Back to Knitting

Now after all that ending, it's time to start new and fresh.  I have some projects I started recently to talk about.

I think I mentioned Nora Gaughan's new booklet from Berrocco.  I fell in love with Vol. 13 as soon as I saw it. During Web's Summer Sale I ordered some yarn to go along with two of the patterns.  The first one I've cast on is Silverberg out of Valley Yarn's Endfield.  It's a snuggley cowl neck sweater and it's knitting up fast in the chunky yarn. All of the full sweaters I have finished so far have been bottom up and I'm really excited about top-down no seaming.  I've been able to try this on easily as I go and change the placement of the waist shaping without having to do any math.  I'll have this done in time for Rhinebeck, so hopefully it will be cool enough to wear it.  My only complaint is that this yarn has a very odd smell, it's both woolly and smokey. I don't know if this was something in shipping or storage or what but it's odd.  I will definitely be washing it in my Euclean lavender when I'm done.

You can see my kitty right behind me, she decided my tail would be fun to play with. There is only decreasing written in the pattern but I think I'm going to do some increases for my hips and tummy.  I like that it's form fitting at my bust and comes in right under but then I want it to flare out a little bit more.

I still plan on getting my Collins done in time too but now that I've tasted the ease of top-down seamless, all the pieces are looking more daunting.  I'm on the second sleeve and ready to start the shoulder shaping...... I think. Every time I count the rows or lay them next to each other the length changes. My plan is to pin down both sleeves as if I"m going to block them and try to get a good measurement there. I really need to start knitting sleeves two-at-a-time, they always seem to give me trouble getting them to match.

Maybe this will be something I try out next week when I'm on vacation.  (That's right VACATION!)  Jer and I are heading up to Vermont for a wedding and then taking the rest of the week off.  We plan on bumming around relaxing then going to Cape Cod on for two nights.  I got a Living Social deal for a nice looking inn with an in-room Jacuzzi. This is our first real vacation just the two of us and I'm excited to relax.  Other then PAX these will be my first days off all year and I'm sooo ready for it.