Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Best Intentions

New year again. I've already managed to set myself up for total failure. I've decided to join 2 groups on Ravelry 1st one is NaKniSweMoDo (National Knit a Sweater a Month Dodecathon) and 52 books in 52 weeks. Neither challenge allows for total failure just out of the gate. The goals are actually 52 books and 12 sweaters by the end of the year.

1st Sweater (Hopefully) will be a zip-up fitted jacket like affair with set in sleeves. Made for Husband out of Cascade Eco-Wool in a lovely heathery charcoal color. I'm knitting the body in one piece back and forth. I'm sure it would be more efficient to knit it in the round and steek up the middle, but I find that too much knitting in the round is hard on my wrists, especially heavy projects. I'm trying to make up for the inefficiency by knitting the edges in a 3 stitch double knitting tube as I go so I wont have to pick up for it later. My plan is to knit the body including the armholes and adding the sleeves in by using the short-row afterthought method. There is an excellent description of the procedure in Custom Knits. I got one sleeve cap done and realized the it was way too big, ripped the whole thing out including about and inch and a half of the armhole and am starting again. This giant tangle of sleeves, armholes, ball ends and stitch holders can only be managed if I kind of bunch it up and hold under my armpit as I work on it. Kind of like playing the bagpipes if said bagpipes are wearing a gorilla suit.

The yarn is rustic and sheepy, but still feels pretty soft to me. The cat is absolutely enamoured with it. She doesn't usually pay that much attention to yarn, but wont leave this alone, sneaking clandestine snurgle sessions with it when my back is turned.

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