Knitting Accomplished

Visions of Grandeur


I know I'm not the only one who makes lots of grand knitting plans. Who falls in love with a project before good sense kicks in and tells them to turn away. I've read too many blogs and seen too many knitters with that desperate look in their eyes. . . I know I am not alone. I am counting on the collective warm thoughts and happy knitting wishes to get me through this next project. (As well as the help of Deb, who I shanghaied at knitting on Wednesday night.)


I have accidentally committed to knit a sweater for my sister Katy. (Enthusiasm can be the damnedest thing.) A sweater that is maybe (oh just maybe) beyond my skill level. A sweater pattern that I showed to my mother and said, "Wouldn't that be pretty on Katy?" To which she replied, "We can give it to her together. I'll buy the yarn if you will knit it." Fundamentally, I think I am capable of knitting this sweater but I have certainly never accomplished anything quite so complex. And I do plan to spend some good portion of the month of December out on Aunt Mary's proverbial front porch.


What do you think? Can ya'll talk me through Oblique? I hope so, since my mama has already ordered the yarn. Someone send wine. (As an aside, if you are looking for a new or different yarn source, I would very much recommend you give California Yarn Co a look. Excellent selection and friendly service, not to mention the discounts offered on full bag purchases of $50 or more.)


Tiny Sweaters


So, it is now 3 days until Thanksgiving. I won't keep you in suspense: I got all of the tiny sweaters finished. I was worried for a bit toward the end of last week. I think it is a fundamental knitting truth: many a fine knitting project has been derailed by new yarn. It was a dangerous few days, when the 3 skeins of Socks That Rock arrived, but alas, I was able to tough it out. I will admit, though, that I did swatch enthusiastically on socks for Lori.


The Korppi is more beautiful in person than in the pictures. (The photo above doesn't do it justice.) I am slightly less enamored with the Count Cluckula. I'll take pictures soon. Count Cluck has a great big swath of bright sunshine yellow that isn't visible in the picture on the website. For the time being, I am letting it marinate in the stash and I'll decide later if I'm going to knit it.


Again, sidetracked by the new yarn....anyway, I've finished the sweaters. I finished the last one late Sunday night. You'll notice the pictured sweaters do not add up to 30. I got the three extras done but (irresponsible blogger that I am) forgot to photograph them before giving them away. Oops. Also, I decided not to knit a sweater ornament for me...I never give myself an ornament. duh. Which all adds up to: here are 25 finished little sweaters.


Without further adieu...I give you sweaters. (Ok a little more adieu...I apologize for my substandard photography. And my less than expert picture splicing to get them all in one frame.)


All Together

A Few At a Time

(Top to bottom) Peaches & Cream Cotton in Fiesta, Brown wool of unknown origins, Red Cascade 220.
Sugar n' Cream cotton, fantabulously soft Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK.





Rowan Calmer (leftover from the Daisy sweater), black Cascade 220



Green cotton Patagonia from Araucania, some something that I can't remember what it is and don't have any labels for even though I have three skeins of it milling about in the stash but that I think I picked it up while in Hawaii on my honeymoon.



White cotton from the LYS but I can't remember exactly what white cotton, Di.Ve' Autunno in Navajo.



Vanna White yarn (the only acrylic sweater in the bunch), Mango Moon recycled sari silk, more red Cascade 220.
Cascade 220 superwash, blue Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk held together with light blue fuzzy something from stash, Di.Ve' Autunno in variegated gray.



On top we have the very first sweater from the advent of this project. The Papaya Misti Alpaca Pima Cotton Silk, Peaches & Cream cotton in Fiesta, Cascade 220 Superwash.



Di.Ve' Autunno in that gray again, Mission Falls 1824 Wool in a dark green, Di.Ve' Autunno in Navajo. (The Autunno is so wonderfully soft.)




Top: Tahki Cotton Classic in pink and green, bottom: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk DK held together with Cotton Classic duplicate stitched with the pink Cotton Classic.

Tegan requested pink and green sweaters for her and her roommate and here they are. On Thursday, Miss Tegan will be spending her first Thanksgiving away from home. Though she is terribly homesick, she is very lucky to have made wonderful friends at college and will be spending the weekend with her roommate's family.

This little white one is my mother's favorite.

And this little close-up shows the tiny coat hangers I made to act as ornament hooks for this years addition of the Thanksgiving ornaments. (Luckily, I had plenty of 22 gauge wire sitting around in my beading box, and thus these itty-bitty coat hangers were born.)

So there you have it. It is a red letter day in my knitting life: a project completely completed well ahead of its required time.

Happy Thanksgiving!

While I have every intention of posting again before Thanksgiving, realistically I know it might not happen. So while I'm here....I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday weekend. Whether it is restful or frantic or whatever, I hope it is exactly what you want in a Thanksgiving. May you each be richly blessed.

Today's Quote:

"Dear Lord; we beg but one boon more: Peace in the hearts of all men living, peace in the whole world this Thanksgiving." -Joseph Auslander