swallows return

february lady no. 4,368

I am the 4,368th person to knit a February Lady Sweater on Ravelry.  What took me so long to begin?  Who knows, but I can't wait to finish!  Using some purpley Cascade 220 Heathers from the yarn cupboard.   I'm trying a circular yoke with this to see if it's a bit more flattering on me.  So far so good - did 8 increases on the 5th row, 24 on the 11th row, 32 on the 19th, 56 on the 33rd and then 64 on the 49th.  That will total 50 rows of garter stitch so I'll probably be able to start the lace pattern by then.  It also leaves me with two extra stitches (184 increases instead of the 182 stated in pattern) but I can decrease these at each end of the button band on the first lace row.  

Hoping I can find some nice vintagey buttons to go on this one.  Using the one row buttonhole method from Montse Stanley's "Knitter's Handbook" and they are divine!  Firm, flat and secure.  It's such a great feeling when you discover a new and magical method of doing something.  More progress pics soon!

koigu pullover

I had 4 skeins of this KPPPM sitting in my cupboard for almost a year - too many for socks but not enough for an entire sweater so top-down was the way to go.

I began this sweater last August and finally, it's finished.  This is my first adult-sized top-down sweater.  I'm not sure I like the look of the M1 increases along the raglan so for the next one, I'm going to try something different.  Barbara Walker lists about ten ways of doing the double increases in her "Knitting from the Top" book.  Looking at the photos, I think the ribbing on the sleeves might be a bit too long but I didn't want them to be too skimpy either.  There are short rows along the keyhole opening so that they taper off at the top where the button sits.  I should have done short rows at the back too so the neckline would be a little higher but oh well, knitting hindsight...Overall, I'm pretty happy with it; it was a good learning project (but aren't they all?).

S1, k2tog, psso double decreases at corners of neckline (yeah, not totally symmetrical).

Increases at sides on ribbing makes it not too tight.

Yarn:
Koigu Painters Palette Premium Merino (4 skeins)
RYC Cashsoft 4 ply in Monet colourway (3 skeins)

Needles:
3.25 mm for body
2.75 mm for ribbing

Gauge:
26 stitches and 32 rows = 4 inches in st st.

Raveled here.

interlude

I seem to be on the fold as to whether or not I should cut my hair or let it grow so this is the temporary solution for those days when it just needs to be covered up and forgotten about.

I used my last 1 1/2 skeins of RYC Cashsoft DK from my Bridie sweater and had just enough.  Knit on 4mm circular and dpn's.  It took me forever to decide upon a stitch pattern but this lace herringbone rib seems to fit just right and I quite like the radial pattern the knit ridges make over the decrease section.

Raveled here.  Pattern here.

On the toddler front, we are five days ("day" being the important word here) out of diapers and there's no turning back now.  Buying two sizes of diapers was making me crazy!

blik

I haven't opened this book for years now but somehow it caught my attention today as I passed my bookshelves for the umpteenth time.  I remembered how it came into my possession.  When I lived in Holland I frequented a used bookstore, the kind with piles of books stacked next to the already overflowing shelves.  I had it in my hands and was perusing near the cash desk where the proprietor was talking to another customer.  Then they started chatting with me and asking me where I came from (I must have had some kind of weird accent) and I told them Canada and such and such.  The other customer started telling me about when he was a boy during WWII and how his mom let a Canadian soldier stay at their house.  He paid for my book because I was Canadian.  I loved that moment and am glad I was reminded of it today.

The above piece from 1768.  And below, two hundred years later...