I’ve finished the back of the $1.50 sweater, and started on the cabled front half. But omg, I just remembered I need to check the errata for the pattern, because isn’t there something wrong with the fronts in the magazine? Hmm, I should go do that.

I’ve been knitting and watching House on DVD in the evenings when I don’t have rehearsal. I love House. Such a great show. I’m re-watching Season 1 right now.

My boyfriend bought flowers today when he went grocery shopping, they’re pink and sitting right next to me right now. *heart*

Genuine horn, apparently. I think they look much nicer. The others were just that much too light. In the store, it came down to these horn ones, and some shell ones. The lady in the store really liked the shell buttons. Because of the reflective surface, they picked up the red, and there is a shell pattern along the cuffs. I almost went with those, but at the last minute decided they were too shiny. I think I like my choice.

I also took a sleeve of the $1.50 cardi, to check out some buttons for that project. Found some gorgeous ones. I realised when I got there that I just had the sleeve, and no pattern, so I didn’t know how many or what size to get. Then the lady pointed out I could just pick ones I liked, and then make as many button holes as I need. Smart knitting lady.

They’re rustic and wonderful. And more than I’d ever expected to pay for buttons, so I only got 4. The store has a whole range of these buttons, not a size range, but a colour range. They all have the dark brown bark around the edge, but the inside can be blue, green, red, orange, the natural I bought, and I think a few other colours. I was very tempted by the green, but the brown buttons will make the final sweater more wearable, I think.

Then I came home and sat down to finish my Monkey sock. I think it is a tiny bit long. You can start the toe on either row 1, 10, or 11 of the pattern. I started on 10 (well, 9) but I think row 4 or 5 would have been perfect. It’s not too big, and this way it’ll fit perfectly once I’ve washed it.
As soon as I had grafted the toe, I put it on the scale. Finished sock = 1.7oz. Leftover yarn (for sock #2): 1.8oz. Hurrah!! For the record, that was with only 1/2″ of ribbing, and 5 (instead of 6) leg repeats.

I’m going out to buy buttons tomorrow. Soon the real thing with whole pictures!

I just went through my closet, and added stuff to the giveaway pile. All but one pair of my shorts are in there. Funnily enough, the ones that fit are the ones I would’ve said are the smallest. Well, I guess they’re tighter in the leg than the others, but there’s space in the waistband. All the others I could only actually do up around my waist, and I prefer to wear them closer to hip level. sigh. They used to fit. I should be too hard on myself though, two of those pairs I used as uniform shorts (we could wear non-school issue, if they weren’t too short) at school, and I know I’ve put on weight since then. Healthy weight. So that’s:
- 3 pairs of shorts
- 7 sweaters/shirts
- 3 shirts put into my ‘to alter’ pile, for when I make friends with my sewing machine.

Monday night was the first class for the Vogue Capecho, which I much prefer to call my Sand Dollar Cardi. Capecho is just an ugly word. I cast on and did the first few rows of one pentagon that night. When RR was blocking, I took it to work, and I ended up deciding to rip out and restart on smaller needles. I had the exact stockingette gauge on size 9 needles, but it was looking a little loose. Then, after finding some finished ones on the internet, I realised that this needs to be as small as I possibly can, so now I’m working on 7s. That makes each pentagon 4.5″ on each side rather than 5″ for the extra-small. Seeing as the only one I saw on the net that looked the way I want mine to look was done in DK weight, I’m a bit worried. But, I’m on pentagon #4 now, so we’ll just see what happens.

I finished the annoying intarsia cuff of sleeve #2 today, should probably finish that tomorrow or so. And then… the yoke!

First, I have do decide what I’m going to do with those sleeves. Looking at my yarn supply I don’t think I have enough to do the vertical lace pattern. It goes all the way to the neckline, and I think I’ll run out. That leaves me with the sleeve scallops in cream. Or nothing in cream at all. But no, I think I’ll do the cream at the cuffs. If I get enough done tonight, I may even be able to join everything tomorrow!

My progress so far! The big piece grows slowly, so every now and then I have to remind myself that I am knitting fronts and a back all at the same time. It’s about 9″ long so far, it has to be 14″ before anything else happens.

I’ve got stitch markers dividing fronts from the back, and marking where the different colours would be, were I doing it that way. It’s just easier than making sure I’ve only purled 15 sts, instead of 16 or anything.

With the lace pattern unstretched, it measures 27″ all the way across. I think it’ll be a good fit, as the yarn will block a bit wider, the lace stretches, and there’s a button band too. Yay!

In the lower-right photo (here’s big) you can see a line of knit stitch in the garter triangle between the two leftmost scallops. I could have put that in pattern, but I decided to do it that way to have a phony seam type thing. Although, when I got past the scallops I decided I wanted the reverse stockingette to be completely smooth. I’m fine with it, it can be a design feature.

As for the sleeves… I did that one, but I think the next one I do will have the scallops all red, and the vertical panel in the cream. Then I can decide which way I want it. I will have knit 3 sleeves in total by the end of the sweater, but I’ll survive. Any thoughts on which sleeve will be better?

Oh and a while back I said I was novelty yarn-free. Here’s a pic of what I donated:

Before I cast on any pattern, I always do a Google blog search to see what other knitters have to say about the pattern. It helps me find out about issues and errors, and makes the process easier. I also get to see other people’s opinions. The opinions on this sweater were not so hot. Everyone thought the sweater was much too small for the model, probably because it only comes in two sizes, 30″ or 43″. I would guess the model is 36″ ish, so what you see in the magazine is 6″ of negative ease. Now, I don’t think it looks terrible. It stretches out the lace pattern so you can see it, it hugs her curves, albeit a bit too much.
I am 34″ on a big day, so I’ve already got an advantage on her. I am also knitting the body in one piece (the pattern has right front, left front and back all separate pieces). This helps the sizing because the stitches that normally get eaten up in the seam are now adding to the circumfrence. Those 4 stitches (one of left front, two on back, one on right front) add almost another inch, so I will have 3″ of negative ease. I think this will work out.

I have one sleeve done, with the scallops at the hem in cream, the rest of it in red. I am knitting the body entirely in red (yay stash!). I’m undecided on if I like the scallops in cream or not. I only have two balls of the cream. I was thinking sleeve scallops, button band and neckband in cream, but now I’m wondering if instead of the scallops, I should do the vertical lace pattern on the sleeve in cream. The straight lines may tie the button band in better. Then again, I don’t know if I have that much cream yarn.

I really like how it looks so far, I love reverse stockingette.

WEATHER REPORT: -21C on the walk to work this morning, close to -30C if you factor in windchill. I was toasty warm! Why? Well, apart from snowboots and a down coat, I have handknitted wool Jaywalkers, thrummed mittens, and Clapotis.

I have been encouraged, nay, instructed to bring something to do to amuse myself. I have two books and my knitting (Rambling Rose). And possibly some sudoku if I can fit it in my purse.