First, the exciting knitting news–I’ve finally finished the body of my Union Square Market Pullover. (Yay!)

I still have the sleeves, of course, and they require a whole slew of recalculations, but see? I’m so happy to finally have this part done. What with the huge difference in gauge, the short-row calculations for the neckline and shoulder-shaping, about the only part of the actual pattern I was able to follow were the words–anything that involved a number had to be adapted. Not an impossible task, but definitely not a project where I was able to just sit and follow a pattern.

On the plus side, I think I got the size just about right. It’s difficult to try on at this point, since there are no shoulder seams–nor will there be. The shoulders fasten with buttons. But I did pull it on and it seems like it fits pretty nicely around the waist–I hope! The neckflap in the front isn’t as pronounced as the one in the pattern, either, because I had so few rows to shape it in, but I’m content with that–just a small fold-over, not as pronounced a design element.

The part that I am a little concerned about? The way all the hems are curling over. Obviously, this is just off the needles and I haven’t had a chance to try blocking it yet, but it’s got me concerned. Keep your fingers crossed for me!

  In other knitting details for the weekend. There’s this apple green Debbie Bliss cabled sweater of mine. Back in February, as part of Alison‘s “The Fix is In” I tore out the mismatched, light green zipper I’d sewn into the sweater, and replaced it with a black one–which actually looked better . . . but only when the zipper was zipped. Really, though, it was an unfortunate choice. (See? This is something I never gave a thought to when I picked that gorgeous shade of yarn for the sweater–finding a zipper that would match. I just assumed that I’d be able to, and then learned the hard way that it’s not always possible. Sigh.)

It’s been bugging me for months, the fact that the sweater was still essentially unwearable through no fault of its own, and finally I decided that it would be better off with no zipper at all, no closure of any kind, than one that is so faulty. So yesterday, I tore out the zipper altogether and right now the cardigan is foot loose and fancy free, as it were. I think it looks better already. I’ll consider adding a button or a frog or two for some minimal closure, but am really just happy that I’ll be able to wear it out of the house for a change.

  I had a helper, too. Chappy supervised the entire job. Or at least, carefully examined the sweater to make sure all was well.

I also cleared out some space in my closet this weekend. A big, green garbage-bag full of pants, skirts, shirts, and sweaters. (No handknits, though.) Actually, there were three wool sweaters I almost put in there until I remembered . . . in that book, Alterknits, the author describes a way to felt old sweaters and turn them into tote bags. That sounded like a much more fun way of recycling sweaters than giving them to charity, so I pulled those out of the pile, and right now they’re sitting in the craft closet, waiting for their next step. Exciting, no?

And now, it’s bedtime, and we need our rest. Tomorrow is Doorbell Day (also known to other households as Halloween).

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