My Christmas Sweater and Cat Adoptions

Hello there! Before the holidays are too far behind us, I wanted to show you the photos of me wearing the Christmas sweater I knit for myself last year. As you may or may not remember, by the time I finished blocking it, weaving in the ends, etc., it was too warm to get a photo of how it looked on an actual person.

Well, I had a few chances to wear it over Christmastime, and I have to tell you, I am so happy with this sweater! It's comfortable, it's cozy, and the neckline is perfect (which is not always the case for me). I felt so special the times I wore it out to a play, for a coffee get-together with one friend, and a lunch with another. 

The pattern is Yule Do, by Isabell Kraemer, and the details are here on my Ravelry project page for it. I can highly recommend this pattern - once you get going on the yoke, it makes complete sense, and the yarns I used were two that I wish I could afford to use all of the time!

Let me know if you decide to try it!

*****

In cat adoptions news, two exciting tidbits from the last couple of days.

Yesterday was my regular volunteer day, and there were two kitties available for adoption. They were, of course, both perfect. One person had made an appointment to come in and adopt a cat, and she arrived a bit late, but knew which kitty she was most interested in. Things went smoothly, and as she was leaving the adoption center, another young woman was standing outside. She asked if she could see the remaining kitty. I told here that unfortunately, only approved adopters were allowed to actually meet the kitties. She said, "Oh I was just approved yesterday!" so she came in to see the remaining kitty.

After spending about 10 minutes playing with him and cuddling, she said, "You know, I wasn't sure how long it would take me to meet the kitty who was for me, but I just know this is my cat!" And it really was love at first sight for both of them! She ran home to get her cat carrier, and when she returned, she showed me that inside was a little blanket she had recently crocheted for the carrier for her new cat - convincing me even more that this was a perfect match!

So both of those things made me happy, and seemed like a good start for 2026. But then two other things happened that made it even better - one is that I was the person to process the first two adoptions of this year! I didn't even realize it until I got a note from the adoption coordinator congratulating me. So that was a nice surprise.

And then today they sent out an e-mail to all of the volunteers with yearly stats and such, and at our location alone, we managed to find homes for 187 kitties! Isn't that just the best news of all? I cannot tell you how happy that made me, and what a good start it was to my day.

I just hope I can keep these things in mind as then year goes on and the world gets more and more ... worldly? You know what I mean!

I hope you have some news or some experience today that just makes it all worthwhile for you. See you next time!

Friday FO Post: Yule See It Every Year

Hello and Happy Friday! I wanted to share a major FO with you, as I get ready to pack it away until cooler weather comes.

You may remember seeing this starting point:

And then when I finished the colorwork yoke, and was proud of myself, I had to show all of you!

Once I got to the point where I had a little bit of the body done after separating for the sleeves, I decided to knit the sleeves next. 

And then, it was an FO:

Project: Yule See It Every Year

Pattern: Yule Do, by Isabell Kraemer

Yarn: Kelbourne Woolens Scout in the colorway Natural; Life In the Long Grass DK Twist in the colorway Wolf Green

Needles: US 2.5/3 mm; US3/3.25 mm

Modifications: I ended up making the sleeves slightly longer than the pattern called for, and added three rows of the green on the bottom of the cuffs, just because I thought the sweater needed a little bit more green.

Notes: I had seen this pattern when it first came out, and had wanted to give it a try, because I do love me a Christmas sweater. But I'd never done a colorwork yoke before, so I kept saying that I needed to wait. Then at the beginning of 2024, I told myself that my goal for the year was to try knitting a sweater with a colorwork yoke. 

Then, as you may remember, we took a weekend trip to NYC in March for my birthday. We visited a little shop in Greenwich Village - West Village Knit & Needle - and I saw the green yarn. Well, it was St. Patrick's Day, and Life In the Long Grass yarn is from Ireland ... and I realized that I could use it for the colorwork yoke in this pattern, so that would be my plan!

I originally started at the end of October with this pattern, but was having trouble with the it (user error, the pattern is actually very clear). So I ripped out and started again early in November. I finished the yoke and realized there was no way in the universe this sucker would be finished by Christmastime. So I put it away for a while. News flash: when you don't work on a project, nothing happens! 🙄

I picked it up again around the end of February, and decided to try and finish by St. Patrick's Day. Knitted on it a bit, and then put it down again. (See News flash above. Sigh.) But then I picked it back up again after about 10 days and decided that my new - and hopefully final - goal would be the end of March.

I finished all of the knitting on March 31! And I was really proud of myself! Then I tried it on, and ... the sleeves were too short. Not ridiculously too short, but short enough that I was worried it would just bother me. So I ripped out the cuffs to the end of the main color, and then knit them longer, still adding the three rows of green at the end. Then I tried it on again, and the sleeves were just right. So that part was finished by April 2. 

I wove in the ends and blocked it, and then it sat folded on my dresser until I could get The Tim to take a photo of me wearing it. Then we got stupidly hot days, all in a row. The thought of even putting it on for ten minutes made me feel sweaty. So the other day, when I was putting away my heavy winter things, I just added it to that. If you want a "modeled" photo, you'll just have to wait until fall/winter to see it.

I loved making this, and love the finished sweater. The Kelbourne Woolens Scout is such wonderful yarn, and I absolutely love the Life In the Long Grass yarn. If I could afford to knit with them every time, I would!

I will likely wear this sweater for the first time next year at Christmastime, just because that was the original intention. But I'll also wear it after that too, since though I'm calling it a Christmas sweater, it's not so in-your-face-holiday that wearing it in say, February, would be weird.

And here are my "technicalities" - 1. Technically, I did fulfill my goal of doing a colorwork yoke sweater - and the yoke was finished during 2024; and, 2. Technically, it was finished by the end of March ... there was just a little bit of tweaking that had to be done after that.

In any case, now I have a new sweater to wear later this year, and it will be one I knit myself! I'm ridiculously proud of myself, and though I will definitely try a colorwork pattern again, it probably won't happen right away. 😃

***

This weekend is of course Mother's Day here in the U.S.  And I've already been told "Happy Mother's Day" about ten times this week, which annually irritates the living heck out of me, because why does being a female automatically mean you are a mother? The Tim says that leading up to and on Father's Day *no one* has ever wished him a "Happy Father's Day." 

I could go on, but won't.

Anyway, if you are someone's mother/grandmother/stepmother/mother figure, I do sincerely wish you a Happy Mother's Day, and I hope you get to enjoy the day and not have to do everything for everyone just because. 

If, like me, you are not a mother and your own mother is no longer with us, I hope you have a lovely, enjoyable weekend, and can spend it doing things you enjoy. 

Happy Weekend to all, no matter who, what, or where you are!

Let's Have a Little Catch Up

Hello from sunny and cool Philadelphia, where everyone is disappointed in our Phillies, because they not only didn't win their division series in baseball, but they sucked the whole way! Sigh. And for most of the year, they had the best record in baseball. (Cue the popular saying, "We'll get them next year.")

Anyway, I thought I'd do a little catch up on how things are going with the yarns and projects discussed in this post a little while ago.

I started first with this yarn:

Dutifully knitted a swatch, and even after blocking, it was spot-on for gauge - YAY!

So I started working on the project and ... my gauge was way off. I suspected that it was partly because I had missed a few rows in the pattern, counting-wise, so I started over and ... nope.

So this will need for me to learn and apply some math to determine what I can do to make it fit. I am so terrible at that stuff - I can't keep straight when to use bigger or smaller needles, when to knit another size, etc. So I am going to have to devote a day to not just figuring it all out, but writing it down for myself so I can start again and hopefully get it right this time. 

So for now, that project is set aside.

Next, this sock yarn set:

This is a happier story, in that I started on a pair of socks for myself:

And at this point, one sock is finished and I think it looks great! But the second sock will have to wait a few weeks, because I wanted to start using the next yarn for a pair of Halloween socks:

I started using a pattern that I liked, which was written for more stitches than I usually cast on. But after finishing the cuff, I decided that instead of making them for me, that I would make them for The Tim for an anniversary gift. Because I liked the way the colors knit up just in plain ribbing.

And I was already knitting the number of stitches I generally do for a pair of socks for him. Now I just need to see if I can get a pair knit before October 28.  I think it's doable, if I spend most of my time working on them.

The other two projects that I had wound the yarn for were delayed when  realized I didn't have the proper size needles.  I have them now, and will knit a swatch later for the sweater I am planning for the cream and green yarns. 

The shawl I was hoping to knit with he other yarns now has the needle size it wants, so I can start on it whenever I like. But at the moment, the Halloween socks and the sweater I want to knit will take precedence. I'd like to feel like both of them were not just well underway, but able to meet the deadline before I start the shawl or return to my other projects. It's doable, I know - I just have to pay attention! (Easier said than done.)

In other news, a friend I have made through knitting is not just a knitter, she is one of those people who also weaves, spins, and does about ten other things.  Last week she posted a photo on Instagram showing some Halloween-themed pins she had made. I commented how much I loved them, particularly ones she had made featuring black cats. So imagine my happy surprise when I opened the mail yesterday.

Adorable, right?? It was such a nice thing for her to do, and a wonderful and unexpected gift.  I showed it to the kitties, who were - as is mostly always the case - unimpressed.

So now you up-to-date on things in my knitting life. What are you up to these days? Let me know in the comments!

Tuesday FO : Kakigori Summer Shirt

Hello and Happy September, and for those in the U.S. I hope you are enjoying the last day of the Labor Day weekend. The Tim had to work today, so it was just kind of a regular weekend for us, which is fine, because our Labor Day is generally low-key even when both of us are home.

I was finally able to get a somewhat decent photo of an FO that I finished a while back, so this is an overdue post. But here you go. 

You may remember that I started around the end of May, and showed you how the yoke was coming along:

Project: Kakigori Summer Shirt

Pattern: Anker's Summer Shirt, by PetiteKnit (Ravelry link)

Yarn: Noro Kakigori, Color 23

Needles: U.S. size 6/4 mm

Modifications: I made it a bit shorter than the pattern called for in my size.

Notes: This is the second time I knit this pattern, and though I am still not in love with knitting 1 x 1 rib, this time around the whole thing was easier. I knew what to expect, and I was able to get a rhythm going doing the ribbed yoke, which made a HUGE difference. 

The previous one that I knit is something that I wear fairly often, and is really comfortable, so I knew that down the road I'd want another one. At the end of last summer, there were two colors of Kakigori in the sale bin at Loop, and when there were two of each left, my co-worker at the time, Kate, convinced me that we should buy them ourselves. She bought a pink shade, and I bought this greeny-blue that I love. I had this pattern in mind, but knew that since I wasn't going to do anything with it right away, I could consider other things.

But by the time I was ready to knit with it, I either didn't have enough for anything else, or didn't like the other choices. So I thought, why not just go with my original plan? And I'm glad that I did, because I love the result! 

This past Saturday, we went to see the Mary Cassatt exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and it was finally not a bazillion degrees, so I wore the finished top, and because I have no one else to do it, asked The Tim to take my photo in it when we were leaving and on the way back to the car. Now, even if you have never visited the museum, you can probably guess that there are lovely grounds around it. I foolishly had visions of a nice photo with an especially nice background. You probably know what's coming ... 

The Tim said, "Let's take your photo now, and I turned around to say could I at least stand somewhere where I wouldn't be squinting into the sun, and he started taking the photos. As usual, he thinks that a photo where I can't properly see is a good idea, because "you want to sunlight to show the item well." Which yes, is true, but I'd also like to look somewhat normal ... Oh well. To his credit, they did all show off the FO to an advantage, so why am I complaining? 

And I'm not doing anything else weird, so I'll take it!

I really like this pattern, and once you figure out what size you need to knit, it's pretty straightforward - though I have to say that knitting a PetiteKnit pattern is not something that you should do if "size" is something that trips you up. Because both times I've knit this, I've made the size that fits the measurements in the pattern, but not a size I would normally buy from a store. So just know you might be in for a surprise! 😊

I really love the finished top. It's comfy, and once it was blocked and soaked, the yarn softened up so much, it feels really nice against the skin.

Which brings me to the yarn. Noro yarn, to be exact. After using it a grand total of three times in my knitting life, I have to say that each time, it is so aggravating to knit with that I almost give up before finishing the item. I love the colors they have, but man is it unpleasant on your hands while you are knitting! But if you can get past that, go for it, because once it's soaked and blocked, it's wonderful.

I started with two balls of Kakigori, which are 200 grams each. This is what I have left.

It's roughly 122 grams remaining (please don't ask me to do math to figure this all out because it won't end well for any of us). Anyway, if anyone would like to have this to use for their own knitting, please let me know. I'm more than happy to send it to you. I'm finished with Noro yarns for now (probably even forever?) and would like to pass it along to someone who could give it a good home. So feel free to claim it in the comments!

So there you go, an FO and an offer that maybe one of you won't be able to refuse, who knows? In any case, have a good day and if you do want the yarn, please be sure to include your e-mail address in the comments if you have never heard from me before, so I can contact you.

Wednesday FO: Mabel Sweater

Do you watch the show "Only Murders In The Building?" We love it. We have always been big Steve Martin and Martin Short fans, and Selena Gomez has now also become a fave of ours based on this show.

Anyway, her character is named Mabel, and in Season 1, she wore a light blue, bulky, funnel neck sweater in one episode that just caught my eye and I wanted to make one just like it. So off to Ravelry, where I did a lot of searching with various filters, keywords, etc. I couldn't find anything that looked just like - or even enough like - the sweater to suit me. But I found a pattern that I liked that used bulky yarn, so I decided to knit that and it would be sort of *my* version of Mabel's sweater.

Project: Mabel Sweater

Pattern: Cozier, by Tanis Lavallee

Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Superwash Bulky, in the colorway Fjord Heather

Needles: US size 10/6mm; and, US size 11/8mm

Modifications: I opted for a length in between the cropped version and the longer version (something like Mabel's sweater looked to me). I also didn't knit a turtleneck, but didn't quite create a funnel neck either. Which is fine, it's for me.

Notes: First off, I have to say that this is not my best work. There are a lot of flaws, but 1) I was making it as kind of a throw-on cozy sweater for around the house so no big deal there; and, 2) I had a hard time with the large needles - first off, I'm not used to needles that big, and second of all, I couldn't knit for very long at any one time before my hand would be killing me. So even though people say things like, "Oh using bulky yarn means it knits up SO fast," for me that wasn't the case. 

So although I am happy enough with the finished sweater, I'm mostly just glad it's done and over with. It looks fine for an around-the-house sweater, and it will be nice and warm and cozy. But unless it's some small thing like a hat or mittens or something like that, I'm done using bulky yarn and big needles. I just didn't enjoy the process, which for me is just as important as the result.

The pattern is very well-written, and I kinda sorta wish I could make one similar to the striped one shown in the pattern. But I'll just have to make a colorful striped sweater using a different pattern and smaller yarn somewhere down the road.

The photo above shows the actual color of the sweater much better. I do like the color (I guess that's why most of wardrobe is blue? LOL), and it's nice and soft. And since it's super wash, I won't have to baby it, which is nice.

So in closing, I can recommend the pattern and the yarn if you enjoy making bulky weight items. And I am happy enough with the final sweater. And putting a completely positive spin on the whole thing, I guess it was a learning experience for me regarding bulky knits.

Needless to say, your mileage may vary, as the saying goes.

I also have a finished pair of socks to share with you, but that's another post. So stay tuned!

I'm Back - With an FO!

Hello and Happy September! I'm finally back and hopefully will be able to check in regularly going forward. The last couple of months were challenging, and I'm glad I took time off from the blog, though I did miss all of you. Let's just say that as of today, mental health stuff, dental stuff, life stuff, and house stuff are all doing better, so it was a worthwhile endeavor to concentrate on those.

I have been knitting, and have started a couple of new things that are holiday gifts, but I'm happily here to tell you about an FO! You may remember that I was going right along on my Stripey Summer Tee, which started like this:

(this is the actual color best represented, btw)

And then I made progress:

More progress:

And now, it's an FO <cue applause>

Project: Stripey  Summer Grapefruit Tee

Pattern: Rock It Tee, by Tanis Lavallee (Ravelry link)

Yarn: MadelineTosh Tosh Light in the Pink Grapefruit colorway; and, Fiberstory Fave Sock in the Barely colorway

Needles: US size 5

Modifications: In the pattern, it says to make the centered double decreases on the sides in every other row. I didn't do that, deciding that with having to keep track of the stripes, that would be an extra thing to worry about. So I did the decreases every 4th and 6th row, and I really think it looks pretty.

Notes: This is a really well-written pattern, making it very clear what needs to happen and when. The designer said that of course you can use whatever striping sequence you like, but when she made the sample, she did eight row stripes. I figured if that was good enough for her, it was good enough for me. 😊 I made the fourth size in the pattern, because if I'm wearing wool at all in the summer and springtime, I want there to be good air flow, so I wanted positive ease.

I've worn this a couple of times already (it still being summer - OMG I finished something during the season I want to wear it!), and it's comfy and I feel like it fits well. I've gotten a lot of compliments on it, which of course makes my knitter's heart happy. And another knitter even said, "Wow, you did the stripes so you can't even see the joining of the other yarn!" which I took as one the highest praise possible. 

I made sure to have enough yarn according to what the pattern required, and my gauge swatches worked fine, but at the end of things, here's what I had left:

That's 84 grams of the Pink Grapefruit color, and 97 grams of the Barely color, so ... I don't know, someone's calculations were off. But these will get incorporated into something else, never fear!

So that's that. I'm hoping to post more regularly now, and have some things to show and tell, as well as my regular golden nuggets of prose and wisdom. I hope all of you have been keeping well, and that if you are near any extremes of weather (I'm not even getting into a discussion of the weather here this week, ugh), that you are managing to keep safe.

And now I'm off to welcome the Chimney Guy, who is here to take a look at what needs to be done with/to the chimney before we can replace the roof. On the one hand, there goes any money available. On the other hand, I have been trying to get The Tim to get on this for the past three years, so please rejoice with me that soon leaky ceilings will be a thing of the past!

Take care, and have the best day possible.

The End Is Nigh!

No, not the end of the world (though there are days I'm not so sure about that), but the end of the cardigan I have been knitting for what seems like an eternity.

The blob above is my start on the button and neck bands - there are no buttons on this sweater, so I can just knit and not worry about needing to place the buttonholes.

Below, you can see the some of the miles of garter stitch that used short rows to create the collar. (Also, look how different the color of the yarn looks from one photo to the other. The color in person is actually a bit darker than either one.)

Tomorrow is the last day of March. I set myself a deadline to have the knitting finished and the ends woven in by the end of March, and if things had gone according to my original estimate, this would have already been finished. But that was not to be, so I'm finishing it today and tomorrow. I have absolutely no idea how long it will take to dry when I block it, but I'm hoping that there will be at least one or two more cool spring days when I can wear it long enough to get some photos. 

And yes, it will be wonderful to have this project finally off the needles. Especially since I decided that I would NOT cast on another single thing until this sucker was done. And I'm dying to cast on a new project ... or two ... or ... well, you get the idea. 😉

Well, This Is How It Looks On Me

Happy Friday! I just learned that today is National Golden Retriever Day, and oh how I wish Dug and Hamlet could be here to celebrate with us. But I know they are celebrating together, and that makes me happy.

Do you remember this project? When I finally finished the project, it was already too hot to have a photo shoot where I was actually wearing it, so you just saw it finished and on the blocking mats. 

Well, last Sunday I was getting ready to head to the yarn store for my Sunday shift, and realized that I was not only wearing the sweater, but that I was also cleaned up and looking presentable. So I asked The Tim to snap a photo of me in my Steel Doodles sweater.

Not a magnificent shot, but you can see what it looks like on a body. It's really cozy and soft, and it fits me just the way I wanted it to - with some positive ease but not so much that it looks baggy. Since the initial release, they have adjusted the pattern to include a regular neck rather than only the turtleneck. The pattern is well-written and if you are not me, likely knits up really quickly.😉

In other news, I nearly had a chance to meet up with Dee this week. But I'd mixed up my timing and had to cancel. I thought I had an appt to start the process of getting a crown on a tooth for this coming week, but then I got the reminder call that it was the day this past week that I was supposed to get together with her. BOOO! But hopefully it will work out another time soon. (Though with all of the dr and dentist appts I have scheduled, it looks like most of February is a bust.)

So on to the weekend, where I have no specific plans, but hope to get some small projects cleared away. I have a dr appt this morning and then a haircut appt later, and I'm hoping to do a bit of baking in the afternoon so that's the plan for today. I know you are probably jealous of my non-stop exciting life, so I'll just stop regaling you with more details now ... 

Whatever you do or don't do, enjoy your weekend. If you are in the Arctic freeze, I hope you can keep warm!

I'm Still Here!

Well, I didn't mean to disappear briefly, but I realize that it happened anyway. But no worries, I'm still here and making an effort to keep up with everyone's blogs, whether or not I comment.

Anyhoo, I hope all of you are doing OK, or better than OK. I've been busy with a lot of stupid but necessary things, but I've also been knitting. Over the past weekend, I finished the socks I've been working on (FO post to come), and that was a good feeling. 

But I also finished the body of the cardigan I have been knitting since last year. You may recall that I put it aside at the end of the spring since I didn't want a lapful of wool during the summer. Then once fall hit, I got busy with gift knits. So I finally pulled it out at the beginning of January, and over the past weekend, I finished the bottom ribbing. It was such a sense of accomplishment!

Here's the front (though I realize it's hard to see well in this photo):

And in the interest of full disclosure, the back:

And I'm also excited today, because the beret I knit as a sample for the yarn store is featured in today's Instagram post! Here is the link, if you want to see a much better photo than the one I showed you. 😊

So that's the latest from here for now. I think I'll fix myself a cup of tea and read for a bit. I'm not working today because I have two dr appts. One is already over and the other is this afternoon, so I can have a little time to myself.

I hope the rest of your day goes well. 

Friday FO Post: A Longish-Ago Finish

Yes, I'm bookending my week of posts with another FO - don't get used to it, though, because this is for a project finished a while back that I was never able to get good "modeled" shots of, but wanted to write about before putting it away for the winter.

You may remember seeing this:

Well, though it challenged me at the beginning, I did in fact finish it!

Project: Light Purple Thea Top

Pattern: THEA Top by Susanne Muller

Yarn: Sandnes Garn Line, in the colorway Light Purple

Needles: US size 4 & 6

Modifications: At the end, when it was time to do the ribbing around the bottom, neckline, and armholes, I did one round of plain knit, then the ribbing. I also did 7 rounds of ribbing, because I thought it looked better that way.

(This is as close to a photo of me wearing it as we'll get right now. As I recall, I had really dirty hair when taking this photo, so decided it would be a torso shot ... 😊)

Notes: This was a challenge, but once I figured out what was happening, it was a fairly quick and easy knit. I had never made anything with this kind of construction before, so it took a bit of effort to wrap my mind around the instructions in the pattern. But the project did provide me with my first [kinda] successful provisional crochet cast on, so that was a boost.

It's kind of wrinkled in the photo above, because it has been folded and in the closet, but this gives you an idea of how the finished item looks; and in the photo below, you can see the "possible" light purple shade of the yarn - but to be honest, it is really hard to tell there is any purple at all. Maybe if my skin was darker, it would show up more. Oh well, I still really like it.

Anyway, I would recommend this pattern because it doesn't take long to knit once you understand all of the moving parts. I started this around the middle of June this past summer, and was finished around the end of August. It only took me that long because I worked on other things in the interim, and had a bout of "who wants to knit at all" for a couple of weeks.

I'm hoping next summer to get a "real" photo of how it looks being worn, but this will be it for now. 

The yarn used, which is a linen/cotton blend, is very nice, very soft to work with, and comes in a variety of colors. If I do ever make this again, I'll choose something with more of a color pop. But I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this top when the weather is too hot to breathe.

Alfie thought about sitting on it, but decided it wasn't worth making the effort. Shortly after this he left the room altogether, as if to say, "If I'm not the main focus of this photo session, why am I even hanging around???"

Here's hoping you have a good weekend, I'll see you next week.

Knitting Needles Tuesday - An FO Post

Hello all, and I hope you had a lovely Labor Day weekend.  Ours was nice, the weather was for the most part really pleasant - even the rain wasn't much and didn't ruin any of our plans, mostly because we had none.  The Tim had to work yesterday, but I got some projects of my own organized, and then fixed us a picnic dinner, so it was all good.

Do you remember seeing this just started WIP back in June?

If not, you probably do remember these photos:

Well, I'm happy to tell you that it is now an FO, with ends woven in, blocking completed, and ready to wear!

Project:  Blue Anker

Pattern:  Anker's Summer Shirt, by Petite Knit (Ravelry link)

Yarn:  Berrocco Farro, in the colorway Turquoise, 4.5 skeins

Needles:  US size 4 and 6

Modifications:  I added more stitches to the underarms, since sleeves always feel tight there to me in knitted items.  Then I decreased until I was where the sleeve pattern started, and went from there following the instructions.

Comments:  I completely love this top!  It fits the way I wanted it to fit, I just love the color, and even though it gave me fits with the 1 x 1 rib and the increases, it was all well worth it.  I think I'll get a lot of wear out of this not just a few more times this year, but a lot once the weather gets warm again next year.  Wearing this with a sweater or blazer over it, or a denim jacket, would be really comfy, as it is not bulky or heavy at all.

The yarn was a bit tricky to get used to, but other than occasionally being a little slippery-er than I would have liked, by the time I was a few inches in to the project, we were getting along just fine.  The pattern was straightforward, once you decided if you were following inches or centimeters!  There are a lot of sizes included, so I could see this being a pattern that would be really nice to use the Knit Companion feature where it shows your size only.  However, my printed pattern and highlighter worked just fine also.

I finished the knitting, weaving in, etc. last week, but was waiting for a time when the day was nice and The Tim was available to take a photo.  So Sunday afternoon, we went out on the deck.  I may have to find a new photographer, as you would have thought I had asked him to give me one of his kidneys, he was so put out by "having" to do this!  Then he was annoyed because I was squinting - but when the light is in your eyes, YOU try not to squint.  Anyway, I was pleased with how this photo turned out.

And oh that yoke!  It makes the 1 x 1 rib worthwhile (well, now that it's finished, at least).

Between that, a the fact that I am a sucker for anything turquoise, it couldn't have turned out better!

An Inside Weekend

Ugh.  Here we are, in everyone but me's favorite season, summer - even though it's still spring, technically.  This past weekend was a miserable one in Philadelphia, weather-wise, with temperatures in the 90s (Fahrenheit) and the added humidity.  All of the weather reports told people to stay inside if at all possible.  Well, other than taking Hamlet for short walks, and a couple of errands early Saturday morning, we did just that.  The only improvement there was that we didn't have the sun beating down directly onto us.

On Saturday, I decided that I was tired of waiting to block the sweater I finished, just because there wasn't room currently in our bedroom.  So I soaked it, and blocked it in the back room of the third floor, figuring that if the Koodle decided to revenge pee on it, I would just wash it again.  I always block garments I've made inside out, so that even if someone walks on them, or the cats rest on them, any resulting marks or fur are just on the inside.  

The ONE good thing about the weather was that this dried overnight, so it was not "available" so to speak for very long.  And though it got some interest from everyone, I think it was just too hot altogether to make anyone want to make a bed or nest on a wool sweater!

So now, I just need to wait for some cooler days to take some photos of it all finished and blocked, and then I can put it away until next fall.  It fits perfectly, which makes me really really happy!

The cats and Hamlet did a lot of dramatic lounging.  In this photo, the Koodle looks like he is already done with summer (me too, Milo!).

Before I got too sweaty to knit on any project, I did cast on and start something new:

This will be a summer top for me - that is, if it is ever comfortable to knit, and I'm not so sweaty that I can't hold the yarn easily!  I also have a pair of socks going, and am very, very close to being finished with my Advent Throw - but once again, need either some cooler weather or some air conditioning for that.

On the plus side, I did spend time reading, and finished two books - one a perfect "summer read" and the other a more serious book, but very readable.  Now to decide what to read next ...

Most of the week here is supposed to continue with heat and humidity, which is depressing to say the least.  So it looks like reading, drinking lots of water, and staying inside will be my plan for the next few days.

I hope you can stay comfy, whatever is happening where you are.  Take care.

Good Things

Hello, Friday!  You certainly took your good old time getting here, but as long as you show up, I'm happy.  

Not that this week was terrible, but there were enough ick times along the way that having the weekend break is even more welcome than usual.

But there were definite highlights.

Hamlet had a wonderful day for his birthday.  

Here he is in the morning, before we went out for our walk.  He is kind of giving me the side-eye, because I had just promised something special if he stayed put, and I think he is doubting my veracity.  But he did get a treat after this, so we both kept up our end of the deal.  He got more treats throughout the day, and he got brushed and fluffed up, some nice long walks, and some special food for his dinner.  Ending the day with "Happy Birthday" being sung to him (which he LOVES) and getting a new pull toy meant that he has had to do some extra resting ever since, there was so much excitement!  😀

This next photo should give you some idea of the next good thing I want to tell you:

LOTS of snipped ends of yarn - yes, I finally finished the knitting on my sweater!  I wove in the ends, and today plan to give it a quick soak and blocking.  I tried it on and it fits *exactly* the way I had hoped it would.  I can't wait to show it to you!

The next good thing happens tomorrow actually, when The Tim will get his second dose of the Covid vaccine!  In another couple of weeks we will both be invincible (well, you know what I mean), and that will be wonderful.  

Extra wonderful, because it means we will be able to see some of the family.  For Memorial Day weekend, we are headed to West Virginia to my sister and brother-in-law's.  If you have read my blog for any length of time, you probably recall that the Memorial Day weekend is usually one where everyone descends on them for a weekend and a huge picnic.  Well, of course that didn't happen last year, and the year before, we were unable to make it, so it's been two years since I've seen them in person.  This year, still no big event, but they are both vaccinated, and my niece Amanda and her husband Patrick are also both vaccinated, so all of us are headed home for that weekend.  It will be so wonderful to see everyone - we haven't seen Pat and Amanda for over a year - and still be safe.  I'm actually glad that there will just be the six of us, because all of us are very careful people, and I think having the smaller group will make it easier to adjust to visiting and traveling again.  

I'll believe it all when I see it/do it, but it's fun to think about until then, right?  (If not slightly nerve-racking, but so is everything these days.)

And that's about it from here.  The weather here in Philadelphia is supposed to be rainy and cool this weekend, so I may have to adjust some of my plans - there's no reason to try and clean out the garden when it's raining and windy, for instance.  But that's fine, I am good at doing both anything and nothing ...

For those who celebrate, I hope you have a lovely Mother's Day.

And no matter what else you do, I hope you have at least one moment this weekend when you are as happy and content as Pip is in this photo from the other day, where he was sitting with The Tim. 

Enjoy!

Reader, I Did Finish the Sleeves

I hope you had a good weekend, whatever you did or did not do.  Ours was quiet, but with some smallish things done around the house, so it was not all laziness!

As I mentioned in a post last week, I was hoping that by the end of the week, I could get the sleeves knit on the sweater I've been making.  BTW, I was amused by some comments about my "purple" sweater - I know it looked purple in the photos, but that is my lack of photographic ability.  It's actually a dark navy blue, which is incredibly difficult to capture when you are a point and shoot impatient person like me.  

Anyway, I had worked on the second sleeve and got to the point where I was so close to finishing, that I told myself I couldn't work on any other project until the sleeve was an entire sleeve, including being bound off.   So Saturday morning I got started, and by Saturday afternoon (there were several interruptions and breaks), I had accomplished my goal.

(and see - here it looks like it's a black sweater!)

I am so pleased with this project!  It's taken me a lot longer that I would have liked, with interruptions for holiday knitting, and just plain ignoring it off and on, but I have tried it on several times along the way, and it fits just the way I was hoping it would.  

I'm going to try to get the collar added so that I can weave in the ends, block it, and have a finished sweater happily waiting for me when it gets cold again next fall and winter.  In theory, I would do it right away, and it would be completed, but I've set so many goals for this project that I've either missed or ignored, I'm just going to say it will be finished whenever I show you that it's finished ... 😊

******

I also worked on a pair of socks that I've started, but otherwise did some reading, and managed to put some things away (finally) that have been sitting around "to get to next weekend" for about 4 months (!)  

The Tim has been working hard on replacing some rotted wood planks on our deck, so I tried to work indoors, to make sure I was out of the way.  It's getting to the time when I want to start cleaning out the garden, so I want to plan that out.  I had this grand plan that we could get ourselves a small, portable fire pit for the garden.  I thought it would be nice, since we could then enjoy the garden longer in the year, and it would also help to destroy my nemeses, mosquitoes.  The Tim was on board, but then he did a check to see if fire pits were permitted in the city.  And they are, but they have to be at LEAST 16 feet away from any structure.  When you live in a rowhouse in the city, and the garden is only the size of a rowhouse, it's not 16 feet away from anything!  So that plan fell through.  

OK, I'll admit that a lot of the appeal was getting rid of mosquitoes, so back to the drawing board there.

To be honest, I'm still wrapping my head around it being the last week of April - I'm not dreading May or anything, but I just feel like April has a ways to go.  I do have to say that I completely approve of April's weather - it's been truly spring-like, with cool days, warm days, rainy days, and just plain nice days and nights - you know, like spring used to be.  I hope it will last for a while before the ick of summertime arrives, but I'm not in control of any of that, so I'll just enjoy it while I can.

Nothing else to report.  Here's hoping this end of April week will treat us well.

Quarantine Projects

Before I head off to my work dept Zoom meeting, I thought I'd write this post, because after those, I am always so sad and depressed, it might never happen!  And since it's Three on Thursday, and I currently have three projects underway, it means I could have a post that is kinda sorta a no-brainer.  😉

Thus I give you my Quarantine Projects, in their current states.

1.  Social Distance Sweater - this is something I've had the yarn to make for a while, and finally cast on.  The pattern is the Pavement, and though it's a basic item, the people I know who have knit it have ended up with lovely sweaters. 

As you can see, I have most of the body knit - I'm nearly to the bottom edging, then it will be sleeve time.  This photo doesn't show the color properly, but it's a tough color to photograph - a very dark gray/green.  Once I got past the neckline start, it's been an enjoyable knit.  I started this in the first week in quarantine, and am hoping to have it finished soon, since I've thought about knitting this for a long time.  I don't know if I'll have many chances to wear it before it gets too warm, but even so, it will be waiting for me as a perfect transition piece next fall.

2.  Easter Egg Scrappy Shortie Socks - I showed you the finished first sock the other day, and have been making good progress on the second.  As of yesterday, I am onto the foot, so these should be finished soon.  The pattern is just a vanilla sock pattern, turned into shortie socks.

3.  Down the Shore Shawl - as a reminder, this is the Beachcomber pattern.  I have finished the first two sections, and just barely started on the third.  This is not a hard knit per se, but the Knit Picks CotLin yarn is not as easy to work with though it is not unpleasant.  Because it's not wool or other more elastic fabric, it can be hard to maneuver stitches in the lace sections.

It's an enjoyable knit and not difficult in and of itself, and I am just really loving the way it's turning out.  Right now, I am about 2 rows into the third section, and then will be doing a picot bindoff, which will be a new thing for me.  Hopefully I'll be successful, as I do like the look of that bindoff.

Normally, other than socks, I would not be this far along on the larger projects, but I'll take it!  Especially when I lost my reading mojo for a while, these kept me good company.  They are all things I wanted to knit, and are all enjoyable for different reasons.  And right now, given the way things are going as far as reopening things around here (not happening  any big way in Philadelphia anytime soon), they may all truly turn out to be quarantine projects - started AND finished before all of this is in the past.  I guess I may very well end up all dressed up with no place to go ...