January already?

Greetings and Dear Laura:

Wow! You finished your sweater! It looks great - I can't wait to see a picture of you wearing it.

I do support your decision to rip the boldly colored Jaywalkers. If you don't like them now, and can't be talked into liking them, then you shouldn't put anymore effort into that yarn/pattern combo. I wonder about pairing them with a darker neutral yarn. Something like the sock on the cover of "A Cuff Above" - I can't wait to do those socks! Some kind of pattern that stripes or slip stitches with that yarn to tone it down....

I had to laugh when I read about your 'burning question' relating to my mom's sweater. I had to go and check - I've mentally written a post about it so many times that I couldn't believe I hadn't actually posted!! I'll try to catch up a bit....

The short answer to your question is: No.

I was optimistic about sewing the seams and making button bands and the neckline when I last posted. To be sure that it turned out nicely, I drove up to Knitting Today on the 22nd to get instruction and support for the finishing. Oh, and I bought some clips to hold the pieces in place instead of pins, and I'm now an avid fan of those!! Best thing since sliced bread! LeaAnn walked me through the steps and I headed home to sew.

And hit the wall. I was SO tired that night that I couldn't even think about anything knitting related. (My mom considered calling 911 when I told her I was too tired to knit!) She did, however, bring me down her checkbooks to fix up, and I realized that given the choice of a completed sweater or having her checkbook fixed, her presents wrapped for her, and food & cookies done for Christmas Eve, that she would not choose the sweater. So I put it aside, fixed the checkbook, wrapped the presents and baked cookies and other stuff over the next two evenings. And on Christmas morning, I gave her sweater pieces!

I did get the sweater sewn up, and I'm really happy with the seaming. That part was the best I've done! And then I started the button bands. I did the button-hole side first, since that one always gives me trouble. I picked up 107 stitches and it looks great - I like the button-holes and it doesn't pucker or pull. Then I started picking up stitches for the 2nd button band, and I couldn't get 107 stitches to work out. It was like I needed another 7-10 stitches, which was totally weird. So I carefully laid it out to see what was going on.




Oh. Problem at the neckline. May I just say that GAUGE LIES! I was freakishly (for me) meticulous about counting rows and pattern repeats so that these would match. Evidently, however, my gauge changed on one of my fronts. I do remember at one point thinking that I should be ready to bind off the neckline, but I didn't have enough rows, so I kept going. I hate when I ignore that nagging feeling!

I tried it on her as I was seaming, and it does fit nicely. I made the sleeves an inch shorter than the pattern, and so it turns out they are only about two inches too long. I've put it aside right now tho, because I want to take it up to LeaAnn to work out how to fix these things. I know I can shorten the sleeves - I've done that before, and I have an idea on the neckline, but I'd like her input. I've put in too much time and effort on this to have it look ratty because I fudged on the finishing!

I did finish the crochet mittens and gave that pair away. I have done the first mitten of another pair for myself, and I'm anxious to have them done.




I'm working on some kid sweaters - and I'm going to start a sweater for myself! I've decided on February Lady in Forest Green Dream in Color Smooshy. I can't wait to get started, I haven't done a sweater for myself since the first year that I was knitting! I'm debating whether to do 3/4 sleeves as the pattern is written or to lengthen them to full long sleeves. Other than that, I'm not planning any mods, but it's early....

Keep knitting!

Cynthia (aka Designated Knitter)
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