The never-ending ribbing has ended!

I'm finally into the body of this sweater!
I don't know if you can see it from here, but the front of this sweater is going to be seed stitch while the back and sleeves are plain ol' stockinette. I'm planning on doing my first Saddle-Shoulder sweater, in the style of Adonis.

I know that Adonis isn't exactly seed stitch, but I think seed stitch will be easier to keep track of, and still a manly stitch pattern.

You have no idea how happy I am that I am finally into the actual body of this sweater. The next one I make is almost guaranteed to be bulky!!

Done already!

I guess one thing that's great about doubling your yarn is halving your time!

Materials:
Canon Baby Soft, held double
Size 10 needles 

Gauge:
12 st/4"
20 rn/4"

I have one more ball of this yarn, which is good because I don't really swatch for hats, and after knitting this hat I feel like I can make a better fitting one the next time around.

I really like the length of slouch though, in this hat. And you know what's cool?
It's technically reversible ;)

This yarn really literally jumped out at me. I was in line at Big Lots and somebody had chosen it and then decided at the last minute not to get it, so they just put it right there next to the register. Well I saw it, saw the color and just couldn't resist, especially since on 360 yard ball goes for $2.50! Even though it's a 100% acrylic it is really soft and nice to knit with. And since it is washable and dry-able this hat can make its way to any one of my friends or relatives during the holidays!

On the Needles....

Using some sport weight acrylic I found at big lots held double, I cast on for a hat last night.

Knit in very plain reverse stockinette, it should prove a fun little distraction from the ribbing for Randy's sweater that seems to NEVER END. I'm really really almost to the point where I can start the actual body of the sweater.....almost.

progress?

This piece of knitting does not look like as much time that has been put into it has actually been put into it.
Curses.

FO Friday- Mom's Brithday Vest

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease, Colorway Forest Green Heather, Approximately 3 skeins
Pattern: Woman's Cabled Vest From Susan Bates Learn To Knit, published 1978
Needle: US 6 (4 mm)
Mods: shortened armhole by sewing a few inches up the sides

Though this vest was simple in design, I ended up having a very humbling learning experience while knitting it! After casting on for the smallest size (a size 8) I was pretty confident that if I dropped the needle size it would fit my mom better. After all I'm a loose knitter and she's a petite woman. No way could she EVER fit into a size 8! That's a 36.5" bust! Halfway through the cabling I flipped though the book only to find that the size 8 is a 31.5" chest. Remember how I said this pattern was published in 1978? Yeah..... A size 8 from the time of this book's publishing ends up being a size 00 according to J Crew. That definitely taught me to read EVERYTHING before starting! But in my defense there was no pattern schematic.
For a while there the vest looked incredibly skinny and I worried it would be far too small, and I hate knitting endless rows of garter stitch and if I had to start all over again I would definitely have shoved it into a closet and bought her something for her birthday instead.

Doesn't the cabling portion look TINY? You can imagine my fright, but I talked myself into continuing: "Garter stitch is a looser stitch! You WANT the cables to pull in! You can wet-block it.... even if it is mostly acrylic! Mom's smaller than you are! Just keep knitting!"
Thank goodness for perseverance: it really turned out well! Unfortunately I'm awful at keeping presents from people, and when the weather continued its cold trend I wrapped the parcel up and gave it to her early.
Three. Weeks. Early.

Oh well. I'm thinking I might knit her some slippers next.
Catch up on more FO's with Tamis Amis!

Happy Knitting!

Work in Progress...

knitting while studying
atomic bonding
knitting in blue
vast number of stitches:
two hundred and seventy six
knit two
purl two

when will this ever
look like a sweater?

Mom's Birthday Vest Nearing Completion...

Here I am modeling Mom's nearly finished vest.
I knit it exactly to pattern, and it seemed like it would be too small which was disconcerting because it's not wool yarn. (Thanks to Mom's various felting disasters, she no longer gets wool presents.)
Amazingly, wet blocking fixed the problem so that it will fit her perfectly.

Only two things left to do before I can wrap this gift up and send it on its way: Sew on the buttons, and seam a few inches of the armhole.

The pattern doesn't ask that you seam up a few inches, but I think it's necessary to prevent front gaping and wind coming in at the armhole!
I hope she loves it! I should have pictures of it completed by Friday.
Happy Knitting!