I haven’t shown you a current picture of the sweater in a while, so here’s how it looks right now. I worked the first sleeve down to past-elbow length and then paused to start sleeve number two. I figure I want to be sure they’re the same length and match and all, so … I’ll knit sleeve number two to the same length and then work the rest of them together.

Exciting, right?

We’re just coming off of a practically perfect weekend. At least, that’s what Chappy thought. I got out of work an hour early on Friday (always good), so that was a good start. We had take-out Chinese food, too, which is always a treat.

Saturday, Mom and I went out for coffee, stopped at a grocery store (where I bought the strawberries i told you about), and then spent the afternoon relaxing … which was good, because we had a surprise. My niece came to stay!

She and I had arranged it on Wednesday–that she would come Saturday night instead of staying at school into Easter morning. Just … we decided not to tell Mom and Dad, so they really were surprised! In a good way, you understand.

Sunday, of course, was Easter. We had bacon and eggs for breakfast–a rare, rare treat because we so seldom ever have bacon in the house. (Mom’s severe allergy to anything made from pork, you remember.) We five went for a walk, coming home to a house smelling of roasting turkey–Chappy’s favorite. And then the rest of the family arrived, and he was in heaven. His whole family, fresh turkey … what more could a dog ask for?

Yesterday was a bonus day, too, because I took the day off from work. So not only was Monday morning not “Mondayish” at all, but he got an extra treat … his favorite neighbors from our old house finally came to visit. He hasn’t seen them since October and he was SO happy to see them! Ecstatic, even.

So, you can see why I’ve been too busy to post, huh?

Oh, and by the way? It’s insanely warm out there for April 6th. Hot, even. We’ve got our air conditioning on … which is trying, I have to tell you, but the air blows so strongly in the upstairs rooms (since the system fan is in the attic), Dad had the landlord shut the flow up in the attic because the upstairs room were steaming hot. Except … now, they’re hot because even with the air conditioning on–or even just the fan–there’s nothing coming out of those vents. Not good because Mom and I both get cranky when we’re hot. I hate being hot. Hate it, hate it. And, in April? Way too early! All the trees outside are blooming weeks early and it’s just crazy (grumble, grumble). It’s no fair skipping right past Spring into Summer, you know?

Tags: Chappy, Family, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
2 Comments »

Okay, the body of the sweater is DONE!

Next up? Sleeves.

And, button bands? Not actually necessary. The front cables are a series of Xs and Os, and I knit a button hole into each of the Os. You can’t really see them, because they’re kind of hidden by the close of the O, but they’re there … which is perfect, because it gives me the option of leaving it exactly like this, or, if I choose, adding additional button bands later. But, I don’t HAVE to.

Chappy had a sneaky morning today … he somehow got my bedroom door open around 8:00/8:30 and wandered down the hallway to visit his grandparents. Actually, as Dad describes it, he slunk down the hallway, like he was afraid he was going to be yelled at. But no, it was cute. They said good morning and even let him out to make his puddle, and then he came back up into our bedroom, jumped his front paws up to give me a kiss (“Mommy, guess what I did!”) and then went back to sleep until I got up around 9:00.

We’ve told him that ONE time, it was cute, but not to make a habit of it! He also got a nice, long walk today and then pretty much slept the whole afternoon. I made granola and a batch of oatmeal bar cookies, and some pot roast. I also gave Chappy a haircut this morning, miraculously BEFORE Mom vacuumed. (I have a knack for giving him his trims just after, and then, poof, little tufts of chocolate fur all over.)

Back to work tomorrow, though. It was a really lovely weekend, even if a little warm for this time of year. I’m worried that my two rooms are going to be uncomfortably hot come the summer, but am waiting to see how efficient the air conditioning is. There’s no question, though, that on the days when it’s not hot enough to turn it on (like this weekend), the streaming sun in the back of the house definitely heats up this room. A lot. In fact, I’m kind of hot right now, but, well, there’s the light right behind me, and the computer in my lap … man, I absolutely hate being hot! I never complain about being cold, but truly detest feeling hot and sticky. Sigh…

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
4 Comments »

Well, I liked the Peace Fleece (Sheplova Mushroom DK weight) that I made my Ribbed and Cabled Cardigan in so much that I signed up for the Wholesale program.

Do you know about their Wholesale Program? In short, anyone can sign up. You don’t need to have a store or a business, you can just be buying for a group of friends. You just need to place an order of $100 or more, BUT the yarn is actually cheaper. Like, $4.50 for a skein instead of $7.50. I don’t know about you, but I have easily dropped $100 on yarn from time to time, so this seemed like a no-brainer to me. You just need to sign up in advance. As I understand it, they occasionally put freezes on accepting new wholesale clients, but apparently not right now.

For three or four sweaters’ worth of yarn, even I could justify spending $100 right now, but still, in honor of the IDEA behind the wholesale offer, I asked three of my local knitting buddies if they’d like to place an order.

I had barely hit “send” in my email when Risa was saying, “Me, me!” She ordered this gorgeous medium “Patience Blue“. It’s really a little darker than in the photo–bright, direct sunshine today–but that means you can see some of the color variations that would otherwise be lost.

Kim took one look at the new colors on the front page aand was asking for this one, Baba’s Sienna,” a gorgeous rust/green combination which is going to look fabulous on her.

Me?

Seven skeins of their new “Kalinka Malinka Blue.” It’s a lovely grayish-blue heather that I can already tell is going to be difficult to photograph but which I love anyway.

I think this second photo is closer to the real color. If I thought he’d wear it, I’d make my nephew a sweater in this yarn in a minute, it would look so fantastic on him. (I think he’d wear the color, but have doubts about the slight scratchiness of the yarn. It doesn’t bother ME, but he usually avoids sweaters. But, man, this sure would bring out the blue in his eyes! I would love to see him in it.)

I also bought 5 skeins of “Kamchatka Seamoss” in the DK weight, which is exactly the kind of oceany blue/green I adore.

For good measure, I threw in two more skeins for myself, mostly because I liked how they looked on the website and wanted to see what they really looked like. “Glasnost Gold” is the one on the left (it’s not quite so neon-bright-orange out of direct sun), and the other is the peacock-y “Baltic Blue.”

Oh, and for good measure and ease in making future decisions–a color card. They really have some great colors–some that are pretty solid, but bunches with those little tweedy, heathered, hand-dyed kinds of subtle variations that add a little depth without drawing attention to themselves. My one complaint is that I wish they offered the same variety of colors in their DK weight (which I get a lot more use out of) that they have in their Worsted weight.

Honestly, how can you NOT be impressed with the folks at Peace Fleece? Not only is their mission statement “A yarn company committed to helping historic enemies cooperate and prosper through trade,” but they make a beautiful yarn, too. 30% Mohair/70% Wool. 200 yards per skein of the worsted weight, 350 yards of the DK weight. It’s good, sturdy yarn that wears well but isn’t too scratchy. These are GOOD people. Check out what their website says under “Wholesale Support”

Let us know how we can help your store, school or buying group sell Peace Fleece. We have knit up samples that you may borrow for six weeks at a time, videos of our work in Russia and a display book we are in the process of making. For those in the New England area, we also present a multi-media program to stores, knitting groups and schools for a modest fee.

I’m not the only one impressed, am I? They sell patterns, too, and hand-painted buttons, and … well, just go check them out, would you?

(And, no, they didn’t pay me to say any of this at ALL! Not unless you count the discount on yarn, but since that’s available to anyone, I don’t see how it could. It must just be the giddy happy yarn fumes.)

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
7 Comments »

Hey, look at that–the fronts are the same lengths as the back.

Do you know what that means?

They’re ready to join together so that I can continue knitting this in one piece. I’ll be very happy indeed to be able to knit the rest using only one strand of yarn at a time, with no dangling needles to get in the way.

I just have to figure out how many stitches to cast on for the sides. As you know, my Celtic Dreams was too large–which is why I ended up ripping it out not that long ago. What I’m trying to remember … back from 2006 … is, how much did the blocking on the wooly board stretch the sweater in the first place? Because I seem to remember it fit better before that? There’s no question that the wooly board stretched it … which, of course was the point, but I won’t be doing that again!

Hey, you DO know that today is Rachel’s publication day, right? The day her brand-new book, How to Knit a Love Song comes out? What are you waiting for? Go get it! I’ve ordered mine!

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
1 Comment »

Okay, I need an opinion.

Here, as you know, is the center cable on the back of my Aran.

Now, my thought was to take this same exact cable and split it in half where the two front halves meet.

But I’m not sure if I like the way it looks. I don’t hate it, but I don’t know that I love it, either.

What do you think?

I don’t really want to tear out everything, but I COULD drop down these 8 stitches and knit up a different cable at the front edges, but certainly, now is the time to decide.

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
11 Comments »

Here’s the progress on my sweater. I’ve got the back done down to the armholes (8.5″), and just started the two fronts. And, yes, I know. It looks like it’s one, big piece, but in fact, those are two, separate fronts. They just meet in the middle on the needle. The fronts look like they’re a lot wider than the back, too, which I’m a little concerned with. I mean, there are a couple more stitches solely because of the selvedge for the button bands … but of course, once the button bands are added, the fronts will be wider still …

So, anyway. I’ll give this some thought before I knit any further, in case I want to do something different  for the two, center-most cables for the front.

I’ve been unusually quiet this week, which I blame on the Olympics. I’ve spent way too much time tweeting about them while watching instead of, well, doing anything else. It’s remarkably fun, tweeting live while watching something that millions of other people are watching at the exact same time.

Chappy doesn’t mind–just as long as I’m where he can keep his eye on me.

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
4 Comments »

Well, I’m trying to come up with cables for my aran cardigan, and I think these are the ones that I’m going to use. I’m going to use the same top-down, saddle construction that I used for the original Celtic Dreams (and, in fact, am using the exact same saddles), but these cables instead, with some spacing added in between. Hopefully it will actually fit this time…

And, you’ve got to love cameras and computers that make playing with cables this way possible. Now, I just need to see how it looks in real life.

Otherwise? Quiet weekend, after Friday’s excitement. Unlike the people a little further south, we got practically NO snow, to Chappy’s chagrin. There was about 1/2″ (if that) on Saturday morning, and that was IT.

Mom and Dad went to a surprise 70th birthday party last night, though, and had a great time, while Chappy and I had the house to ourselves for hours. That’s the first time that’s happened since we moved in! There had been one afternoon in November, a week or two after we moved, but I spent that unpacking and moving books. Otherwise, I haven’t had the house to myself for more than a few hours at a time at most, and that’s never been at night before, so that was nice. I adore my parents, but it’s a treat to be alone in the house once in a while.

Chappy, of course, disagrees. He says we’re ALL supposed to be home, with him, at all times, and wonders why the world isn’t set up in such a way as to make that possible.

Thanks to the magic of Twitter, I just saw this photo. The caption is “Blizzard + Ingenuity = Win” which pretty much covers it. Brilliant and funny … especially for Superbowl weekend! (Thankfully for them, it looks like a basement door.)

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
1 Comment »

Okay, everything’s done except the buttons. Mom and I actually know which ones we prefer. (Well, it’s ultimately my choice, of course, but she’s HERE and has great taste, so naturally I ask for her opinion, too.) It’s not the best picture (there were close ups the other day), but… the top one is wood, the middle one is like a little, brass sand dollar, and the bottom is the same button that I used on my orange sweater.

Which reminds me, I need to sew the buttons back onto that sweater, too, now that I’ve finished its new button bands, too.

Sadly, though, right now I’m “knitless” because I don’t have anything on the needles, because I still don’t have a pattern for my yarn unravelled from my Celtic Dreams. I’d like to do the FLAK pattern, but am at a complete stand-still because I don’t know where to start. Not because the pattern is unclear, because it’s not, but because, without having the least idea what my gauge is going to be … because my knitting is always absurdly loose … I can’t even figure out how many cables I might or might not need. So I don’t even know where to start with a swatch … And the swatch I tried in just moss switch? As I relaxed while knitting, the gauge loosened even on that.

In other words, short of casting on 80-100 stitches and randomly picking a bunch of variously-sized cables to make a HUGE swatch, I just don’t know what to do. How can you pick out cables when you have NO idea even what size cables you need? Or how the cables will affect the gauge compared to the background stitch?

Especially when you notoriously have NO patience for making swatches. I mean, I do make them for every project I start–you know that I do–but they never actually end up the same size as the finished sweater. (Really, never.) Even if I picked a handful of cables and wasted yarn swatching each and every one of them … I don’t trust that they would actually match the math I need. (You know, that’s why my Celtic Dreams came out so much wider at the bottom … the gauge changed as I knit.)

Sigh. I know, I’m just whining and should settle down and do the math and make the stupid swatches … but that holds as much appeal as, well, my mind is blank. But something dreadfully dull, tedious, and ultimately pointless. Really, feel free to just ignore me. I just miss knitting… (grin)

I DO have a half-finished sock in my purse, but … blah. As many different sock patterns I have, as many sock BOOKS, I always knit plain-jane stockinette socks, and that gets dull. So, why not knit new socks? Well, one, I’d need to carry the pattern around, and my purse just isn’t that big. But also, two, I would have to re-do the math for every pattern. My freakily loose gauge and narrow feet mean that my standard socks are only 44 stitches around–and on a size-one needle, nonetheless. Those needles are so narrow, knitting for more than an hour makes my fingers ache.

Sigh.

I SUPPOSE I could start some other project while I’m trying to figure out what to do with my lovely, reclaimed Black Water Abbey yarn, but … that‘s what I want to work on, darn it!

You know what I really want to do with it? If I could figure out how? Re-do the Celtic Dreams, but as a cardigan this time. Except, since it came out so large last time–with my using the smallest size instructions, and a size THREE needle with my Aran yarn–I can’t figure out how to make it smaller and still be the Celtic Dreams, you know? I’d have to leave out cables, which would throw off the symmetry, or buffer each cable with only 1 purl stitch instead of 2, but that would crowed them too close, I think…

Sigh.

See? This is the problem with being a monogamous knitter…

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
5 Comments »

I was starting to think the button band was going to take forever.

I started the sweater back in December, and the button band-slash-collar took me about a week. Insane, right?

Now I just need to pick a button. These are just a few of the ones in my button collection. Some, you’ve seen before. And yes, I actually do have a favorite from these.

Oh, and my Chuck contest? I’m working on picking the winner, and was all set to go, but my printer won’t print out the list of entrants. I don’t really want to write them all out just to be able to pick the winner. I could just assign a number to each one and use a random number generator, but where’s the fun in that? Though, honestly, that’s probably what I’m going to do. Just not right this minute.

Right now? Back to work on my book. I’ve got all my plot holes plugged. I drew an Excel sheet with a row for each character, a column for each day and plotted out everything I had happening, and made sure that, character-for-character, I wasn’t missing anything (too) obvious. Because I knew I was missing some things, and was afraid of dropping others … or of things happening too soon/too late … it was easier at this point just to plot the whole thing out. (“Oh, okay, I need a scene that explains why the reporter knows what Adam wrote in his school essay.” “What if his classmates gave him a gift that proved that he had friends and really was happy in that school? Then, how do I make sure the lawyers know about it?” Stuff like that.)

Then I went back and moved some chapters around and added a few so that the holes weren’t so ankle-twisting for the readers.

So, I’m kind of calling it Second Draft now, and it clocks in at 93,696 words.

Next step–reading through the whole thing again, this time watching for continuity errors, grammar-and-spelling type things, and filling in some of the details for some of the newer chapters that are, at the moment, mostly dialogue. I love writing dialogue, but sometimes forget to have my characters DOING things while they’re talking!

Tags: Finished Knitting, General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
4 Comments »

(And, no, I’m sorry, I really could not think of a better title.)

My Redhook is almost done–I’m working on the button band and collar–one, long piece of knitting. Right now, it looks rather bag-like, all gathered up around the front edge, as I go back and forth on the short rows that shape the collar. Incidentally, I used the flash when I took this picture, so you can see all the different shades of color in the yarn–really such pretty colors.

Going forward, I still haven’t picked a pattern for my Aran cardigan. I’ve got the yarn ready, though. See?

I finally got a drying rack so that I could hang my yarn to dry. Not only did I wash the yarn I reclaimed from my Celtic Dreams, but I finally got around to washing the rest of the cormo from Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm. (It was my share or Cormo from MVFF which doesn’t really exist anymore, of course, even though Susan now has her Juniper Moon Fiber Farm.)

The rack is interesting, actually. It’s designed to balance over a bathtub, but since the tub in my shower has one of those fiberglass, sculptured walls, it doesn’t have a ledge on the inside wall. So, I’m drying in my parents’ bathroom–particularly handy, in fact, since they don’t use their bathtub–they both use the shower stall instead. And, actually, I balanced it on the edge of the counter instead of the tub because it was easier to reach that way (grin).

The bad part, of course, is that the light in there is entirely artificial since there’s no window, so the light was pretty bad for pictures.

It was otherwise a pretty standard Sunday. Laundry. Baking. Cleaning. Writing. Reading. And about the reading? You want a shock? Including three knitting books that I’ve read for reviews, and the book I’m just finishing now? I’ve read six books this month. SIX! How is that possible?

Well, it’s possible because I’ve put myself on a fiction diet. I have a fiction addiction, you see, and NEED stories and characters and plots to keep my head happy. It’s one of the reasons I read so much. The problem right now, though, is that I’m trying to work on MY book, and if I scratch that fiction-itch by reading other people’s books, it’s too easy to avoid my own. So, for now, I’m only letting myself read non-fiction. And my book, of course, which is coming along.

Chappy’s been quiet today. He’s been reluctant to run up the stairs, and a little more clingy than usual. I’m not worried about him, exactly, but I hate when he’s not himself.

Tags: Knitting/Spinning, Reading by --Deb
3 Comments »

It seems to me that I haven’t shown you a picture of my sweater in a while. I’ve got the two fronts done. (They’re wider than they look, they just curl a lot from the stockinette stitch.) Now I’ve just got the back to finish. Then, two cap sleeves and the button bands.

Chappy is keeping tabs on things for me. You know how he likes to supervise.

Some random stuff for you:

I can’t get this song out of my head, In-Flight Safety’s “Model Homes.” Wistful lyrics, lovely music.

How cool are these? “Grid-It” covered with interwoven elastic straps for storing, well, anything you might usually stash in your purse or briefcase … thumb drives, phones, headphones … all the little things that get lost in corners.

You DID know that Stephanie lit the Knit Signal, didn’t you? To raise money for those poor people in Haiti?

And … if you have a few more dollars to spare?

My best friend–you’ve heard me talk about Dawn lots of times is working on her Masters Thesis Film at the American Film Institute. Like most films, though, it requires money, and to be able to make it, she needs to prove to AFI that they’ll meet the budget. So … Can you help her out? All donors get listed in the credits of the film, and donations are tax-deductible.

The film is called “Big Ol’ Crouton” and the website is right here.

Here’s what she has to say:

Dear Friends,

I’m still working on fundraising. We need to get to $30,000 by next Friday (Jan 22) in order for AFI to allow us to do this film. We are halfway there. And so I am now offering:

The Dawn Green/Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Weekend “TWO FOR ONE” Film Fundraising Special!

Anyone who donates $50 or more to our film starting today (1/14) through Jan 18 (Dawn’s birthday) will receive TWO DVDs of our film and TWO HOURS of professional Italian Lessons with Dawn. Hours are transferable, so feel free to give them away as a gift to a friend! Go to www.croutonthefilm.com to donate now!

Times are tough right now. And as you know, when things get tough the arts get cut. AFI has had to cut back on the monetary assistance they give to us, and it’s more difficult than ever for AFI students to raise the money they need to make their films. I know that it might be a really bad time for you, too. I get it. I’ve been there myself. I want you to know that anything you have to contribute is truly appreciated. And even if you can’t give a monetary contribution at this time, your words of support truly mean everything to me. If you are on Facebook, become a fan of our page “Big Ol’Crouton”. Or give me call or drop me a line!

Regardless, please check out our website (http://www.croutonthefilm.com) for details on our film. If you are able to give money, you can donate either by check or credit card. Your contribution is tax deductible. Also, your company might offer matching funds (ask me about this, I have a list of companies).

All the best, Dawn

–  Dawn Green Producer, “Big Ol’ Crouton”

I know, there are other, more urgent demands on your money right now–especially the urgent need down in Haiti. Making a film may seem unimportant. But, still … How could I help but ask? At the very least, could you help spread the word?

Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
2 Comments »

There’s one fewer sweater in my wardrobe now.

First, I started by unweaving the ends … or at least the ones at, well, the ends. The end of the body, the ends of the sleeves, the seams at the underarms, and so on. I figured I’d come across more in the middle of the sweater where I switched skeins, but at least this was a good start.

Then I came upstairs with my niece and took down my skeiner (I so love my skeiner) and we started tearing out the body and the sleeves. Since I was the one who knitted the sweater, I knew how the structure worked, and that helped figure out where to start.

The pile of crinkly, curly yarn grew rapidly. (And, yes, I do love the way yarn curls when it’s been knit and then unravelled. But then, I’m a fan of curly fibers like hair…) Thank you for your help, Tiffany!

I unravelled all the way back to the two saddles. I’m leaving those intact for two reasons. Well, three. One is that, unless I end up really needing it, it doesn’t seem like I’d get enough yardage out of the two shoulders to be worth the effort. Two is purely sentimental. And Three is that … since I don’t yet know what pattern I’ll be using for the cardigan, or if I’ll be making it up or following someone else’s, it’s possible I could use the saddles again.

I’m left with a pile of skeins of widely varying sizes … along with the sixth skein that I barely touched when I made this sweater in the first place.

Next, I need to:

1. Wash and block the yarn to get the kinks out. The trick is figuring out where I can dry them since I don’t have the handy extra rack in my shower anymore, and nothing like a clothesline (even assuming the yarn wouldn’t immediately freeze out there).

2. Come up with a pattern for the yarn. Norah Gaugin’s Tweedy Aran Cardigan looks nice. And I’d love to figure out a way to turn the Celtic Dreams into a cardigan … then (allowing for the gauge/size thing) I could still use that gorgeous cable up the center back, but just turn it into a cardi instead. For that matter, I’ve got an assortment of books telling me how to design my own Aran sweater. (Janet Szabo‘s is particularly brilliant.) I could just plug my own cables into the basic shape and go from there … The problem with that is that I just don’t know that I have the mental creative energy for that right now. The Truffle Cardigan looks intriguing, too. Knitting, yes, but creative pattern design/assembly? I’d rather that creative energy went toward my book. So, please, I still need pattern recommendations. And yes, “A Fine Fleece” has some good ones, but I don’t seem to love any of them.

3. Finish my Redhook, because it would just be WRONG to drop it and move on to this sweater. Especially since it’s coming along so well. I split the body into its fronts and back last night and got one of the fronts done. That leaves one front, and the back, plus the little cap sleeves to go (plus the button bands).

4. Finish performing a little cosmetic surgery on the cardigan I made with my Briar Rose Yarn last winter. As much as I love most of it, I’ve had two quibbles all along. One was that, when I sewed the hem, I folded it under and tacked it down to the inside of the sweater … except, I was just a row or so too low, so that the hem has always flared outward, just a tiny bit. It’s an easy fix–just unsewing that hem, and then rehemming, but I’ve been putting it off. The other fix? The button bands. I had decided that I liked the way the top half curled outward, like a built-in collar, so I only put the button band on the bottom half … except I’ve never been happy with the way that looked. Kind of unfinished. So today I took off the two button bands and will knit brand-new ones, that go all the way to the collar. Much better, I think.

I do love that curly brown look.

Oh, and Dad? Happy birthday!

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
9 Comments »

So … am I crazy?

Do you remember my Celtic Dreams sweater? I finished it in June 2006.

I said at the time, “There are just two things that aren’t perfect. One, my gauge loosened as I worked the body, so the lower half of the body is wider than the top–just ever so slightly tent-like. Not as flattering as I’d like (as if I didn’t have enough trouble with my waistline). And, two, the sleeves are somehow just a tiny bit too short. Usually, if anything, sleeves end up too long for me but I actually followed the pattern and made them the length called for, and they’re about half an inch above my wrist bone.”

In reality, the sleeves are well more than a half inch above the wrist. This makes it very handy for checking the time, or washing my hands, but they’re not really supposed to be 3/4-length sleeves. Much as I love 3/4 or bracelet-length sleeves (and I do, they’re my favorites since I’m forever pushing my sleeves out of the way), these sleeves don’t look like they’re meant to be that length. Which, in fact, they’re not.

And then, the size. It’s a boxy sweater, I know, and Arans aren’t really known for the sweater shaping, but … it’s really kind of, well, big. It’s at least a foot bigger around than I am, really more. I can hold the waistline out and look like one of those weight-loss ads, where a newly slim person stands inside their old “fat pants.”

(I took this picture discreetly at work, sitting at my desk, so it’s not the best. I folded over the excess fabric and kind of hoped for the best.)

So, this has me wondering …

I love the yarn, it’s gorgeous. I adore the golden-brown color which is not only wonderfully autumnal, but goes great with my hair (grin). (Not to mention that it matches Chappy’s eyes.) But, as it is, it’s tied up in a sweater, albeit a beautiful sweater, that doesn’t fit well at all and therefore only gets out of the closet one or two times a year.

The yarn deserves better than that, don’t you think?

The idea, therefore, that’s teasing in my head is … What if I frog the entire sweater, reclaim the yarn, and knit a new, better-fitting sweater? I even have another skein of the Black Water Abbey yarn that was barely touched when I made this one, giving plenty of leeway so far as gauge goes.

And then, I HAVE been kind of itching after knitting cables, lately. Lots of them, but I don’t have a yarn at hand that is screaming “Use me!” This would certainly solve that problem.

Of course, I don’t have a pattern in mind, which would help the decision process. I wear cardigans a LOT more than pullovers, so that would be ideal, but … I did mention I want lots of cables. One of the things that drew me to the Celtic Dreams in the first place were all those varied panels of cables.

The first question, then, is

What do you think? Crazy? Or thrifty and not-crazy?

This certainly would be a first for me. I’ve never frogged a completed sweater to reclaim the yarn. I know the concept, but have never actually DONE it. Luckily, as that goes, this sweater is as close to seamless as never mind, so that part at least is pretty easy. It started as two saddles for the shoulder and then the front and back were picked up from there, knit down to the underarm, then joined and the rest of the body knit. The sleeves were picked up on the body and knit down in one piece … so, there are woven-in ends, but no seams in the way (except under the arms).

The second question?

Does anyone know a good, Aran-ish Cardigan pattern that would work?

I haven’t browsed through any pattern books yet because this re-use-the-yarn idea only just occurred to me while sitting at my desk this morning. But, still … suggestions never hurt, huh?

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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It’s only been about 10 years, but look! A finally-finished first draft of a book. My book. (Well, my second, anyway.)

I honestly don’t remember how long it’s taken me to get this far. I know I was working on this when Katy died in 2001, but was I working on it when I got her in 1999? I’m pretty sure I was, but don’t have any proof.

Except … according to my reading list, I read J. Winocour’s “Story of the Titanic” in February 1998, and Stephen Cox’s “Titanic Story” in October 1999, and since reading is one of my favorite forms of research, that seems a good sign.  Not to mention that there is a sudden rush of “how to get your book published” books in 1998, and since I started this one after I finished my first one, 1998-1999 sounds about right.

So … ten years.

This isn’t saying that the book is DONE, mind you. Oh, no. Lots of work to be done! This is just the first draft, but considering I was stymied for something like 6 years with a 1912-era legal dilemma that I couldn’t find an answer to, getting the story all the way through to the end … no matter how rough and bumpy it might be along the way … is a huge accomplishment.

As of right now, it’s 82,714 words, 289 pages long. Phew!

Next up? Reading it through and figuring out what I need to do to make it perfect, then I can try to get IT published, too. Because it’s not enough fun getting rejection letters for one manuscript, it’ll be twice as much fun with two (grin). The first change? The address on the first page. That’s kind of changed since I started this.

I’m making knitting progress, too. Here’s my Redhook, coming along nicely. It’s about ten inches long at this point. This is the entire sweater, here–fronts and back all together, so the rows are longish, but progress is being made.

And look at this little sneak. He stole his grandmother’s slipper … out of her closet … off the shoe rack … and decided to use it as a pillow while he waited for her to come upstairs and play the “Look What I’ve Got” game.

Speaking of coming upstairs, I was sitting here on the computer before and got an email, a tweet, and a direct message from my mom who was allllll the way downstairs, asking for help with her computer. Instead of trying to yell up two flights.

Yay for computers.

So, otherwise? I’ve been working hard on getting my “end of year” posts ready. Those are a lot of work! All those links. You’ll have to wait a couple days to see the one here, but..

Click here for a year’s worth of Knitting Book reviews at Knitting Scholar.

And, some of my favorite posts of the year from Punctuality Rules.

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Here’s the beginning of my sweater … though it looks rather more orange than it should. (The color in this post is pretty accurate.) It’s about 3″ now, but yes … it’s definitely making my hands dry as I knit.

And look–the start of my new sock.

The yarn again. It’s Mountain Colors Bearfoot in “Northern Lights” and is really lovely to work with.

My father nicely took my car to be inspected today. (A bi-annual requirement here in New Jersey.) He drove to the office, took my car, and headed off to the inspection station. Time passed, and more time. Then more time. Hmm … I was starting to worry, when Dad strolled in the door and dropped my keys on my desk. “Did it pass?” “Well, I had to go twice.”

Twice? It turns out, my car failed inspection. Not because of the brakes that are going to need replacing, or the two tires that will be replaced the same time … but because of my windshield wipers. Apparently they were insufficient, despite the fact that they keep my windshield clear without streaks, and anyway, who knew that aging windshield wipers could flunk a car?

So, anyway, my good father … who earned at least one of those loaves of Stollen … drove all the way back to our mechanic, had them replace the wipers, and then drove back to Succasunna to the inspection station to get it reinspected. Wasn’t that good of him?

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Sorry, I have no new pictures to share with you tonight. I’ve been working on my Redhook–it’s only about 2″ long at the moment, and the only real problem I’m having with it is that the yarn is making my hands dry.

Odd, don’t you think? This is the hand-dyed yarn I bought at Rhinebeck, and it smells faintly like vinegar, which is fine. But after a couple of rows (that’s about 200 stitches), my hands feel dry. Could it be whatever kind of dye was used? The vinegar used to set the dye? No idea, but that means that I can only knit on it about half an hour at a time.

I started a new pair of socks, too. As in, right now, I have a toe but not much of anything else. I’m using a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in “Northern Lights” color. I haven’t used this yarn before, but am liking it so far. That’s 60% superwash wool, 25% mohair, and 15% nylon–practically the perfect sock yarn.

I’ve also been very caught up in some hubbub in the freelancing world.

I explained the whys behind this question in my blog post at Punctuality Rules yesterday, but my brain is still locked on this question. The gist, though, is that there’s a successful freelancer, James from Men With Pens, who is, in fact, a woman, and just “came out” from behind her pen-name. She started using the pseudonym because she was having so much trouble making ends meet writing under her own name. I find this fascinating, brave, and downright depressing. You’d think we’d be beyond this sort of discrimination in the 21st century. Go read my post,if you like, for the longer version of why I’m asking. And, by all means, go to Copyblogger and read James’ post and the incredibly thoughtful (and generally supportive) comments. Like I said, brave of her, and cheers for her well-deserved success story … yet depressing at the same time.

And, one more thing–if you haven’t contributed to Norma’s baby, the Red Scarf Project, she’s extended the deadline for all those wonderful prizes. What are you waiting for?

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Okay, now my knitting needles are really empty … Well, almost.

I finished the body of my second sock last night–the one that’s been in my purse for months. This means that the only knitting I have at the moment is the need to add the two Afterthought Heels to these socks …I’ve never actually done Afterthought Heels, mind you, but I figured now was as good a time as ever. You have to try new things, right? I just need to decide if I want to do them in the same yarn, or in a contrasting color.

Oh, and figure out exactly where to put them. How DO you judge where to make the cut?

Anyway, after that, I’m done. Nothing to knit.

How scary is that?

I do have this lovely little swatch, though. I knitted it out of the yarn I bought at Rhinebeck in October, and right now it’s sitting on the ledge overlooking the living room, drying so that I can measure it, get an idea of what my gauge is, and then do whatever pattern math is necessary to then knit a Redhook out of it. (And, thanks again Kim for lending me that pattern book.)

It is a gray, wet, dreary day today, though. Freezing rain and apparently there are a LOT of accidents out there … and yet it looks so innocent!

I did something yesterday that I haven’t done in AGES, though. Months. An inconceivable length of time.

I bought some books. Mom and I went to a bookstore where I actually got a chance to browse and buy some new books.

I know, I’m practically giddy … though at the same time I feel a little guilty because, well, I should be spending money on Christmas presents (and rent), not on me, right? But then … did I mention it’s been MONTHS?? Normally I’m twitching with withdrawal after a few weeks without a bookstore fix.

My friend Cindy came over last night, too, to see the new place. She was rather later than she had said. When we first discussed her coming, she said “after 3:00,” when we got more specific, she said “about 4:00,” but she didn’t actually get here until 4:30. Though, of course, I’m glad that she showed up this time at all. (Not like the last time.) We had discussed her picking up supper, but, while she called when she got in the car, that went to voicemail, and she said not to call her back, because she didn’t have her bluetooth headset with her, so that plan went out the window. So I ended up cooking a pasta and vegetable dish with what I could find in the fridge. We had a nice visit, though, and she stayed to watch “Julie and Julia” with Mom and me, which was fun. And, she approved of the new house, which is important–not that she would dare say anything else (grin). Chappy, in particular, was thrilled to see her, and told her many times to be sure to say hello to his best friend for him–nobody gives “I’m so happy to see you!” greetings like Chappy!

Tags: Friends, General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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There she is in all her glory–isn’t she pretty?

And, yes, I went with the leather buttons. I agree that the brass ones looked great, too, but when I laid they om the sweater and stepped back … it felt like they took away from it. And the plastic ones were just too … plastic. (Not to mention that, since I bought them stapled to a piece of cardboard, every single one had a piece of wire threaded through it which I would have had to somehow remove before sewing onto the sweater. That was just too much work.)

I wore it to work today and am happy to report that the sleeves behaved themselves. Long sleeves–especially sweater sleeves–usually knock all my piles of paper over when I’m sorting stuff.

The view from the front isn’t really as good, since it shows way too much of my waistline.

You’ll be glad to know that Chappy approves of the sweater, though!

Now–the weekend is starting a day early for me because tomorrow is the infamous Stollen Day. I’ve got the dough rising on the counter as we speak and Mom and Dad are heading to the movies tomorrow afternoon, where it’s safe.

Come to think of it, I should really be resting.

Do you realize, though? As of this minute, the only knitting project I have is the sock in my purse, that I’ve been working on for months.

Yikes!

I was thinking about the Redhook pattern by Jarod Flood … especially if the yarn I bought at Rhinebeck works, gauge-wise. (It’s also handy that Kim lent me her copy of Made in Brooklyn, which has some really great patterns in it.)

Tags: Finished Knitting, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Yep, it’s that time again–time to pick the buttons for my sweater!

These I’ve actually had for years. They are almost exactly the same color as the sweater. They’re reflecting the light oddly in this picture, but trust me, it matches so well, they almost get lost. Which is both a plus and a minus.

These I only photographed because–and again, they’re reflecting the light in a way that makes them look lighter–they are also the perfect color for this sweater. They are just way too big to remotely work.

These could almost work. The color is just right, but they are wafer thin, which makes them less than practical for a sweater. I just don’t think they would hold.

These little brass ones are a surprising possibility. I didn’t expect to like them this much on this particular sweater, but I laid them out and thought, Hmmm…

But, really, these are the ones I’m leaning toward. Little, brown leather buttons with a color that doesn’t quite match, but which compliments it nicely.

See? A second look.

My only real problem?

My little button bin is overflowing. I have to come up with something bigger to store them in.

Anyway, what do YOU think about my button choices? I already have Mom’s vote…

Tags: Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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Yep, this thing is really looking like a sweater now.

The only thing left? Buttonbands and the collar.

Though, I suppose that I really should decide for sure on the buttons I’m going to use before making the button holes, huh?

Otherwise? I found–this morning, AFTER I finished seaming this last night–my Knit Klips. I know, ironic for timing, but at least I found them. They were in my sewing basket. Not the one I use all the time, with basic thread, needles, and scissors, but in my other basket–the bigger one that has the safety pins, zippers, snaps, velcro, all that kind of stuff. The basket I go into about once a year. Except, when I was packing up my closet, I must have just stuck the bag of Klips in there for safe keeping. You know, the special kind of safe keeping that means it’s so safe you can’t find it again.

My big chore today? I think I’ve finally got my desk drawers organized, even though my cheap little filing cabinet drawers are, well, cheap. (As evidenced by the way they came apart when the blue-tape came off.) Oh, and I baked an Oatmeal Applesauce Cake using my leftover cranberry-applesauce. It looks and smells good, can’t wait to taste it.

And, on that note, I’m going to go dig out the buttons I bought a few months ago and see if I can make a decision of some kind.

Tags: General, Knitting/Spinning by --Deb
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