Where on earth have I been? I must have been on an around the world cruise with no internet connection, right? Or I was captured by pygmies and had my fingers cut off, right? Or I’ve been so wrapped up with classes and what not, that I’ve had no time to knit or blog, right?
Not right. None of the above. I’ve been to Denver. And Kansas. Briefly. So no good travel excuse. No one has held me hostage or cut off any digits. No good capture excuse. I have been wrapped up with my classes this summer, but it was easy to fit in class time and homework and still have plenty of time for fun; knitting and otherwise. No school excuses.
No excuse at all. Except maybe the boredom of monogamy.
When we last parted company, I was closing in on finishing my summer sweater. I was a little worried that it would be too small, and that I would have spent two months making a gauge swatch. I was completely right about that. The sweater came out to exactly my dimensions….with NO ease. So it hugged each and every curve; the abundant ones and the overly generous ones. I am a curvy girl, no question.
Then I spent the next two months knitting the right size. Look….see….
Good length, right amount of ease. I lengthened the armholes and the neckline. I would show the photo of the first sweater, but I was so appalled by all my curves that I erased it. I crocheted the cap sleeves and the neckline trim instead of the knitted ribbing from the pattern. I knit the sweater in the round, and did short row shaping at the shoulders so I could do a 3-needle bindoff instead of having to seam the old-fashioned way. That made a much neater seam.
Really, did you all want me to write about this sweater for the last four months? Isn’t it better that I plugged away at it, and now I have something to say? And not only that, now I have new items on the needles.
New socks.
New baby blankie.
New baby sweater.
Therefore, new blog posts much sooner. Just wait and see.
Sweater details: The pattern is Teasel, from Rowan 49. The link is to Ravelry, which requires registration to see. If you are a knitter, and don't already know about Ravelry, you will want to register and see all it has to offer. I used Misti International Pima Cotton and Silk DK. Lovely stuff to work with at a better-than-excellent price point. I used a size 5 needle.
You look very pretty in your new sweater!
Posted by: monica | 08/11/2011 at 02:01 PM
Forgot to ask -- are you going to Stitches Midwest?
Posted by: monica | 08/11/2011 at 02:02 PM
So nice to see you, Sharon! Looking forward to more.
Posted by: Vicki | 08/11/2011 at 05:11 PM
Really nice of you to visit! I'm really glad you're wandering back, too. You're knitting beautiful work!
Posted by: karen | 08/15/2011 at 08:15 PM
I really like the way this sweater turned out! Doesn't it feel good when you keep plugging along to get it right?
Posted by: Bonnie | 09/23/2011 at 07:17 AM