Out of the Weeds

Doesn't it seem like this is the only thing I ever work on? It does to me. Ever since I've finished the stranded part, it seems I haven't been able to work on the ginger portions for more than a few rows at a time. Yesterday, I knuckled down and finished the first sleeve. Progress!

I picked up 124 stitches instead of the 136 called for in the pattern. It just looked right. Every time I tried to pick up the number called for, it just seemed too bunchy and crowded. There were a certain number of decreases that had to be done every 4th row 30 times, I figured out how many stitches that would leave me with, and then stopped at that point. I still ended up two stitches off but two stitches on a sleeve circumference on size 3 needles shouldn't make much of a difference. I tried it on Jeff and the length seemed right.

I don't know how I would have been able to knit this sweater if I wasn't able to holler at Jeff every few hours to try it on for me. He has a real career as one of those dress forms they have on Project Runway. I hope he doesn't get sick of this sweater before it's even finished.

I dreaded the garter stitch cuff for the sleeve. Since the hem rolled so badly, I expected the same result for the sleeve. In fact, I expected it to be worse because it has one less row of garter stitch than the hem. But lo and behold, there it was -- just lying there, tame as can be.

So it's on with the second sleeve, the stitches for which have already been picked up, a little bit of garter stitch around the neck opening (I wouldn't really call it a collar), and then the weaving and blocking. There's some light there at the end of the tunnel.

And plenty of light in my sunny back yard. Now to tackle some of those weeds that are marring my new landscaping...