Ok, what the heck am I doing? Why am I torturing myself? See, I started this sweater for HP. It calls for a yarn that I think has been discontinued. I mean, I got the pattern directly from the yarn manufacturer, and I can't even find details about the yarn on their website. This is why I've made the assumption. So, I looked the yarn up on other online yarn retailers and found what I think Rowan is calling for. They call it Handknit Cotton. And from what I can find it's about 90 yards per 50 g ball, also at about $5-6 per ball. Nope too expensive. So, I have the nerve to try this stuff I got at the local yarn store. Only $2.75 per 50 grams, but also only 70 yards. Can you say chunky. But I was determined this time to get the correct gauge of 20 stiches per 10 cm and 28 rows. How come, with yarn this chunky, I could only achieve this gauge with some size US 4 needles?! OMG. And I think I'm going to keep going too. At least until somebody stops me.

The results so far...

Also, a note. I know that the pictures that I post are of very poor quality, and I'm working on providing better ones. I'm studying my camera's manual today.

I think it's soooo cute. I wore it out of the house to Walmart as soon as I pulled it off of the needles. I can definately visualize this little ditty in other colors.

My new project...

The Turtleneck Shrug from the book Scarf Style.

I've had to learn this magic loop knitting method. It was tricky at first cause I was concerned about a gap my work seemed to have developed. And this is all after I figured out how to join in the round withouth twisting the stitch.

Anyway, I kept at it and the gap seems to have disappeared. I guess that's where the magic lies. I have a long way to go, but I'll keep you posted.

Happy New Year! I hope that in 2007 finally realize some of the desires in your hearts. Whatever those may be. Whew! I can't believe I've let a whole month get by without any new posts. Well, that doesn't mean that the yarn hasn't been between my fingers. I've finished that cable sweater for DJ.

It's interesting though. The kid in this picture from The Yarn Girl's Guide to Knits for Older Kids has a sweater on with boxy shoulders. But on DJ, the shoulders look way too broad. I think that I oversize him too much. Let's wait and see how it look on him in a couple of months. For now, I'd probably have to beat him to get him to wear it.

I made HP another cardigan to wear on Xmas. It came together really quickly. I swear, as soon as we locate the other 3 dragonflies, we're going to put them to work keeping this sweater closed. It still looked cute with just 3 buttons, and she enjoyed choosing them herself.

And for me, this is my adaptation of the Bell Sleeve Tunic featureed in the December issue of Better Home's and Garden's Simply Creative Crochet. I added length and width (in a maternity like way - I'm NOT pregnant). Also, I added the trim to the bottom to make this sweater, which on the model is loose fitting, hug me the way it does. I hate to admit when I don't get a pattern, but after a while, I just started doing my own thing. I have a lot of yarn left over. This picture is of the unblocked version. I'll be calling upon the magic of immersion blocking to lenghthen, flatten, and straigten.