Guess Who Came To Juneau?

My knitting continues at a very slow, unbloggworthy pace. I keep adding "just one more repeat" to my Shetland Triangle Shawl. I hope to finish it soon. I've been surprisingly monogamous with this project, probably because I have memorized the pattern and it now fills both of my knitting needs: complex enough to keep me interested and simple enough to be carry along or TV knitting. Now that the end is in sight (really, I'm on the last repeat), I'm starting to get the itch to start a new project. Hopefully there will be some interesting knitting happenings around here soon.

In the meantime, it's a crazy time to be an Alaskan. Things got even crazier a few weeks ago when Dolores Van Hoofen made a stop here. She's been on a whirlwind campaign tour. I was honored to be her Juneau host. While Franklin maintains that you "really can see Russia" from the Governor's mansion, I'd like to point out what else you can see... (Mudflats is a great resource for those of you who are interested in the bizarre saga of Sarah Palin and politics in Alaska.)

I'll leave you with the official press release from Dolores' visit:

Fibertarian Candidate, Dolores Van Hoofen, photographed in front of the Governor's Mansion, on her campaign stop in Juneau, Alaska.

After spending the afternoon wandering about in the rain shaking hands and kissing babies, Ms. Van Hoofen needed to find a place to spend the night. She was delighted to learn this lovely white mansion had a vacancy. Ms Van Hoofen wasted little time making herself at home. Though she declined to eat the mooseburgers she found in the freezer, out of Unglulate Solidarity; she did avail herself of the on-site tanning bed.

One in Eight *

I've recently finished a stealth project that's been in the works for a while. I'm unveiling it today, as October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I created it for an annual art exhibit here in Juneau: Bra Dazzler. It's a fundraiser for a local non-profit, Team Survivor Perseverance, that provides fitness and exercise programs to women affected by cancer.

It is totally unlike anything I have ever done before. I tend to knit wearable things, and I don't think of myself as artsy.


Let's just say that there was a serendipitous convergence of top-down hat knitting and hearing about this exhibit last year. Then I went to see the exhibit and there was such a wide range of styles and materials employed, that I was emboldened and decided I was brave enough to give it a go. I started working on a prototype last spring, and once I had it figured out, I began slowly knitting breasts. They were great little take-along projects, and I kept them going in the background.

When we returned from our last trip of the summer, in August, I realized the deadline for exhibit submissions was earlier than I expected. So I went into high gear and started churning out knitted breasts. Turns out, the knitting was the easy part. Nick helped me figure out how to assemble it. (Thanks, honey!) In the end, it's pretty darn close to what I envisioned when I started out; that makes me very happy.

One in Eight
Created for the Bra Dazzler 2008 Exhibition in Juneau, Alaska
On display at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum
October 3-November 1

Yarn: Cascade 220; shades of grey, black
and kool-aid dyed lemon-lime
Needles: US size 5 dpns and US size 3 circulars
Size: Canvas measures 30" x 24."
Each breast is approximately 5" in diameter.
Most surprising this about this project: Think about it .. 16 knitted breasts .. eight pairs .. brought to you by a knitter who has trouble getting a second sock finished!

*The risk, if you are a woman, of getting breast cancer in your lifetime.

Fading Memories...

This post is way overdue. Back in July, I promised that I would let you know how I fared at our Moebius Knitting Retreat on the shores of Lake George. As it gets colder and darker here, I am happy to remember those warm halcyon days of summer...

To recap: My two sisters and my s-i-l (and our non-knitting husbands, and our children, some of whom DO knit, but not moebii) gathered for a week long family reunion in Ticonderoga, NY. We stayed in a lovely house right on Lake George and it was the perfect venue for our First Annual Knitting retreat.

My sisterly patience made up for my lack of teaching skills; everyone had a moebius cast on by the end of the first full day and knit diligently ...

and happily...

and even giddily...

until they were finished!!

Follow this link for a close up of Hilary's beauty!

*************************

I have been knitting too. Slowly making my way through a shawl and ready to embark on a pair of mittens. I will try to be a better blogger. I miss all of you!

As fall arrived on Monday, so did the snow on our nearby mountains. We're waking up to crispy mornings and the urge to knit wooly things is strong ..

Well Situated Soccer Fields

I've been gone so long I hardly know where to begin. I've spent large chunks of the summer away from home, and though I've been knitting, I haven't been inspired enough to share anything in the short time I've been near my computer.

But we returned from our last planned trip recently, and as I face the end of summer I'm drawn back to my blog, and the blogs of others (I have SO much to catch up on!!).

Our most recent trip was to Fairbanks for the annual State Cup soccer tournament. I did my research before we went and on our first trip to the soccer fields I squealed with delight as I noticed we were crossing Peger Road, the street on which Inua Wool Shoppe is located. I managed to get there twice in six days - pretty good stats I think! (The boys were 1 in 3; same ratio, but they were less happy with their results.)

I bought hat yarn on my first trip. I was aiming for warm and cheery, whatta you think?

A Hat For Rene

Pattern: Basic top down hat. I increased 8 stitches every other row for a rounded top.

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Rialto DK , 100% Superwash Merino. I used just over one skein of the blue, and not very much of the green.
Needles: US #5

I made this for a friend, but Toby was my gracious model.

Summertime And The Blogging Is Iffy

Back from a wonderful long weekend in beautiful Kelowna, BC where Max was playing in a soccer tournament. It was HOT, brutal for the soccer players, and a little bit much for the spectators, but a nice change from our cool Juneau weather. Kristie in Kamloops directed me to a GREAT yarn store, Art of Yarn. (Thanks, Kristie!) It was well stocked with lots of nice yarn, but I was suffering from my usual indecisiveness and left with nary a skein.

It might be just as well that I showed yarn-buying restraint as I will soon join my enablers family for a visit and we are sure to do some yarn store visiting. Anytime we gather, there is a frenzy of knitting related activity. This usually includes actual knitting as well as future project planning, yarn buying, helping - you name it!

This year, we going to be more directed; we're going to have an official knitting workshop! Other years I have encouraged my sisters to start projects, only to leave them on their own, with unfinished projects and great anxiety, at the end of our vacation. This year, I picked a project that could be completed in one week. I'm going to show them all (two sisters and a sister-in-law) how to make a Moebius Scarf a la Cat Bordhi. I'll share highlights of our Ticonderoga Knitting Retreat when I return.

In th meantime, I'm nearing the end of my top-down Tee shirt. It should make for good, mindless, travel knitting.

I hiked my shorts up so that this wouldn't turn into a midriff shot. At this point I probably still have 5-6 inches to go. But I'm ever hopeful that it will be finished soon!

Solstice!

I don't have anything new to show, on the knitting front, but I wanted to unveil my summer banner. I took the photo at around 10:15 PM last night.

Please forgive the lack of knitting content. I am knitting .. maybe I'll have something photo-worthy soon. But it will probably remain quiet around Knitting Weather for a while, as we have a hectic summer of travel planned.

I know I have at least one visitor from the Kelowna, BC area (my StatCounter tells me so!). If you're reading, do you have any yarn shop/tourist recommendations? I'll be in the area for my oldest son's soccer tournament next weekend, but expect to have some time to explore between games.

Happy Summer to all!

One FO, Two WIPs and a Brush With The Kniterati

I've been a happy knitter for the past few weeks. Around the same time that I changed lace directions, I was also agonizing over my Diagonal Triangle Tank out of my long-stashed Allegro yarn. It just wasn't doing it for me, so I finally ripped that off the needles. It's just as well because once off the needles it looked frighteningly tiny - I don't think it would have fit me. The thing is, I had really grown to like the yarn, but what to make? One day I glanced up and the garter stitch swatch pinned to the cork board above my desk was catching the light just so. Garter stitch brings out all the best in this yarn.

SO what to knit? The time had come to take a crack at a top down sweater ala Barbara Walker. Several months ago I added Knitting From The Top to an Amazon order when I "needed" to add another item to reach the free shipping requirement. (C'mon, you know you've done it...) I've been thumbing through it regularly, feeling too intimidated to jump in, but suddenly I was ready.

I had a few false starts, but now that I'm solidly on my way, it feels right. It's rather hard to do it justice in a photo just yet, but I'll give you a peek anyway ...

I know it doesn't look like much yet, but I'm delighted with it nonetheless. I'm especially happy to have gotten past the "top-down" block. I knew I was going to be a convert, and I've been itching to try it on a human scale ever since I tried it in miniature here.

I had just settled on this and was working the fussy beginnings with shoulders on provisional cast-ons, short rows and neck shaping when the need for a mindless, portable project caused me to set it aside for a few days and cast on for a moebius scarf. It was the perfect take-along project for the 5th grade field trip - a catamaran cruise to Endicott Arm!

We saw whales, goats, bears and a calving glacier!! We never had field trips like this in California!

I finished it up a few days later and I'm very happy with it. I like to wear these doubled, up fairly close to my neck.

Moebius Scarf

Pattern: Basic Purl Ridge Moebius from A Treasury of Magical Knitting, by Cat Bordhi. I did 5-round ridges; next time I think I'll do3. I finished it off with 3 stitch "fingers."
Yarn: Crystal Palace Waikiki
Needles: 47" circular US #7
Best thing about this project: Wearing it to lunch to meet Evelyn Clark!!

I finished it just in time to wear it to lunch with some Juneau knitters and a special guest! The Juneau knitters are two woman, Sally and Kim, I met through Ravelry, and at the time of this lunch I'd only actually met Sally in person. Kim had done a workshop with Evelyn A. Clark a while back and when she learned she was going to be in Juneau for a visit, she invited her out to lunch. Somehow, I got lucky enough to get an invite too!! What a treat!!


I'm behind both in blog posting AND blog reading, but I know there's a meme going around and I've recently been tagged. Helen, I almost never do these (but you know that, don't you?), but I'm flattered that you tagged me .. maybe that will motivate me to post again SOON.

The Great Thing About Knitting Baby Things

The great thing about knitting baby things, is that you hardly have to worry about fit. So what if it's too big! If it's one thing babies do, it's grow. And sooner or later, your baby is going to grow into your hand knit.

I, for example, knit a hat for Max when he was a baby that ended up a wee bit too large...

14 years later he goes looking for a hat to wear to his track meet and I've got just the thing ...

May Day

Slacker blogger though I may be, I still feel the urge to acknowledge my blogiversary. It's two years today since the birth of Knitting Weather!

Though I seem to be in a bit of a blogging slump, it's brought me enough pleasure these past two years that I'm not ready to let it go. Thank you to my band of faithful readers and commenters who have supported, encouraged, and inspired me along the way!

When last I posted about my knitting indecision, it felt very much like I was asking for knitterly permission to change course and rip out my Leaf and Trellis shawl beginnings. Or maybe it was like going to confession? At any rate, I felt free to rip away after that post and have since started a Shetland Triangle with the same lovely Zephyr yarn. This will be my second Shetland Triangle. I've thought about making one for myself ever since slipping that first one in the mail.

The pattern seems very simple this time around, so maybe I should try more complex lace before too long, but for now, this is perfect.

My Knitting Mojo Has Gone ...

...and it apparently took my Blogging Mojo with it.

April is 3/4 behind us and I have nothing knit-worthy to show for it!

I have been knitting, at least a bit, most days, but I'm just not satisfied with anything.

I've done a little work on my Leaf and Trellis stole. I love working the lace, that isn't the problem. The problem is, I'm not sure if I really like this stole enough to put in the hours to finish it. Maybe what I really want is a slightly heavier stole/shawl that I might actually wear? (This is the niggling thought I've had going since I first cast on. Why didn't I listen to it then?) I had a knitterly epiphany a few weeks back and I was all set to rip it out and start something new, maybe even re-using the Zephyr, but doubling it - and then I stalled. All those little stitches, can I bear to rip them out???

My other knitting uncertainty is a summer tank out of Allegro, a yarn that I bought so long ago most likely no one else has ever heard of it. It's a Crystal Palace yarn and is a little bit like Waikiki, except it's 100% silk. I think the reason it's been sitting in my stash all these years (nearly 25, I figure) is that it isn't especially pleasant to knit with; it's kind of squeaky, if you know what I mean. But I worked a few swatches and the result, after washing and blocking, is a lovely drapey fabric. So it seems like it might be worth slogging through the knitting. I'm tentatively working the Diagonal Triangle Tank by Iris Scheier. It's a strange leap of faith sort of construction and I'm not sure I'm A) doing it right B) going to like it .. but I guess I'll keep plodding along.



Suffering from this knitting malaise, I was especially grateful when the mail arrived last week with an Amazon box addressed to me containing my pre-ordered copy of Shear Spirit!! What a beautiful book! Gale's photos are gorgeous. Goats, alpaca and sheep - they just don't make 'em more photogenic than that, and Gale has captured some fantastic images. Along with the animals are farms and ranches and, of course, yarns and projects. Great projects! There are at least four that I'm thinking about after my first go-through.* (Currently, I'm dreaming of a Cassandra Cardigan.)


Really, it's the just the sort of book to stoke a smoldering knitting fire .. thanks, Gale!

(*And there are the wonderful stories behind the farms and fiber, but I've only scratched the surface on those.)

A Most Excellent Week

It started getting excellent early on when we sighted our local wolf. Next up was a rare convergence of clear skies and solar activity that produced the best show of the Aurora Borealis that we've seen since moving back to Juneau. And today we took advantage of some gloriously sunny and mild weather, and went cross-country skiing on the lake. It was a day to wipe out the memory of the 220 rainy days in an average year.

That's Nick and his hat in the foreground, Mendenhall Glacier in the background.

These are some Koigu mittens I made before I started blogging. There's nothing special about them, but I have to tell you all: This is their third winter and I haven't been saving them for special occasions, if you know what I mean. I wear them all the time, unless serious ski gloves are required. I've worn them on countless dog walks with a leash wrapped around my hand and a crazy dog pulling like she thinks she's in the Iditarod. I've worn them to shovel endless inches of snow. And I've worn them skiing. In three winters of hard use, they haven't pilled or worn thin. If, like me, you've wondered how well Koigu holds up, wonder no more.


We skied across the lake so we could get an up-close and personal view of the glacier's face.

And if this wasn't all excellent enough, go see what Gale posted this week. I'm all aglow. (Or maybe that's sunburn.)

I also got a wonderful package from a blog-free reader in Arizona who is obsessed with Alaska. She approached me a few weeks ago about doing a swap and the next thing I knew I had received beautiful yarn, a gorgeous felted bag, yarn soak and a warm and friendly letter. Thanks again, Cassie! (Your package will be on its way soon.)

Thanks to everyone for the comments on my wolf and scarf photos. Seeing the wolf *is* an incredible thing. (msubulldog: I forwarded your comments along to my son. He's getting the blogger "comment lust" and I think it might just motivate him to write some more. Thanks!)

Something to Blog About

Malabrigo Melon Scarf

Pattern: Melon Pattern from Victorian Lace Today by Jane Sowerby
Yarn: Malabrigo Lace weight - One skein (470 yards) in Tortuga colorway
Needles: Knit Picks Options US size 4 (3.5 mm)
Size after blocking: 71.5" x 7.5" (Pre-blocked: 60"x 6.5")
Notes: I followed the recommendation for a scarf with garter stitch edges. I worked 5 melon pattern repeats with 4 garter stitches at each edge and 3 garter ridges at each end. I remembered having "flaring" issues on a scarf I made for Nick and so I went down a needle size for the last 5 garter rows. Next time I'll begin and end with a smaller needle.

This was my first Malabrigo experience. Now I understand. It was lovely to work with, and it is deliciously soft and warm and light to wear. My only concern is how it will hold up. Only time will tell.



Nick accompanied me to Skater's Cabin for this photo shoot. The light was pretty flat (read: These photos don't do justice to the beautiful richly colored yarn.), but at least it wasn't raining or snowing and there was occasional filtered sunlight. It seemed like the best we might get for awhile. When we got there, we saw that The Wolf was out on the lake.

Every winter since we've been here, people have been seeing this wolf around the lake/campground/glacier area. This winter is the first time we've seen him. The very first time we saw him, we actually heard him first. We followed his voice to the edge of the lake and stood watching him and listening to him howl for nearly an hour. Since then, we've seen him several times, and for the last several days he's been on the lake every time we've been there.

So after the scarf photo shoot, we came home and got our cross-country skis and went back. We skied a big loop around him, torn between wanting to get as close as possible, and not wanting to disturb him.

A wildlife photographer I'm not. (Like I needed to tell you that.) I know these photos are just average photos, but it's not every day you get to ski within snapshot distance of a wolf - nothing average about that.

Vernal Equinox

We were greeted with fresh snow on this first day of spring. Several inches of heavy wet snow. Shoveling said snow was a drag, but the day is much brighter and prettier for it; the last several days have been unbelievably dreary.

I have two new knits to show off - and I didn't knit either of them! I'm just trying to keep your interest while I slog through the end of the melon scarf. I cannot in good conscience post another update photo, and I'm determined to finish it before I work on anything else.

Max* returned home from the Arctic Winter Games with this adorable hat for Toby:

It's a conjoined sock hat! Isn't it clever?

At the other end of the knitting spectrum is this gorgeous Dale Sweater I inherited when I was in California last week. One of my bestest mom friends (an amazing group of women I met in a new-mom support group 14 years ago) gave it to me. It belonged to her mother, who died several years ago, and it is too big for Karen. I am incredibly touched by this gift, and I will think of Karen and her mom whenever I wear it. (Which may be constantly! I put it on a few hours ago to take advantage of this pretty day for a photo shoot, and I haven't taken it off since. It is SO lovely!)


*Max's Team Alaska finished 3rd and came home with bronze Ulu Medals to show for it!! He had a great time and I hope he'll soon write about it himself.

Melon Season

I thought I was going to wait until this scarf was finished and blocked before blogging about it again, but it's taking me forever. So I'm going to try to squeeze out one more "in progress" post, so you won't forget about me.

I made some good progress last weekend in the lodge while the kids were skiing, but then I offered to play Monopoly with them and the rest of the weekend was shot. When my sons completely wore me down and coerced me into playing I agreed to play I imagined I'd fit in lots of stitches waiting for my turn. But I forgot how demanding the role of "banker" could be; my knitting sat untouched next to me - for many, many hours. All was not lost however, because my kids got along for the first time in our Monopoly history and we A) Had a lot of fun, and B) I WON!! I believe this might just be not only the first time I've ever won this game, but that I've ever played it to its natural conclusion. I'm a little bit ashamed of how how happy it made me to force my children into bankruptcy ...

So it may well be melon season before I finish my Melon Stitch Scarf. I'm loving it though, and if I have to pack it away for next fall as soon as it's done, so be it. I think it's going to be a beauty.

I believe I'm about 2/3 of the way there. I'm not sure how much this will grow when blocked, but it seems like I should just knit until this divine Malabrigo Lace yarn runs out.


ps For another perspective of life in Juneau, soccer news, and 14 year old wisdom, check out the newest blog in the family.

If These Socks Could Talk...

They would probably grouse about being schlepped from place to place to place, on the chance that I might knit a round or two. They would tell you that I misplaced them for several months and had given up ever finding them, but then I did. They would tell you about the doctors' waiting rooms, movie theaters, and restaurants where they sat patiently in my lap; the soccer games where I clutched them in sweaty hands, but worked hardly a stitch.

However, they can't talk. They can just cover my feet in all of their lovely handknitted-ness and make me happy that I finally finished them.

Pattern: Thuja
Yarn: Nature's Palette in "Dark Indigo," a gift from Hilary ages ago ...
Needles: US # 1 dpns
Modifications/notes: The pattern was written for a heavier yarn, I just massaged the numbers a bit to work for a regular sock yarn. I cast on 56 stitches. I like my sock feet on the snug side.
The weird thing: I thought I couldn't wait to be done with these, and now I'm wondering what socks to make next ...

Year of the Hat

In all my years of knitting, I have not knit as many hats as I have knit in the last few months. And just when I thought I had knit my last hat of this hat-wearing season, Max came into the kitchen on Friday morning, pointed at his father's hat-clad head and said, "You should make me a hat like that." His sudden hat desire might have been fed by the weather which looked something like this on Friday morning:

Our digital thermometer actually read -18 that morning.

Next thing I knew I was rummaging through my stash and trying to pick out yarn that might meet the very particular requirements of my 14 year old.

Then on Friday afternoon, we got a phone call informing us that his status as "alternate" goalkeeper for Team Alaska for the Arctic Winter Games had been upgraded. The keeper originally chosen is no longer going. Instead, Max is going to Yellowknife! The temperature in Yellowknife on Friday was minus 35 Fahrenheit. Must. Knit. Warm. Hat.

I started knitting on Saturday and finished Monday morning. In between, on Sunday afternoon, Max had to meet a friend at Skater's Cabin to work on a science project that involved tromping across the frozen lake. It was getting warmer by then, but snowing like crazy and both boys showed up in handmade hats.

Boys in handmade hats!

That's my guy on the right rolling his eyes, but his friend, Alan? Alan is wearing a hat he crocheted himself! How cool is that?? AND I heard him tell Max he couldn't find any string (needed for project) so he brought along a ball of yarn. I love Alan!!

By the time I finished the requested hat, temps were in the mid-30's, skies were grey, and rain was falling. Terrible photo weather, but this post has waited long enough.

Max's Beanie
Pattern: Just a basic 2x2 rib, I cast on 76 stitches
Yarn: Mostly Merino (black) and Morehouse Farm Merino (oatmeal), held together.
Needles: US Size 7 (2 circulars)
My Favorite thing about this project: He likes it!

Happy Groundhog Day!

Much as I like my recent flap hats, I've got to admit that when the temperature dips into the single digits (that's single digits Fahrenheit), there's nothing like a snug watch cap to keep your ears warm. I know this because it's been mighty cold for the last week.

Gale made a couple of beauties a while back that I can't get out of my mind. I totally copied her idea, and for the very same reasons. (Those Noro scarves! I can't make myself knit one, but they're SO very lovely.) Anyway, Thanks for the inspiration, Gale!

I started playing around with some leftover Silk Garden and miscellaneous black stash yarn, but I just wasn't sure. I feared the darkest colors in the Noro would get lost in the black. Next I grabbed some heather grey Cascade 220. Bingo! I love the way it makes the Silk Garden POP.

Nick's Newest Hat

Pattern: Basic 2x2 ribbed watch cap, a la Gale.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden and Cascade 220. Less than a skein of each.
Needles: US size 6 circulars (I used two) and dpns for the last few rounds.
Size: I cast on 108 stitches for Nick's very large head.

Nick's hat at work.

Go Ahead, Make My Day*

Helen, of Chronic Knitting Syndrome, made my day today by giving me a "You Make My Day Award." I'm excited way out of proportion. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love being a part of this incredible knitting community.

Having received this great honor, I am now bound to pass it along to ten other bloggers who regularly make my day. I'm to "give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times."So without further ado (and in alphabetical order):

A Wee Bit Obsessive - OK, so Hilary is my sister-in-law, and you might think there's a little nepotism going on here; but she'd make my day even if we weren't related by marriage. She's smart and funny, she knits beautiful things, and sometimes she posts photos of my adorable niece and nephew.

The AmpuTeehee - There's way more than knitting here. We laugh, we cry, sometimes there's knitting; always there's something to think about.

BrooklynTweed - I know, I know, I'm sure Jared's already received bunches of these awards. But I can't help myself.

Garn Boet - The Yarn Nest - Beautiful knits and fantastic photos of Maud's gorgeous Afghan hound, Ludde!

Jean's Knitting-It's like traveling abroad, to visit Jean's blog - Fantastic knitting, political and social commentary, glimpses into her daily life, and the ongoing saga of the Theo Gansey.

Knitting in the Great Basin -Posts are few and far between these days, as Frasera is a new mom. But it's worth the wait to see beautiful knits modeled on her most beautiful daughter.

One More Row -Another Alaskan knitter. I like hearing about life a little bit farther north, and I get a kick out of her "mom" stories. She also has two boys, though hers are considerably younger than mine. Oh, and the knitting!!

She Shoots Sheep Shots -Clever, funny, beautiful knits, and GORGEOUS photos. How could it NOT make my day? (For twice the fun, check out her second blog, Two Shear Spirits.)

Taoknitter2- Ann is multi-talented craft-wise, but I read her blog as much for the "diva stories" as the knitting content. With two boys in my house, it's refreshing to hear her, often humorous, take on mothering three daughters.

Why not? - KT's a kick, and now we're practically neighbors!

And because I'm loathe to post without a photo ...

Jojoland Melody sock yarn. Thanks to my enabler Hilary for making a yarn store stop with me on my way to the airport last week.




*Thanks, Clint!

A Well-Traveled Sweater

After dawdling along forever on my Minimalist Cardigan, I finally got into high gear a few weeks back. I was spurred on by the wish to have it completed in time for my trip, last week, to my hometown, Rochester, NY. And I did it!! It turns out, if you really sit and knit, instead of just talking, blogging and reading about it, you can accomplish quite a bit. Who knew?

With just hours to spare, and no time for photos, I finished the finishing, packed it in my bag and headed east. A week later, before I began my westward journey home, my brother took a few photographs for me.

Minimalist Cardigan

Pattern: Minimalist Cardigan by Ruthie Nussbaum
From: Interweave Knits Fall 2007
Yarn: 2-Ply Morehouse Merino/~ 6 skeins in Olive
Needles: KnitPicks Options US size 4
Size: I was aiming for something near 39 1/2"
Modifications/Notes: I used sport weight yarn instead of worsted. Rather than rework all the numbers, I did a swatch, took a chance and simply followed the directions for the next size up, taking care to work to the lengths for my true size and not the larger size. I think my only other modification was to short row the shoulder shapings and seam them with a three-needle bind off. First I worried it would be too small, then I worried that it would be too big. In the end, I'm pretty happy with the fit and the overall look.
My Favorite Part: Wearing it for the first time to the opening of Will's photography exhibit, which was the culmination of an extraordinary year-long project. Never has a sister had a better reason to kvell over her little brother.

Credit where credit is due: This photo by Nick