center nursery for the first time tonight by himself. He hit the bottom, wasn't sure if he should be upset or not, decided not but just wanted to lay there for a while. Also, I had to keep SuperGirl from trying to slide down and landing on top of him.
• My neighbor is banging around in his garage loudly for some reason.

Good night and toodles to those who are still burning the midnight oil in EST. Best wishes to those who have similar issues as mine and happiness to those who have solved them.

Becoming equally yoked

Worked on "sock" some more and finished it Saturday while visiting with the lady who taught me to knit a few years ago. She made blueberry muffins with SuperGirl and I knitted "sock" while juggling Little Guy. Accomplished my first 3 needle bind-off (which isn't the Kitchener Stitch but I'm feeling even braver and think I could attempt the KS next) and "sock" fit! It looks really interesting with the striping and the cuff is a little big but I'm happy: they were going to be house socks anyway. The only obstacle now is waiting for another skein to come in the mail. I found it on the internet (so you don't have to worry about getting me another skein, Sock Sis)and think I accidentally ordered 2 more, but that's ok. That means I'll have enough to do another little project. Turns out that with the right gauge the yarn will do a Fair Isle pattern. It's a German yarn and only has the size needles to use printed, not the gauge [frown] or at least not in English, so it'll take a little work on my part to see what I can do.
Started back up on the sweater. I'm not sure if my plan of switching sides the stitch marker goes on will do what I want but it's worth a try. At least now I'll be able to tell in a few rows if it is going in the correct direction.

'Round and 'round we go

Taking a break from the sweater. Thought my nerves deserved it. Told my father-in-law about it all and he said "Well, don't let it stress you out." Oh yes. If it were only that easy. Hubby had also given me a look and said "I thought knitting was supposed to help your stress." Oh but it does. When everything is the way it is supposed to be and the patterns are at least checked for mistakes. This one obviously wasn't. And, hee hee, it isn't even on-line anymore; I went looking for the web-site to see if they had posted any corrections and there was a big message that the web-site was changed to this (picture link to a similar place of an almost the same name, only they are only selling ready-made things and there are no free patterns in sight).
So I'm back to my sock. I had been carrying "sock" around in my big magical bag of wonders (bmbow for short, if anyone wants to say that and giggle) and working on it every now and then. The colors are in a purple-orange-black stripe so Phil (who my father-in-law is now deemed because "father-in-law" can be "f-i-l" which when said is the name Phil... is that too much? I need more things to think about) said, "Huh, LSU socks?" I pointed out the dark pink and said no but that would be a great idea to find a self-striping yarn in purple and gold to knit socks. Especially since they are the tigers... Anyway, I was working on it this morning at the office while waiting on one of the girls I work with to show up and a lady who works in another one of the suites poked her head around the door and asked if it was hard. I said no, once you get in your groove, plus start small and simple and work your projects up to the more complex. And then I was told one of the happiest things anyone could tell me. The office manager (who has been following my projects all these months as I lugged them up there) said that I had inspired her to start back counted cross-stitching. She apparently had started a picture/map of the USA that had a little symbol of each state placed on the state it went with. She only had gotten about halfway through before it ended up put away somewhere. She had told me about it before and how it was stuck somewhere and she hadn't worked on it in years and now she's working on it again!!! Her husband said he was so glad she was working on it because it was his favorite thing she had done.
My wish is that everyone could finish their projects they start, or at least change them up as the times change and go in a new direction. I know it make me happy when I finally complete something and can look at it fully finished. Makes me SO happy I start another!

MFO (Major Freak-Out)

Well, to put this simply, (and that's all I'm able to do at the moment without grabbing my hair and running around jumping on couches) I'm having to rip out the yoke. Not the whole yoke but most of it. And I'm a little nutty because of it (and other things that have nothing to do with knitting, family, or my job) but I'm reassuring myself that it's better this way because I will have a wearable garment that I can admire instead of cringing every time my father-in-law wears the thing.
The pattern stinks but I know how to fix it now. The bones of the idea do fit my father-in-law so I know it will be worth it in the end. But if you hear screaming from some remote area, do not be alarmed. Just smile and say, "Ah, she's getting in touch with herself."
I shall return to sanity.
Or as close to sanity as I have ever claimed to be.

Stay tuned; minor freak-out in session

I think I will finish the sweater this weekend (possibly today) but I am EXTREMELY not happy (or the proper word would be um, FURIOUS) with whoever wrote the pattern. Not only WAS it wrong, it has continued to be wrong and now I'm working it to the best of my ability until it fits the wearer. I am praying I don't have to frog the yoke because I did make some lovely headway and I think where the issues are are in the shaping of the shoulders around the neck. And it would have helped if the pattern said where the stitch markers needed to be placed after the decreases happened.
We shall see...

Self-patterning

Took a break from the f-i-l sweater this afternoon and knitted on my lone sock for a few rounds. It's funny how knitting on a different project can clear your head about the big project and give you enough rest to give it another go. Like walking in between running sprints (if you're into that knid of thing).
I've got to tell you about this sock. Sock Sis sent me one skein of 50g weight self-patterning yarn for my birthday last year and I, in all honesty, thought she was nuts. I had only just gotten into really liking knitting and not only does she just send me one little skein of something, it was WOOL. Sock Sis loves wool. I had a serious bias against wool at the time. Thankfully, Sock Sis also involved me in knitting a hat for her friend-who-likes-things-fluffy-and-orange that was made out of the loveliest merino wool possible and I was sold. Well, sold on wool that isn't scratchy. (I give it the kitty rub on my neck and inner wrist; any irritation usually shows up there)
Anyway, not only was this wool and I couldn't even think of what I could make with it, it was black, white, purple, orange, and dark pink. SuperGirl likes pink, but not with those other colors. I couldn't imagine liking anything with these colors. Time passed and I figured out it could be house socks (gasp at attempting socks, what I've read as the hardest thing for a knitter to do) but only ankle socks (there is only 50g) and with very small double points (my natural knitting style is rather loose). So I'm doing it. On #00 double points and loving every minute of it. I highly recommend self-patterning yarn because the way the colors end up striping themselves gives a little thrill, both because it's unexpected and looks nothing like the original skein!
Did work more on the f-i-l sweater this evening. Even got so far I tried it on Hubby. It's turning out rather nice and going quicker than I thought. Hesitant to say if it'll be done by this weekend. Here's to hope!

Go fly a kite

I love my hips. I love that my body isn't completely flat anywhere. I love that my clothes have to accomodate my body rather than vice versa. I love that I walk like a woman. I love that I love colors and have color. I love that I can take a straight piece of string and with some simple steps transform it into something that loves curves and the lines that join the curves. I love knits. I love that knits are so unlike other fabrics in that they are soft and warm and can stretch, contract, and surround. I love that knits give and have the ability to show off a bodies' best attributes, no matter how big or small.
It is empowering to create an article of something out of what you otherwise would use to fly a kite. Not that I'm knocking flying kites...

Yoke take 2

Ok, I consulted my mom and we figured out what needed to be done. She has had more experience with slanting decreases and is really good at helping brainstorm how to get something the way it is SUPPOSED to look, especially since the pattern itself couldn't figure it out. Tonight, while listening to my hubby and family-in-law gripe at the Dallas Cowboys, I stretched out on the couch and worked at my rounds, checking the turn-out. After 3 full rounds, a dirty diaper, Little Guy finding his Pawpaw's suppertime medicine, small tussles (instigated by SuperGirl, surprise, surprise), and small banter between my father-in-law, husband, and me (a small misunderstanding who liked the better beer), I came to the conclusion that our pattern WORKS!!!! The slants are working nicely, are tight enough while also being consistent, and are decreasing equally on both sides. I even worked the calculations for my gauge (I had to convert things because my gauge with the sport weight was 5 stitches per inch where the pattern called for worsted weight 4.25 stitches per inch) and I have the stitch number to aim for! Everything is looking peachy keen jelly bean and I'm so excited! [happy dance, "Let the Sunshine In" playing in the background] I'm going to work on more tonight and expect to be able to being the regular part of the yoke in around 2 days.
What we decided: Instead of the double decrease one stitch away from the marker on all and placing the marker after it (which I don't think I should have been doing anyway) I am only doing that on the stitch markers AFTER each sleeve. In other words, when facing whichever side you are working on, the marker to your right. Thus, the slant is decreasing 2 stitches on the body side. For the other marker on your left, I go until I am 2 stitches away from the marker and do a knit 3 together so again, the decrease is taking 2 stitches away on the body side. I place the marker BEFORE I do the knit 3 together so that both sides mirror each other, i.e. the stitch markers are on the inside of the decreasing stitches.
The pattern had also called for a purl before the decreasing but I didn't like the way that was looking so I left that out completely. So far it isn't an issue.

...and having skinned knees

Good thing I left the scrap yarn in. The further I went, I noticed the dbl dec were (of course) only slanting to the left, not caring if it was slanting towards a sleeve or away from it. A frogging I will go and hopefully figure this out, because it's not in the instructions!

Falling off logs

Well, turns out that yesterday in fitting my father-in-law I had knitted enough on the body of the sweater and it was time for me to bite my lip and join everything together. Sock Sis had not gotten the info of her knitting wiz to me yet so I was flying by night with two kids running around, REALLY interested in what I was doing. They always are when I am doing something complex and possibly dangerous with pointy things and string. The Little Guy (or Big Guy if you go by his mindset) kept running off with the ladybug measuring tape and SuperGirl (the 4 year old) wanted to give me kisses. I think she was worried about me.
Anyway, I equipped myself with the instructions and Zimmerman's "Knitting Without Tears" (where I remembered she did have some advice about all this; picture that title underlined b/c I can't find the underlining option on my toolbar (note to self)) and guess what: the instructions really were that easy. At least they are 3 rounds later and things aren't screamingly obvious that I screwed up somewhere. I do have some laddering/loose middles at the joining points in the underarm areas but I'm not worried about that; I'll reinforce/tighten them later when I'm weaving in the loose ends. Those happened because of the need to bend the circular needle through what essentially is 1 small loop, one BIG loop, one small loop. The 32" needle didn't like it that much. The further I went the easier it got because things weren't as tight, plus I went to our wonderful, local, newly opened yarn store to get a 40" circular needle.
Last night, after the nightly running-of-the-naked-babies, I sat down and continued the work, making sure everything looked right as I went. I had done the good knitter thing and laced some scrap yarn through the loops of all 3 pieces before I joined them so if I did need to rip everything out I would have an easier starting point (can't remember where I read that tip). I had placed the stitch markers where indicated. The instructions were a little confusing because it called for a double decrease (slip 2 stitches as to knit, knit 1 stitch, pass the 2 slipped stitched over) only 1 stitch away from the stitch marker so I'm having to take the stitch marker out and replace it after the dbl dec. I hope I'm doing that right and if anyone knows, let me know. I don't know if it's that big a deal other than fit-wise because I only continue this for 8 more rounds and those stitches will be in the underarm. It's leaving a nice diagonal line that looks like the completed project diagram so I'm full steam ahead.
Only not taking out the scrap yarn.
Just in case.

All in one piece...

Called my sister up last night (we shall deem her "Sock Queen" or "Sock Sis" because her first wearable knitting project she tackled as a novice was socks, brave woman) to help me find someone with advice on knitting sweaters in one piece. Where I live I know there are other knitters around but I haven't exactly ventured out to find them, tackle them with my project, and inquire about their past knitting experience. Basically what I am knitting is a sweater for my father-in-law. It's knitted bottom-up with 2 tubes for sleeves and one big one for the body. I've almost reached the point of where you join the sleeves to the body and are supposed to knit the rest of the way up, raglan style. The pattern I have was free off the internet and a pretty good pattern but when I read the instructions on joining everything together there are no pictures (bummer, I LOVE pictures) and very simple instructions on how you knit so many #ed sitches here, there, there, and there, marking the joining points in 4 places. My inner perfectionist freaks out and screams "it can't be that easy!!!!" and the more rational side simply repositions the post-it notes so that I can't even see that step and takes the nutty half in the other room for some tea and sympathy.
So anyway, I call up the SQueen and she does know someone who could help and would love to talk about it. Love you, sis.
It's been really great knitting this sweater. It's mainly stockinette stitch with ribbing up the outside of the sleeves and up the sides. It's in a really soft almost navy blue acrylic (my father-in-law said no wool, nothing heavy, and tight cuffs) that would wear great here. We are in Louisiana, USA and wool is only an option maybe 3 days in January and that's if the sun doesn't come out in the afternoon. He's also very warm natured so he doesn't wear sweaters much anyway.
I work for my father-in-law (great set-up for a former stay-at-home mom who still has a 15 month-old to take care of) so it's been fun letting him see the sweater-in-progress while we meet up to discuss work-to-be-done. I had always brought my knitting up to the office (along with my to-be-copied folder and my son in the baby sling) so the secretary and office manager were already well-aquainted with me, my kids, my life, and my previous projects. In fact, the previous projects are how this particular project started. I had been bringing my 1st sweater in pieces that whole month to show the secretary and had finally brought the finished sweater. While they were looking at it, my father-in-law made a comment that he had always wanted a sweater but they were always too heavy and warm. I instantly said I could knit one he could wear easy and jumped on the challenge to find a pattern that would look good and be one he would actually wear.
Fast forward to where we are now, through extensive searches at the local big-chain book store Sock Sis lovingly calls Buckets of Noodles (which she has every right to call, huh?) and knittingpatterncentral.com. (By the way, good luck to anyone looking for men's patterns to knit; there either aren't many or I was looking in the wrong places). For the body, 18" long in 5 stitches per inch stockinette stitch gauge 220 stitches around did get old after a while but I'm glad I stuck with it. (Can you tell I'm working on learning life lessons here?) The sleeves weren't as hard to complete because they had the occasional increase when things got a little boring, plus they were only ~83 stitches around. And now I'm ready for the jump to making them all into one lovely garment. And ladies, the ribbing on the form of a man's arm is gorgeous. I know because I've been trying the sleeves on my husband to make sure I was knitting it right.
Hubby doesn't wear sweaters at all, poor thing. He's even more warm-natured than his dad. He has agreed to socks, though, as long as they are LSU colors. :)

Introductions please...

Hello!
Hopefully this blog will satisfy my inner desire to tell everyone about my knitting and the process thereof. Basically I am thus:

1. Both a knitter and crocheter. Lovely Debbie Stoller compared the two crafters to the Sharks and the Jets. Great to see that here the two gangs settled down and became friends.
2. NOT a professional. I just have a good time.
3. Working on my intermediate status as knitter. That means I have finished one sweater w/o killing anyone and was really excited to start another. I have also started knitting socks. I am halfway through with the first of the pair and turning the heel was not as hard as I thought! (thanks to sis for walking me through it all)

I hope anyone who reads it will enjoy it!