I know I said I wasn’t going to start anything new until I finished Butterfly, but I couldn’t help myself.  I haven’t given up on Butterfly, and I’m still working on it, but that’s pretty limited to work at home.  Butterfly does not lend itself to knitting on the go – I think it has something to do with the 10 colors of yarn!

I started Lillian.  I’m using the Plymouth Suri Merino, which is very reasonably priced for an alpaca/merino blend, and got gauge with 4.5mm (size 7) needles.  I’m doing something with this sweater that I did for the first time on Butterfly.  I’m combining the sizes to get a better fit (hopefully).  I’m knitting the 35 1/2″ chest circumference size, but working the body length for the 40 1/2″ size.  I will knit the armhole shaping and the sleeve cap shaping to the 35 1/2″ size, but the arm length in the largest size again.  My hope is that the combination of sizes will give me a sweater that is long enough, but not too long, and still fits in the body.  It should work, right?

This sweater uses an i-cord cast on, which I’ve never done before.  I found a great tutorial online because I couldn’t find it in any of my books.  Once I saw the pictures, the directions in the pattern made sense, but I had to see the pictures to put it all together.  The i-cord cast on takes awhile, but looks very tidy when it’s done.  And there’s no curling or stretching, which is a bonus.

I’ve started the waist shaping and have about 6 inches done of the back (there was only about 4 done when I took these pictures).  It’s going pretty quickly and for the first time in a long time, I’m excited about my knitting.  It’s been so long since I worked on a sweater that I forgot how fun it can be.  So, despite the fact that I’ve started something that will surely slow down the pace of Butterfly, I’m excited.  I’m looking forward to working on this over the next few weeks and seeing the finished project (will somebody please remind me of this when I’m bitching about knitting the sleeves?).

In non-crafting news, I’m working on another fictional story – some friends of mine are writing Valentine’s Day stories and I thought I’d join in and dust the cobwebs off of my  writing skills.  I’m going to be posting the chapters here, but I know that’s not really why most of you stop by.  If you’d like to read and give me your feedback, I’d love to hear it, but if it isn’t your thing, that’s fine too.  Over the next couple of weeks, I’m going to try to keep you in the loop on Lillian’s progress and I’ll also have some photography stuff to share.

It has been suggested that you might need proof that I am actually working on the long standing (never-ending?) Butterfly sweater.  So, I’m here to oblige.

For those of you who are keeping up, a brief search through the blog archives (and this is why I love having a blog!) reveal that I swatched for Butterfly in February … 2006!  Wow.  Almost four years and it will probably be longer than that before I get done.  I’m getting closer, but there is still some armhole length and neck shaping and then steeking and button/armhole bands to knit.  Oy.  I may never get done.

But, I have the armhole shaping done and now just need more length.

This sweater may be proof that slow and steady does win the race.  However, I really wish I hadn’t put it aside so many times over the years because then I’d be done and I would be knitting something new.  I still think it’s an enjoyable knit, but it takes forever to see any progress.  I just have to keep reminding myself that in this instance especially it’s about the process and the finished sweater will be worth the years and the work.

Happy Monday!

I’m an out of practice blogger. I have been putting off writing this post because I haven’t taken pictures of the current sweater in progress and now I’ve decided that I’m just lazy and a picture of a large gray blob of stockinette really isn’t that exciting anyway. So, I’m working on Manly Maze sweater from No Sheep For You for Travis.

Ravelry Link

I started this sweater in February and then got tired of it and put it in the knitting basket. A couple of weeks ago I picked it back up and decided that I needed to finish it before I started the Corset Tank Top by Annie Modesitt, which is going to be my summer knitting project. So, now I’m about 1/2 done with the first sleeve and it’s killing me. I have the body of the sweater to shlep around as I turn the sleeve to knit it and I’m just not amused. The good thing is that it’s endless, mindless stockinette in the round, which works for tv watching. I think the real problem is that I want to start some new socks and I’m not letting myself until I finish this sweater. I bought Francie and have decided to use the Brooke’s Farm sock yarn I bought ages ago.

Have you all used the Harmony wood dpns from Knit Picks? What do you think of them? I was thinking about buying a couple of sets to see what they’re like, but if you have an opinion, I’d love to hear it.

Other than dreaming of socks and hating sleeves, I’m going to try to sew a top this week. It’s a cute little peasant top from Hot Patterns, but the directions are confusing and so I’m going to have one of the ladies I work with help me figure out what the heck they’re talking about. Like why the heck I would sew the seams with the wrong sides together. Makes no sense to me.

Have a great day and hope for warm weather for me – it’s still only in the 50’s and we have a really cold wind today. I imagine the wind chill is in the 30’s. Spring really needs to get here soon!

Steph

I made a lot of progress on the first Rogue sleeve yesterday. I finished the chart and the increases and then I counted. I was supposed to have 55 stitches and I had something ridiculous like 35! What the hell? I clearly did not read the directions properly for the increase row and I only did one increase on each end rather one on each end and one next to the marker on each end. Crap. So, I had to rip out to the turning row and start the sleeve all over again.

I’m so pissed at myself, but that’s what happens when you don’t carefully read the pattern. Lesson learned – again.

I got some new patterns in the mail yesterday – from Hot Patterns (my current favorite pattern company). I ordered a different pants pattern – one with a contoured waist and hopefully a better fit for my body type – and also a new dress pattern.

This pattern has gotten a lot of great reviews and I’ve seen some gorgeous versions. So, I’m inspired. I’m washing my fabric and then I think I’ll try to cut. Keep your fingers crossed for me – my last attempt at a dress didn’t work out so well.

I finished the hood on Rogue yesterday while I was at the yarn store.

Pumpkin Mama gave me her directions for grafting the cables and it was very helpful. The process was much simpler with those directions!

So now I just have two sleeves and I’ll be done. I wonder how long those two sleeves will take me. Last night I didn’t feel like knitting on the first sleeve (you see why I’m worried about how long the sleeves will take?), so I dug to the bottom of the WIP basket for the Curiously Clever Clogs. It’s getting cold here and I need some new slippers. I remember now why I stopped working on these. I got to the point where I’m supposed to attach the outer sole to the main slipper body.

Sounds simple right? Well, I’m having a really hard time figuring it out. I did a google search on this pattern and the only blog I can find with a completed pair is Indigo Muse. I e-mailed her to see if she can help me interpret the directions, but haven’t heard back. If any of you are familiar with the pattern, I’d love some insight. Anyway, for now I think I’ll go back to the Rogue sleeve and maybe just look for a new clog pattern. The thing I like about this pattern is the more streamlined style, but I guess I could knit one to figure it out and then rip it out and redo it. Although that doesn’t really sound that fun.