Finishuary

We got a taste of winter this week with 53 cm of snow. It didn't stop snowing for 3 days! The wind was pretty cold, too.

 Staying indoors helped me finish my Ravellenic sweater, the Antler by Tin Can Knits in Briggs and Little Heritage worsted. It has a closer fit than most of the sweaters I've knit, but I like it. And I like that I was able to make tighter, more even stitches.

 After the Closing Ceremonies, I was on a roll. I ripped back the collar and button bands on my Fair Isle sweater to do them better. This heavy weight in my hands was really starting to hurt them.

 I was happy to pick up the airy cotton/microfibre baby blanket. And it was near being finished, so a few TV shows later, it was done.

 And my first pair of socks for Operation Sock Drawer were finished last night. I don't have real sock blockers, just cut down place mats, so the top looks too small, but they do stretch. These were heavier than regular fingering weight yarn, but not quite sport weight. I like the felted feel of the Trekking Fach 6 and the toe up pattern from Wendy Knits, vandyke.
These three projects allow me to enter into Miss Kalendar's Finishuary Contest from the Brass Needles Podcast. A great encouragement for me to get some things off the needles!

 Carly still wanted a walk every day. The little viburnum bush is not deterred by the weather.

 I did have an equipment failure during my competitive knitting. An Addi Turbo needle snapped. I had another one the same number, but it was a smaller size, really. It didn't matter that much in the cable yoke.

 This is the 100 ft driveway that I had to shovel, two days in a row. Now the snow has mostly melted and we got into double digit temperatures today (yay above freezing!)

 But I caught a cold (after I battled the stomach flu). I worked yesterday and was a phlegmy mess by the end of the 12 hour shift. Today has been a bit surreal. Just blowing my nose, really. Thank goodness I made soup ahead of time.

 And thanks for good mail! I couldn't resist the Must Stash Yarns update. I never get to things like that in time. But there it was and so cheerful. Thanks Stacie!

Rainbows & Clouds. That pretty well expresses my current mood of under the weather, but hope on the horizon.

Ravellenics 2014

 We are excited by the safe delivery of our Great Nephew, Rory. Such a lovely baby. His shower is tomorrow, so I need to clean up the dining room for laying out tiny foods.

 I have "finished" the Windows fair isle sweater, but it isn't done. The sleeves are attached, but can you see my mistake? I did the button bands before the collar. There aren't a lot of directions, but I should really have thought it out better. Now I have to remove all three and do the collar first and redistribute the button holes. But not right now. I am knitting for the Ravellenics.

 I did block my squares for the Mystery KAL. We are joining together, at my knitting group to make squares from a pattern that will end up as a blanket. We all disliked knitting square 3 (the green one), but I wanted to be able to support people so I did it. I should have another square done, but I need to finish my Olympic knitting first.

 Last week was reading break at UVic, so Emily came home. We painted pottery at a local shop. Hers is a zombie gnome. Just picked them up. She gave me the gift certificate for Christmas last year, but I may give mine to MIL for Mothers' Day

And just back from a year in Australia, another nephew! I made him a sock head hat that was a pleasure to knit of Sweet Fiber, even if it's just charcoal. He put it on his cold ears right away and is still wearing it.

 Ravellenic knitting, Team Sasquatch. I cast on the Antler sweater during the opening ceremonies. Watching it live on CBC.com was quite a treat. I had the yarn, and had been whinging about not knitting any of my blue sweaters. It is a lovely bottom up pattern, I made two little ones last summer. But the weight of the Windows sweater has been wearing out my hands, and this is the same worsted weight. Plus I am working on making tighter, more even stitches. Originally I wanted to knit a Featherweight in lace weight, but my yarn was corrupted. It shall be replaced by the lovely dyer, so I am over that disappointment. But I think my hand is still disappointed.

 Day nine: I have the sleeves and body knit and joined together. There were a few very long set up rows and then the cables.

I've done 2 of the 4 sets of cables and then there is the brilliant decrease cable. I think I can do it. But my baby blanket and my Falcons scarf and my February scarf are starting to sneer at my from their project bags. I am forging on, but had hoped to have a better sense of community with other knitters. Heaven knows my family don't think it a heroic effort to knit instead of something else. And none of my friends have jumped in. I have done a challenge during the Olympics before, casting on at the opening ceremonies and casting off before the closing ones, but never officially. I think the Ravelry boards are quiet because everyone is watching the sports and knitting. We don't have cable. I get highlights when I listen to CBC radio. But I will have a warm sweater when I'm done and that shall be satisfaction enough. But I may retire from my Olympic career at the end of this Sochi Winter Games.

Selvedge

 I took Sunday morning to screw my courage to the sticking point and get on with the steeking of  my Philosopher's Wool sweater. The light was good and the sewing machine was set up. There were 8 steek stitches in the middle front of my sweater. Nine would have been better, I would have liked to cut down the middle of a stitch instead of between two. Not sure why. I have done this a few times. First time was with Elizabeth Zimmerman's fish trap sweater that I made for a neighbour boy. Just the sleeves. I have also done the hand sewing and the crochet method. Mixed results. This is sticky yarn, made for the purpose.

 My sewing machine is not the problem. I'm just a white knuckle sewer.

 My knitting circle friend, JudiB gave me the great advice to place tissue paper on the under side to keep the feed dogs from chewing up my knitting. That really made me feel more relaxed. No cerberus with his 3 heads chomping on my hard work.

 Then the cutting.... It was OK. It held. I also did the sleeves.

 It cut like butter.

 Here she is with her (now) two fronts.

 The checker board section is like a selvedge. I will sew it under after I pick up and knit the button bands and then the collar.

 Like this.

From the inside, it should look pretty finished. All the loose ends will be captured under the steek. I will sew on the sleeves last so I don't have to flop them around while I'm working on the front. The reality of this is bearing down on my like a steam engine. If I stop planning and just pick it up, my progress is much more successful.
For me, this is knitting on the edge.