Around and Around

I'm feeling a little dizzy from the 'round and 'round stuff!  I have been knitting the first sleeve on the blue sweater for, ummm, three years now.  Actually it's only been five days but why isn't it getting any longer?  It was my bright idea to knit the sleeves in the round instead of flat and sew them on later.  Now, with hindsight being all knowing, I realize that flat would have been faster.  I have a whole sweater in my lap and after two or three times around the sleeve I have to stop and unwind the sweater and free up the working yarn.  Note to self:  follow the pattern instructions in the future!

 

Then there is the EZ Cardigan.  I did follow the pattern on this one--gauge and all.  Let me tell you, knitting with fingering weight yarn is  s-l-o-o-o-w!  On this one the instructions say to knit to the the armholes in the back then pick up shoulder stitches and knit the same amount for the right, then left fronts.  EZ right?  It would be if the instructions didn't direct the knitter into a quagmire of increasing for the vee-neck and increasing for the armholes at the same time only on different rows (every five here and every second there).  There goes my head whirling again.

All of this keeps me knitting.  It does not, however, provide bunches of blog thoughts.  So please forgive me for the boring post.

I'll liven things up a bit with pictures of Macy doing doggie yoga.  .  She is very adept at her yoga and is seen here doing Downward Dog

 

 and Proud Warrior

 She is working on Matsyasana and making progress.

 I should be so flexible!  Life is good.

Rhapsody In Blue

Ah ecstasy--there is great progress on the blue Cashmerino sweater.  The back and front pieces have been stitched together and the sleeves started.  I realized yesterday that I need a shorter circular needle since I decided to knit the sleeves on instead of sewing on after knitting them flat.  I've ordered a 16 inch needle and I'm working on the big collar while I wait for the needle to arrive.  

 

I have also started the EZ Summer Cardi with Knit Picks Palette.  I said in the last post that it is lace weight.  We all know that's not right!!  Palette is fingering weight.  I always seem to have problems with lace weight yarn so fingering weight is about the lightest weight I use.  Anyway, the sweater is airy and peachy and promises to be very pretty.

I received the yarn for a scarf I like a lot.  Knitting Daily recently posted the chart for a fair isle scarf  called Ajiro.  Since I can calculate the number of stitches needed for myself, I do not need to buy the pattern.  Is that cheating?  It might be under different circumstances but the writer outlined exactly how to make the scarf, including the ends, so I don't feel like I am stealing the pattern.  What do you think?  On the other hand I am told that the book the pattern comes from is a good source of information for fair isle knitting, especially dealing with long floats.  So if you are interested in great patterns and sound knitting instruction you might want to buy Vintage Modern Knits.  I'm hoping the plug will make up for me making the scarf without buying the book!

 

Our family visitors moved into their new home last week and we took the opportunity (while the big guys were moving things) to add some new furniture pieces and spiffy up the living room and guest room.   We added something I have wanted to get for a long time--a new recliner for DH.  In order to fit it into the room we had to remove the loveseat that was Macy's perch.  I hope he enjoyed the recliner for the five minutes Macy let him sit in it because now it is hers!  She seems to think it is much more comfortable than her old back-of-loveseat accommodations.  Dh says he has always preferred sprawling on the couch anyway.  It's a good thing!!

 

Oh, I almost forgot--one mitt is finished.  Yippee!

Life is good.