Lack of Progress

Ann’s progress and my lack of progress is a source of embarassment. I just managed to clean up my sewing room when the piles started to reemerge.

I lined up a bunch of balls of Cotton-Ease and told Iris mommy would make her a new sweater. Of course, she picked the only singleton ball, a medium lavender. I told her to pick a second color to combine with the first and she picked a light green.

In a fit of ambition, I decided to knit a sweater from the top down, with set-in sleeves knit as I went along (see Barbara Walker’s book), in a lace and cable pattern on the body. I then decided to make a semi-funnel neck, also knit in pattern. I left a yarn tail to continue the neck (no extra joins here).

Trying to figure out a good width to make the neck that goes over Iris’ head and continues the pattern from the body is no small feat. It ended up as a 1×1 rib. The yarn tail was too short so I had to join yarn in the neck after all. I used the green for 1 row and then bound off using a picot stitch. The front of the funnel neck is a bit droopy-looking, but maybe it will look better on Iris. That is, if she ever sits still long enough for me to get it on her.

Barbara Walker says knitting from the top down allows you to try the sweater on and check the fit as you go along. She didn’t mention that toddlers do not let you do that.

Anyway, I got to the bottom of the armpit, knit 4 rows more, then switched to the green using a 5×1 rib. Note to self, don’t even bother because you can’t see the 1 P stitch at all. The body is done and I have been stalled ever since I realized I miscalculated the # of sts required for the sleeves. It will have very
wide bat sleeves. I used the total armhole measurement instead of the arm measurement. The diagonal is always longer than the side. I will tell Iris to pretend she is a bat rather than rip it out. Remember, ripping the sleeves out means ripping the whole body out when knitting from the top down.

Anyway, I still have to update everyone on the domino sweater I made for Iris last spring which almost didn’t fit over her head because it started life as a potholder that grew and grew. Did I bother to measure her head and the neck opening? Of course not. That would mean stopping in the heat of creativity. Photos will be uploaded someday.

Did you know that the airlines do not allow even bamboo knitting needles on planes? I flew RT to Sapporo, then Berlin and am about to fly to Adelaide, and I can’t knit during the flights! Worse yet, because knitting needles need to be checked through to the final destination, I can’t knit during layovers either!

The next impossible challenge I set for myself is to find some possum fur fiber during my Australia trip for Ann to spin up.