Land o’ Sunshine

The EZ sweater on two needles (aka February sweater) is complete with the exception of the buttons, which are waiting for payday and some “alone” time at the Hobby Lobby! 

Pattern: Sweater on two needles from Knitter’s Almanac by E. Zimmerman.

Yarn: Vanna’s Choice in pink (??) 1.25 balls.

Needles: US 6

Thoughts:  What a great pattern.  I started last Monday evening and with the exception of the buttons, it is complete.   I had some brain wrangling to do when I started work on the second sleeve, but the simple solution worked the best.   The yarn is growing on me.   I love the colors, but when it is knit up into a garment, it doesn’t feel as soft as it does in the ball.   I am thankful for the TONS of information on Ravelry and the Zimmermaniac site for the insight into the pattern.   I think I would have had a couple of other problems with the pithy directions.    The sleeve looks pretty wide and short, but hopefully, the parents won’t care.   Booties and maybe a hat to follow.  

I have to say I didn’t really “get” Elizabeth Zimmerman the first time I checked Knitting without Tears out from the library.   Ok, before you click away and unsubscribe me from bloglines, let me explain.    The book has no pretty color pictures and neatly placed information about yarn, needles, guage.   EZ requires you to THINK and COMPREHEND your knitting.   Think?   Huh?   I just wanted to knit.   So the book went back to the library with a bewildered shake of the head to why SO MANY PEOPLE were so in awe of her.  

Despite not understanding her placement on the knitting pedestal, I purchased, Knitter’s Almanac.   (Most likely it pushed me over the $25 amount for free shipping.)   The book arrives and I begin to read it.   I GET IT!  

A whole new knitting world was opened.    The first thing I wanted to knit from the book was the February sweater, however, there were no babies due to arrive, so I just longly looked at the pages, wondering who I convince to have a child so I could knit a child a February sweater.   

Then I saw Jenny Check’s Giant Baby Sweater and I knew I had to attempt one for myself.   Well, yarn for the sweater has fallen into my lap and I read, read, and re-read what Jenny wrote.   Read and re-read what EZ said about the original.  Did some knitterly math and I cast on for the grown-up February sweater.  

Isn’t size misleading???   It doesn’t look very large does it?  It is though.   Try this one….

I’m almost where I need to be to divide for the sleeves, however, there is a pattern mistake which will mean doing some ripping back.  

I officially became an EZ fan with the completion of the Hot Ticket sweater.  It was empowering to do such a unique and special sweater.   Would EZ approve of an adult February sweater?    I don’t know, but I am pretty sure she would approve of taking a pattern and yarn and making it my own. 

KNIT ON!

Sunday morning I cast on for my self designed sweater.   I worked the bottom, hem, cable and body.   I finished the body around 10pm Monday night.   Sounds impressive, doesn’t it?  Well, it is only 22″ around and 9.5″ in length, so let’s not get too carried away, right? 

Here is a close up of the cable at the bottom.   ]

This cable is also going to be on the hem of the sleeves and the bottom of the yoke.    So, here’s the thing.   The cable is supposed to be the XO pattern, however, if I squint, sure it looks like XOXO on the bottom, but it is really not very neat.   How do I fix the cables and make them behave?  

Uh-oh.  Dinner’s coming and lasagna was planned. 

 Gather ingredients.   Lay first level of pasta.  Open ricotta cheese…WTH!  Who opened this?!  Oh, I guess that was me.   Shoot.   What do you do when you have the lasagna partially assembled and are missing a CRUCIAL ingredient with no substitute in sight?  

You WING it.  Mixed up lasagna.   Spaghetti with meat sauch, lasagna noodles–broken, tomato sauce, parmesean cheese & mozzerella cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes (?).   Well see what the verdict is.  Better scrounge together a salad and some bread to serve and make it look like I meant to do this!  

In knitting news.  

1.  I have been stalking Destash–Cash for your Stash and reveling in the beauty and the craziness of things in stash around the world.  Finally purchased something.  You’ll have to wait to see what it is.   This will be the first thing I have purchased without knowing what it would become.  Uh-oh.  

2.  I finished a MDK baby burp cloth. 

3.  Started and 1/4 of the way through MDK Baby Kimono.  Will also post a picture for that too.  Sunshine Daddy wanted to know if there was something he should know.   There is not.  

4.   Started and ripped up attempt at the EZ inspired 4 corner dishcloth.   Something was terribly wrong.   Not sure what really, but

5.  Finished that sock for Sunshine Daddy.  Cast on for the second, but ribbing and stockinette is pretty boring, so it is resting comfortably.   Sock looks pretty good.   Can’t wait to start a pair for me.   Better finish his first.  

6.  Been contemplating knitting a sweater.   Central Park Hoodie, Cardigan for Arwen (though I would have to add more repeats on the bottom, way too short), Ariann (this might be a bit too stuffy classy I have preschoolers and a toddler for crying out loud.   Where would I wear this?)  or something EZ inspired (too much thought maybe).   Who knows.   I’m still thinking.  

7.  I also found some great baskets at a local big-box-home-improvement place for $1.25.  They are nice and big and hold my growing knitting book collection and dishcloth cotton yarn (which is on sale at hobby Lobby for $0.99 this week).   The bags hold the current “on the needles” projects–Baby kimono & socks in one and gloves & mittens in the other.  

In non-knitting news.  This is what I found before heading to bed on Saturday evening.

Not sure why they ended up like this, but I figured I better snap a picture.   They are growing up WAY TOO FAST.   Brings back some memories…like this, my favorite picture of ALL times. 

Not much news on the knitting front.   There have been lots of other life things getting in the way.  Women’s group at church, twins club, and Usborne books are all cutting into my kid time, knitting time, and reading time.  How do you know when you are overcommitted?   

With my remaining Christmas money, I ordered Knitters Almanac by Elizabeth Zimmerman.    SHE. IS. AMAZING.   I read part of the first chapter before starting dinner.   I was seriously wishing I was single again so I didnt’ have to: make dinner, care for children, clean up said dinner, help clean up playroom.   All I wanted to do was read about knitting an Aran sweater.   AMAZING!    I had no desire to knit a sweater, Aran or not.  I told Sunshine Daddy about EZ and I really think he was slightly freaked out that I was so excited about knitting and a book.   Can’t wait to read it more.   Life, why does it get in the way? 

Well the socks are looking a little wonky.   I think the short row is messed up.   I really had divine intervention knitting that first sock.   

I obviously failed ”Photographing Knitting in the Wild”  section of Photography 101.   This picture sucks.  I did the short rows wrong.   No one has a heel this small.  Pathetic.  I tell you I must have had help for that first sock.   Anyone know the patron saint of knitters?   (I found St. Pareasceva for spinners and FOUR for weavers including St. Parasceva, St. Antony Claret, St. Maurice, and St. Onuphrius.  Lucky ducks for the weavers out there!)  Anyway, my patron looking out for me on that first pair of socks, is obviously doing other important work, because the second pair is TOUGH! 

You might have guessed, that Sunshine Brothers 1 & 2 are twins.   I am always looking for twin blogs (like this one and this one) and yesterday I found a great one.  He is irreverent and right on the money.  He has twin girls and an older singleton daughter.   Look, Daddy! gives a great discourse about “natural” twins.   If you are a parent of twins, go over and check it out, I’m sure you need a laugh today! 

Life is calling.