And She Knits Too!

Sunrise Circle Jacket

Fini!

I would gush about how great this sweater is (because it is) but it's too humid and my throat is too strepty right now (yes, I got strept in the summer, how does that happen?)

I am sure once the weather changes I will wear this a lot.  The shape is curvey and the fit is perfect.  Check out these gorgeous back darts:

I got smart and knit it a size smaller than I would normally with perfect results.  I may have to fiddle with the button placement a tiny bit because the one around my boob looks sorta funny.  I've already re-sewn it once and well, it's just going to have to wait for now.  But I really do need to fix it.

Yes, I chose the round buttons, even though the square ones won the poll.  I really really liked those suns, but they were too small for the sweater.  I'm saving them for something else. 

Thanks Kate, for a fab pattern!

Buttoning up

Well it looks like the Sunshine square buttons are in the lead, but I'm getting some good persuasive arguments for the round buttons, so I'm going to think on it a bit longer.  Thanks for all the votes and comments.

The contemplation thing is not completely true.  I'm too busy to finish the sweater.  We're packing up everything we own our camping stuff and heading out for a week of vacation.  First, to Peterborough to visit my parents, and to celebrate my birthday (tomorrow) and then to Silent Lake Provincial park for some camping.  We've never camped with the kids, so this should be fun.  If we can avoid bringing everything we own.

The sweater is not coming with me, instead I'm bringing the baby sweater (I'm on the last piece) and socks.  I'm not sure how much time I'll have to knit, but like the Scouts say, "be prepared". 

I'll be away from my computer for most of this time (not bringing the laptop, but I'll check up on stuff at my parent's place if I can stand the dial up) so be good and I'll have lots to talk about when I return.

Which buttons?

Sunrise Circle is almost done!  I re-blocked it last week because I overdid it a bit the first time and the circles were sorta ruffly.  Then it occurred to me that I didn't have any yarn left to do the button loops.  So I ignored it for a while (denial is the key to yarn shortages) and then I found a teeny bit of yarn to do the crochet button loops in my knitting box (good thing I don't throw anything away).  The loops are done and now I have to choose the buttons.

Here's the sweater with square buttons:

And with nifty handmade round ones:

And some close ups:

I found these toggles a few minutes ago and thought I would throw them in.  This is what the pattern calls for and they have some appeal.  The colour is better on this one:

Cast your votes.

Sunburn circle, not sunrise

I really tried to finish my Sunrise circle jacket this weekend, but it's just too damned hot.  Our TV room is on the third floor (the attic room) and without A/C it's just north of Hell up there.  And for me, finishing and TV go well together and sitting with a wool sweater on my lap in this weather isn't working for me.  I have two seams and some ends to go--maybe next week.  It's hard to get motivated to finish a wool sweater when I can't wear it any time soon.

I've done a little bit of itty bitty knitting (socks, cotton lace scarf) but mostly I've been out and about.  Today we spent the day down at the beach, having a picnic, flying kites, watching the kids play in the sand and the lake, eating ice cream and just being outside in the sun.  Unfortunately for me, I was stooooopid and didn't put on the sunscreen and my shirt until it was too late.

oooooowwwwwww.  I'm very vigilant about making the kids where sunscreen, I buy them UV-proof bathing suits, I'm super pale and I always burn, and I know about how bad the sun is because I get artificial UV phototherapy for my skin (psoriasis--it sucks).  Yet, I never learn.  I'm definitely not stitching up the sweater tonight.

May 2-4 Recap

The might be the coldest May long weekend in my life.  I'm very glad I wasn't camping.  And really, a cottage with all the amenities is the proper place to knit and relax anyway.

So here's a quick recap.

There was lousy, cold weather.  With freezing rain even.  Which meant there were worms. 

Xander said these ones were cute and had to be convinced that they preferred living in the dirt to a shorter life in his hand.

There was lots of knitting.  All the pieces of Sunrise Circle are blocking and I finally managed to get a sleeve I liked with the Cotton Tape.  I decided to go back to Angie and found a solution.  I use a smaller needle just for the dropped stitches portion.  Now it looks neater and with the blocking it looks great.  The other sleeve is half done.  Traffic was unusually light on the way home; I was hoping to complete the whole sleeve.

There were also Fireworks.  A huge heaping mound of them.  Craig likes fireworks and he and some other folks all pitched in and there was quite a show. 

Here's some video if you want to see more of the action.  (It's very short--it's more fun to watch than record).

And finally, the cottage now has all the amenities.  Wine and beer and spirits were plentiful.  And who cares if it's cold when you can sit like this and watch the stars and listen to the bullfrogs and the waves hitting the shore.

*This* Close

I'm up at the cottage for the Victoria Day weekend, which means lots of time to knit.  I used that time to finish the Sunrise Circle Jacket, as I received the extra skein I need from Wanda.

Since this put me over the required yardage, I figured I would be fine. (I was short originally and took a chance that it would be enough) .

See my finger?  This is the last sleeve facing.  I used a provisional cast on for this one just in case I didn't have enough yarn.  Good thing I did because I'm out of yarn with only 5 rows left.  I already knit the yarn from my swatch, and I'm tapped.  No more yarn.

It's not a sweater-killer though.  I'll just pick something similar from the stash (I seem to like this wine tweed shade) and knit up the last five rows and seam with it.  Since it's a sleeve facing it won't show and no one here will rat me out to the knit police.  Right?

I'm hoping this is a good idea

I loved Kate's Sunrise Circle Jacket the moment I laid eyes on it.  It took me a while to settle on a yarn to use though.  I didn't like the colours of the Karabella Soft Tweed (except the orange, but I wasn't in an orange mood) and I didn't want to use my grey Jo Sharp Aran Tweed (this sweater doesn't say grey to me).  So I surfed around and didn't find anything I liked.  Then I remembered I had 7 skeins of Classic Elite '03 Tweed in the stash in Dried Cranberry.  Using stash yarn is always good, so I decided that was the yarn to use.

Except...

The pattern calls for 1080 yds and I have 1001.  I'm 79 yds short--just about a whole ball of the called-for yarn (half a ball of my yarn).

Now I rationalize...

The pattern has hemmed facings, and if I do those with another yarn, they won't show and I'll save the yardage.  And, I always use less yarn than the pattern calls for, so I should be fine.  And, if desperate, I can always unravel my swatch (I got the right gauge on the first try, so the yarn is telling me to use it). 

Let's hope this is some fine logical reasoning, and not a river in Egypt.

Now I'm on the hunt for a good yarn to use on the facings.  It might show on the back neck (see a picture here) so I'm going to need something that matches nicely.  Right now I have those stitches on a holder waiting to see what happens.  I'll do that will all the facings and if I have yarn left, I'll use it for the most public parts and work from there. 

Of course if any of you have one ball of discontinued, not found on google Classic Elite '03 Tweed in colour 5927, lot 1296 that you would like to sell or trade for something pretty, you'll let me know, right?