C'est finis

Okay, so it took me a couple of days to get around to a photo shoot, but here is the big reveal -- Thermal in all her glory.

I actually knit a size that would give me a couple of inches of negative ease, but after blocking, you couldn't really tell. It still has a ton of stretch and could actually fit someone even bigger than myself. So so comfortable and also nice and warm. I won't point out all of the little flaws I see in mine, but I will say that the squareness of the sleeve caps puzzled me a bit. If I did it again, I would probably round them out a bit more, so they don't sit so awkwardly in the armscye. Other than that, I really loved this knit -- all the little details (like the short rows before the shoulder seams, to give them a nice angle) and the soft gorgeous yarn (I used the recommended Knit Picks Gloss in Serengeti, a colour which is a bit outside my norm, but I am really learning to love. It is more of a toffee colour than the sandy colour the name implies. I have about a skein and a half leftover -- any ideas?)

The buttons are adorable little wooden leaves... I ask my HLM for opinions on most aesthetic issues (though I don't always go with his suggestions) and he felt they were a bit "obvious." I spent the last week or so contemplating some nice teal ones, or darker brown, or plum, but in the end I gravitated toward the leaves. They felt right.

Overall, I love this -- the fit of it, the feel of it, the sense of accomplishment. It will be much worn and cherished.

I will show another little FO soon, as well as the new WIP -- a Ribby Cardi for which I have had the yarn in my stash for years... onward with the stashbusting!

So Close

Well, as you can see, Thermal took a bath. She's now blocking in various places around the little one-bedroom apartment we live in. I must admit to being a bit worried about how big she was, straight out of her bath -- I am trying to trust in the wisdom of my initial swatches.

When she is dried completely I will do the last little bit -- weaving in some ends, knitting the button placket and ribbed collar, and sewing in the sleeves. Oh, the anticipation. I also have three different kinds of buttons to choose from, which is always an agonizing decision.

In other news, my trip to the fabric store was pretty successful. I got lots of fabric to make a handful of laundry bags (in part of my ongoing and somewhat successful attempt at organization) and also some adorable gingham for a springtime purse. What can I say -- anything to get me through the winter. I put the skirts on the back burner for now, in an attempt to come home with less than, like, 20 pounds of fabric. Oy.

FO and WIP

I used Knitty's Three Tams pattern to make this lovely specimen. I actually used needles larger than called for, in a deliberate attempt to get a larger gauge and therefore a larger tam. I needed a hat for the winter that could accomodate my long and heavy dreadlocks, and thought that this tam would be a pretty way to do it. I used Noro Kureyon for the variegated yarn and a nice deep violet Cascade 220 for the background. The colours are slightly brighter than the photo would imply.

My current WIP is Thermal -- something few have attempted and fewer have completed. To be honest, I really enjoy knitting it. There's something so satisfying about knits at a small gauge, and the waffle knit pattern is just enough to keep things interesting. I am currently working on the second sleeve, so the end is definitely in sight. I will admit to trying the body on when I finished it, but anyone who has obsessively searched this FO out on the web (as I have) knows that it doesn't do anyone justice until it has been properly blocked. I do have a lot of hope for how it will turn out, but only time (and blocking) will tell.


btw, I must apologize for my somewhat blurry photos... I am still working on being steadier with my camera. Practice makes perfect...