Unprogressing.

The test sweater is going slowly - following instructions, the sweater is unpleasantly (to me) big around the arm, so I frogged and added a LOT more decreases.  The underarm is too bulky but I would have to frog the whole sweater to fix that, and I don't want to keep the sweater, so I decided that I don't care.  Although since the deadline to finish was yesterday, and I didn't, maybe I do?  The problem is that if I get the underarm tighter, it will also make the chest tighter, and on me that won't work.

Not a concern if I donate this, of course.  It has to do with how the body and sleeves are added, as it's not at the points of the corners, but slightly below on the body side, which gives a bigger arm and smaller chest.  Great if you are making this for a skinny guy with muscular biceps and triceps - not so great if you are a curvy female.

The sleeves are not finished.  There is a cuff to be added which I will do in the accent colours.

Also, despite the fact that the purple tweed should have been enough additional yardage based upon the pattern, it's not.  So I'm back to adding the black Lett Lopi, yes, in addition to the purple tweed.  If there is anything left I will make a matching hat, although the way things are going I doubt it.  My current plan is to make the sleeve cuffs striped in black and purple, and finish the body in black.  Hopefully there will be enough black for the placket - and I'm back to the triangular buttons!

Back Again

I went to visit family and now I'm back.  It was good to see them, good to get in some long walks, good to help my parents with things.  We visited my uncle in his care facility.  I made a cheese soufflé:

It's a bit lopsided and not quite as fluffy as it could be (Mom things it's because the eggs were a bit old, and I think it's because they are pasteurized, and also because I was a bit impatient) but tasted really good.  Making a cheese soufflé at least once during a visit has become a tradition when I see my parents.

I passed through Chicago on the way home:

OK, through one of Chicago's airports.

In sweater news, I am behind.  I was helping my parents, and taking walks, and visiting my uncle, and we went to a gala, and all of these cut into crocheting time.  Hopefully a couple days of fast crocheting will get the sleeves finished.

Testing.......and oooopsing.

I volunteered to test a crochet pattern.  I'm not going to post much about it until the testing period is over, this is just the beginning of my process.  The first version of the pattern was HORRIBLE (I wondered if the designer had posted an incomplete draft) and there is a newer version that still has some issues but seems to work.

At first, I thought I'd made a cardigan in green with some matching buttons, because I am just working from stash this year.  I didn't plan to keep it, but would donate to the orphanage or another cause.  Then I realized I didn't have enough yardage, and in rummaging found a hank of Cherry Tree Hill yarn that coordinated well.  Since the dyer has retired, I didn't want to donate something with CTH yarn in it!

 

I got gauge in both directions, with a hook just one size smaller than the designer used.

Then I realized I have a non-cardigan version of the pattern, and I have more than enough pullover styles.  Also, because I overheat easily, I prefer wool sweaters to be cardigans.  This would definitely be something to donate.  So it was back to stash-diving.

 

The Peer Gynt was given to me by somebody when I worked at Lands' End.  She knew I did charity knitting and crocheting and wanted me to use it for a good cause.  This would be a perfect purpose - but it wasn't quite enough yardage.  Further stash-diving turned up a lone hank of Donegal Tweed.

Once again, gauge achieved with a hook one size smaller.  Same hook.

But when I went button-hunting, I wasn't quite happy with options for six buttons that coordinated.  I found a set of five, though that I like and don't like.  Translation:  I think they are really cool, but I don't want to wear them.  Perfect, again, for donating, right?  But since they are black and white, I thought I should swap out the accent colour:

And yet..........

Then I noticed the pattern sample sweater had only three buttons with a henley style front.  I have three buttons that would work for such a thing, but not with black or purple.  Really, I wanted either light grey or beige or more cream as the accent, to do something more simple, because some of the orphans want plainer sweaters.

One final dive, and I found a single hank in the yarns that I keep for dyeing purposes:

While I made these changes, I was chugging along because clearly the Peer Gynt was the main colour and anything else just accent stripes.  In the beginning, even with the improved pattern, I struggled.  I asked if there were further changes and the designer kindly asked what specifically was the issue.  Meanwhile, I decided to frog and restart.  And as I did, I discovered the issue:

Yep, user error.  Apparently I'd skipped a stitch, which of course kept throwing off subsequent rows.  I'm now back on track (and told the designer I managed to solve it) and hopefully the rest will go smoothly.  I've gotten the rhythm of the pattern and am rather enjoying it.

In other news, I finished the Patons Lace scarf, so that's another UFO completed.  That makes an even dozen items (counting pairs of mittens as a single item) that I have finished this year, so far.

Times two

Tonight I finished the second scarf made from the Omega Shawl leftovers.  There are a few yards of the yarn left, but both are six feet or so long and that's enough.  

I am back to a UFO: crocheted scarf of Patons Lace.  I'd forgotten the pattern but figured it out, and it is long enough so I am doing a couple rounds for a border of the same stitch pattern, to use up the remaining yarn.

Mardi Bleu and Lenten Promise

When I pulled out my beads to wear yesterday for Mardi Gras, I made sure to have a blue strand prominently in the mix:

Although I am not Christian, it's a family tradition because of our long association with Catholics to make a Lenten pledge.  Sometimes I give up something; sometimes I commit to do something; sometime both.

This year, I am giving up knitting.

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No, I have not lost my mind, or my mojo.  I've decided that from now until Easter on April 17th, I can crochet, spin, and do other things with yarn - just not knitting.  This will be the longest that I can remember I haven't knit, so it will be interesting.  I do have a few crochet UFOs that I hope will get finished during this time, and I have other projects queued, so I expect to accomplish things.

I'm glad that DFW Fiber Fest moved to September, as I usually take some knitting classes.  And that I am not going to Stitches West, even though I mostly work for Fiberlady.  I'm skipping the North Texas Irish Festival this weekend, I am sad to miss it and feel badly about not going given that they seem to be very short of volunteers, and the other managers in Performer Products are older and less well than I.  However, Dallas County and surrounding counties just moved from COVID-Red to COVID-Orange and I'm not ready to travel and take the risks of being in large crowds.  Not yet.