i was feeling a little bored with my knitting projects so i decided to get started on the elizabeth zimmermann february sweater from knitter's almanac this past week. what a sweet little sweater! and EZ's instructions are so basic that i felt like i could interpret them in any way i wanted to.
after making it through the yoke of the sweater, i decided that i would divide for the sleeves and knit the rest of the body first before going back and knitting the sleeves. this is what i've done on several other top-down projects and it feels the most natural way to me. i will still knit the sleeves flat and seam them up though. it seems like too much work to knit them in the round (or maybe i'm mistaken??) the gull stitch pattern of the body is nice though i still can't seem to memorize it. my mind is thoroughly gone.
to illustrate, i was in a meeting yesterday at work where i was unable to complete my sentences. i would get near the end of a sentence and completely blank. thankfully, two other women in the room have had babies and totally understand. i still felt like an idiot though. i had to leave early, go home, and nap till 7PM because i was just too exhausted to be useful. this third trimester is kicking my butt.
anyway, after my long nap and some falafel, i knit on the pirate hat last night and finished up the lining!
i had to stripe in a big swath of white because i was running out of black yarn but i did end in black so that when i stitch down the lining it won't show through. i'm still very hesitant about liking this hat. i have a bad feeling it is not going to fit my dad. i don't think that i got gauge (i'm too chicken to check) and, though i'm sure blocking will even out the stitches, i don't think it's going to add anything to the size. if it doesn't fit, i know someone i can give the hat and mitten set to who will appreciate it, but then what of my knitting for dad? i'm going to have to come up with plan B me thinks. i will be stitching down the lining and blocking this sucker tonight to find out.
the 3-hole shawl is back in business this week. i received my 2 extra balls of noro in the different dyelot and they look exactly the same as the others so i've started knitting on it again. i'm two repeats away from the third hole! then it's only 7 more repeats to the end. i have a feeling it'll be done by mid-february then i just have to figure out how to block the darn thing. it's HUGE! i'm finally going to have to invest in a plastic tub for knit blocking and i believe this one will be blocked on the bed. it's definitely too big for my blocking board. i have to say that i love it, though. LOVE IT! it's like a big blanket and every time i pick it up to knit on it it makes me happy. i need more projects like this.
i'm contemplating starting on something for me once i'm done with the 3-hole shawl. i'm thinking about doing a top-down short sleeve raglan with the yarn i bought at artfibers in san francisco (the yarn on the left, zodiac). something for the spring when i get my body back. once i'm done with the february sweater, i'm going to start on a 3-for combination knit for the peanut: a hat, some mittens, and some booties all from the brooklyn handspun i bought a while back.
by the way, there's also a lot of good inspiration in the spring interweave knits coming in late february! i see a couple of things i would be interested in making with yarn from the stash!
p.s. thank you to everyone who dropped by (and de-lurked!!) to wish me a happy birthday! you're all the sweetest and bestest of internet buddies. i wish i had the energy to get back to each and every one of you and if i didn't, please accept my apologies! it's not only been very busy around here getting ready for the peanut, but i've also been low on energy. know that your birthday wishes mean a lot to me!
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