On A Roll!

I have one word for you...

Done. It's finished. Finally.

"Savannah" by Dolce Handknits in Dream in Color Classy "Cool Fire".

Completion was a matter of procrastination mainly, as there was a lot of seaming to do. I seamed up the front and back pieces a few weeks ago but the sleeves didn't seem like they were lining up as they should so I put off finishing the rest. I finally got the guts to do it this weekend (thanks Dad), and what we have is a completed sweater.

So... my analysis. I've posted my notes on Ravelry, but I'll give you the gist of it here. The pattern was well-written and overall I have no complaints with it, other than seaming. I just don't like it. You know, you finish knitting, have this sigh of relief that you've *finally* got something to show for all this time... and you still have to sew it together. I just prefer knitting things as one piece so when you're done you really are. Except for blocking.

Anyway, my only real frustration otherwise is the yarn. It's nice yarn, seems to make a nice fabric, but there are no dye lots. No friends, no dye lots. And one skein isn't even that close to the next! Of course I didn't realize this right off the bat, not until I got an inch into the second skein.

I ended up having to knit from 2 balls at once to try to get the colors to blend. Overall it has a unified look, but if you look closely and/or hold say a sleeve up to the back you can tell. The customer has implied that she'll be satisfied with the finished result, and I hope it's true.

It's a pretty sweater. I think the empire waist gathering with no closure is slightly awkward, but it's personal preference. I won't even show a modeled pic for you because it's clearly not my size. The sleeves are a good 1.5" - 2" too short. :)

Congratulations, Jill!

My friend Jill is pregnant and due in about 4 weeks. I went to a baby shower for her last night, which was absolutely fabulous. I saw old friends I haven't talked to in years, and got to just "be" for awhile.

Jill has asked me to attend her son's birth, which has me tickled pink (providing I can get care for my own kiddos during that time). It'll actually be the first birth besides my own kids' that I've attended. I wanted to make her something kind of special and fun, and I was in a bit of a pinch as I didn't buy the yarn for it until last Friday. So here you go, Baby Yoda:

I knit this out of Sublime's Cashmere Merino Silk Aran, it took about 2.5 balls. The yarn is soft, but kind of splitty. I didn't think the pattern was fabulously written, but it *is* a free pattern. Instead of knitting the back, front, and sleeve panels separately and then seaming them together I knit it from the bottom up with the fronts and back together, split for the arms, grafted the shoulder seams, and then picked up sts for the sleeves and worked down. I'm *very* glad I did it that way, as seaming is not my friend.

I suppose I had better get used to the idea though, as I have an adult sweater on the needles for a customer and I decided I should probably knit it as written, though I'm questioning that decision. Either way, here's my Baby Yoda in Artichoke Green, just waiting for a baby to be put into it.