House of Gables
Clearly, there are some ends to weave in, but here, my Green Gables sweater is done.
I’ve got to say, the Cotton Fleece yarn was a lot more pleasant to knit with than I expected. I’ve said often enough that I don’t like knitting with cotton, but this had enough wool (20%) to give it some spring.
The color is lovely (“Candy Apple,” redder, less pinkish than it appears here), and I ended up only using two skeins, though I’m not exactly sure why (grin). Still, can’t complain that this was too expensive a sweater, that’s for sure!
The only problem? While I did the math and the gauge matches my swatch and the sweater is therefore the size I calculated . . . it fits, but it’s far too clingy for me. Really, I have enough troubles with my waistline without drawing extra attention to it, it’s by far my worst “trouble spot.” Anyway, I was worried about that from the beginning, when I let myself be drawn in by the “pretty sweater” factor. Because it is a pretty sweater. Sometimes it works better than other times, this gamble, and this time it didn’t pay off. Pretty though it is, I don’t think I’m going to be wearing this, it’s clearly meant for a someone with a waistline . . . I wonder if my thin sister or niece might like it?
But hey, I’m on a roll with ends of skeins of yarn, though. See how much I had left? Darn, I could have knit a couple extra rows of the body….
The plan for the next sweater? A baby sweater . . . actually, the baby is due in October, and I’m going to make a sweater for about a one year old. Everybody gets lots of infant-baby things at a baby shower, right? So I’ll be different and plan ahead. It’s not like a sweater for a 12-month old is going to take that much longer, right? (grin) Although I still want to make a vest out of the Karabella Aurora 8 I bought in February. That’s right, February. One distraction after another has kept pushing it back. (You know, the Green Gable, the Celtic Dreams, the Not-So-Shrunken cardigan.) And now the baby sweater. But, really, that’s got more of a time limit, you know? I don’t know that I’ll have it done before the baby shower (which I’m not invited to) at the end of the month, but I do definitely want it done by the time the little girl comes along! So . . . my vest is just going to have to wait. Again.
Oh, you know the Booking Through Thursday meme that I do every week or so? Well, Laura was feeling a little overwhelmed and asked me to help host it. I guess she was having trouble coming up with ideas and figured with all the books I have, I’d be a good person to ask. Flattering, huh?
And, speaking of books, I finally finished working my way through Alden Amos’ huge tome about spinning. It only took me 8 months, but I can see why it’s such a classic. A little text-book-like (and did it really need that many equations?), but his rather opinionated sense of humor at least made for entertaining reading, and it was pretty informative. Still, I’m going to kind of miss it next to my bed–it made such a good foundation for the current-read pile….
I don’t have much else to tell you. Mom and I watched Veronica Mars tonight, for the first time in weeks. (We’ve been catching up on House over on Fox.) I hadn’t realized how much I missed watching Veronica! Why, oh why, do networks program good shows opposite each other? Wouldn’t they get better ratings if they weren’t forcing viewers to choose between the real, quality shows?
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Tannenbaum.
House Calls
Oh man…the sweater looks beautiful and it’s sad that you feel you can’t wear it after all that work! Please tell me about Booking through Thursday…making good progress here with the new mystery.
Don’t lose hope, Deb! I made a 85% cotton/15% silk sweater that was about 2″ too small around my hips and I blocked it bigger! You could do the same with Green Gables! Can’t you tell it will work, I’m using exclaimation points!!
Hope blocking puts a happy epilogue on your sad Green Gables story. It sure is lovely to look at. As to the TV show dilemma, I think that’s why TiVo is such a big hit. No more networks bossing us around. That or wait ’til it comes out on DVD. (But who wants to do that?) Isn’t Hugh Laurie the best?
You actually READ the Aldon Amos book? I just use it to look up stuff when I need to know. I’m impressed that you slogged through it. Maybe now you will actually spend some time spinning.
Don’t you just love finishing up a skein of yarn?! It feels so good.
Uh oh – you’re making me nervous. I just started Green Gables and I don’t have a waist either! I think I’ll leave out the decreases it calls for in the body to see if that helps. But yours looks lovely – hope you can block it to relieve some of the problems.
That sweater is beautiful! I don’t usually like cotton either, but it does seem like if it’s blended with something, it’s better.
Tivo, honey, Tivo! Get a Tivo! It will change your life!
Very pretty! You know my love of knitting with cotton, but throw some other sproingy fiber in there with it and it becomes a far different and tolerable experience. I’m using Calmer for CeCe and now that’s a nice knit!
I’d second the recommendation for Tivo, except don’t do what I do with it and record the program that you’re watching
I love the sweater! And, I think it will look great on you.
Yall need Tivo. It is the best and totally worth it.
Mine was too snug before blocking — I’m sure yours will be wonderful!
Well it is very pretty and I’m sure your sister or your niece will like it. However try some aggressive blocking, you may be surprised! Plus remember cotton does stretch a bit, even with a little wool in it.
Gorgeous sweater. I think you should model it for us and let us decide if you should keep it or give it away.
Uhm, did you wash your Cotton Fleece swatch?
It tends to get wider and shorted when it’s washed – don’t know why, but it surprised the daylights out of me when my washed swatch was about 25% wider and 10% shorter than the unwashed.
That cotton fleece yarn of yours… Is that by Brown Sheep? I knit a triangluar shawl out of some by Brown Sheep a few (?) years ago, and I love it. Your sweater is wonderful. Too bad it doesn’t fit the way you want. Bummer. I really like the open work at the neckline.
I’m delighted that you said Yes!
I’m so trying to catch up with your blog! Arg….You just do too much too quickly lady!
I LOVE your peacock shawl adaption…Certainly has planted that idea in my head.
I can’t wait to see you can Chappy soon! And yes, Banjo and Marley too can’t wait!
Ah, the Gables look great…
As for TV, I have a different take on that. A lot of these choices are based on things like focus group responses and since much like yarn coming in different colors, people’s tastes in TV are not the same from person to person.
Quality is in the eye of the beholder much like beauty.