Auditions ~

I have had this dream yarn since January, and I knit my swatch in February. So, you ask, "Why haven't you cast on that sweater yet?"  Well, that is a very good question....I thought I knew which sweater this yarn wanted to be.... Gwen...... and then I started thinking about Gwen, and why don't those models from Rowan ever look like they are enjoying their knitwear? So I looked on Ravelry and there are happy people wearing Gwen....so that was good news...... Then there was Maureen.....simple and oversized as a cardigan should be, and I could change the bottom and cuffs to ribbing......then there was the Moss Cabled Cardigan, which has always tugged at me as it is the Central Park Hoodie sans hood. Each night I look through my three books......Gwen?

Maureen?

Or Moss Cabled........

You might think that this sweater business is too much of a commitment for me....so I go back to knitting on socks.....and the auditions for "perfect sweater" continue......

Ta Da!!!!!!

...And the crowd is on their feet yelling, "Hurrah!! Hurrah!!! Bravo!!!!" as the completed Central Park Hoodie sprints to the finish line in all its 100% alpaca glory!!!!

Wow!!!! It looks great on Sweetie H too!

It is beautiful and so soft!!!! And DONE!!!!!! WHoooo Hoooo!!!!!

Block head ~

Can you believe that I'm blocking the Central Park Hoodie....that's right, blocking.... that means I cast off the button bands..... (I can't believe it)

which means that I'm nearing the end of the finishing part...

and still a bit nervous about the bit where I sew the sleeves on to the body.... I can't believe I'm blocking my Central Park Hoodie...

Button band finale ~

I can hardly believe that I'm picking up stitches for the button band for the Central Park Hoodie. I am knitting in the same location that I started knitting this sweater over the 4th of July holiday in 2008! Yes, on the deck, by our tomato towers!

Doesn't it look great!

P.S. I've been listening to podcasters that are knitting 12 adult sweaters in a year...NaKniSweMoDo and I can't imagine knitting ONE sweater in a year!!!!)

Hoodwinked ~

I am thrilled to report that I have finished knitting the hood on my Central Park Hoodie. I chose to continue the cable pattern on the hood, and it looks really great. I used a 3 needle bind off for the seam.

Now I can begin picking up 154 stitches up the left side for the button band, and then knit one and a half inches...then bind off that side, and pick up another 154 stitches on the right side for the button band....then blocking.....then attaching the sleeves.....I'm getting closer to the finish line!!!! (I can almost hear the crowd cheering me on!!)

Fear of finishing ~

Remember this beautiful project? I cast on 4th of July week in 2008, with the genius idea of having the sleeves done during the summer, and then only having the front & back to finish during the fall & winter of 2008. Remember hearing that everyone has knit the Central Park Hoodie? There are hundreds of finished Hoodies on Ravelry ~ actually, I'm afraid to check, as I'll really feel like a looser, what if there are more than hundreds? How come I can't seem to finish...

I have a fear of finishing...it is so beautiful now, with the yarn so soft and the color is so warm and lovely, and the cables so perfect...and what if I louse it up when I'm knitting the button band? What if I'm not patient enough to make it look as beautiful without all these knitting markers attached? It is much easier to finish a hat or scarf...not much to louse up..although I've done my share of messing up hats & scarves, but the commitment level is sooo different.. So I'm back to knitting the hood today....(and perhaps forever.....)

Fran is a genius ~

I have not actually met Fran, but I read her post on Knitter's Review this Friday. Fran has an amazing idea of knitting for 10 minutes a day on a project that has you stalled or bored...it is a great idea, and here it is in its entirety, taken from Knitter's Review. If any of you know Fran, please tell her she is my new hero.....(plus, she only allows herself 6 projects going at a time, what strength of character!)

Dear Patience,
You could always try my old trick. It has served me well for many years. Just pick out the one, two, or three, that you feel you have to finish first. Then the rule is that you must knit on them for either 5 minutes or 10 minutes every day until they are finished. After that time you can knit on anything you like. It is surprising how fast you can get things finished with just 10 minutes a day and you usually don't get bored or overwhelmed with just 10 minutes of a task. Even when you are tired late at night, you can still do 10 minutes. Add it up, that is 5 hours a month.With 10 WIP, I think I would first decide which ones would do better in the frog pond. That is the fastest way to finish a project. Don't feel bad, I've know knitter's who had over 50 projects going and they still got them all finished......10 minutes at a time. I limit myself to 6 at once and can't start more until one is finished.
Fran

P.S. I think I will start this wise 10 minute rule with my Central Park Hoodie...it will take me the first 10 minute to figure out where and how I stopped on the hood!

Still in the hood ~

Since there were no pictures of "the Hood" during our vacation, here is a picture of the Central Park Hoodie with its progress made from vacation: Front done; shoulder seams blocked and sewn; and hood started. So, I have 11.5 inches of hood to knit.....with the cables too. It is very beautiful....alpaca....great to knit with.....

In The Hood ~

(or am I on The Hood? I get confused... please bear with me....)

So, the vacation is still the topic of this week.... and my project of the weekend was my Central Park Hoodie. I hoped to finish it, however these projects always have a way of taking longer than planned. Here is how it looked when we arrived, I knit the left front, center and right front as one piece:

Here are the blocked sleeves (they were knit last July, but never blocked)

Progress to date: The front left was finished and the shoulder seams blocked and sewn, and then I started knitting The Hood!!!! I am several inches into The Hood ~ the yarn is the wonderful Decadence Alpaca and the sweater looks so great!

Tally for 2008 ~ on to 2009!

Before I mentioned my 2009 New Year's Resolutions, I should have mentioned my knitting tally for 2008. For a few years now, I have kept a knitting journal with the names of my projects, and the finishing date. Some projects include the Cast On date, but most have only the Cast-off date. With this journal I keep track of how many projects I begin and finish in one year. Many projects are small ~ like hats for the church bazaar, and a few are big. Several are always hold overs from the previous year. One of my 2008 New Year's Knitting Resolutions was to finish all the projects from 2007, and I did complete them all, except the frogging of the mitered corner project.

For comparison, here is my 2007 Knitting Tally:
1. Projects Cast On in 2007: 34
2. Projects Cast off & complete:
a) From before 2007: 4
b) From 2007: 29

Total Completed in 2007: 33
(six projects still on needles on 1/1/08)

Here is my 2008 Knitting Tally:
1. Projects Cast On in 2008: 42
2. Projects Cast off & complete
a) From 2007: 6
b) From 2008: 38
Total Completed in 2008: 44
~ four projects still on needles 1/1/09: #12 Jitterbug socks; #13 Tofutsies socks; #14 Central Park Hoodie; and #15 lavender ribbon tank top (note: it appears my startitis of June/July of projects 12 ~ 15 shows I do not finish projects "for me" as quickly as those I knit for others!)

Remember me?

Hey, look who is getting holiday attention! Ta da!!! The Central Park Hoodie is getting some serious attention during these snowy days. I knit on the Hoodie when I can concentrate, as there are decreases and counting going on now. The back is ready for the shoulder shaping, and the right front still has a few inches before being at that point...the left front will be the last...I need to read ahead to see how the actually "hoodie" part begins, as I have never done "hoodie construction" before ~ stay tuned!

Inch by Inch

The Jitterbug Socks have another inch on them, as I needed a bit of "quick" as I did a few more rows on the Hoodie. The Jitterbugs are showing some pooling, so I have been using the slip stitch technique ~ they are still beautiful.

I would really love to cast on a new project with some of the wonderful yarn from our September Celebration, perhaps the nuppie & braid hat... and I would need to review Marion's video of the cast on....perhaps I will get a chance this next weekend?

Back to the Hood

I was able to get back to the Hoodie this afternoon for a few rows, and the cable row. I have about 16 inches now on the back, so I will find out when I will start shaping for the sleeves. I can see I will need to be knitting on some different projects (or finish the Hoodie!) or this blog will be boring in a hurry!!!!!

Sari Silk Done

The knitting is done for my little Sari Silk purse. I need to figure out a closure for the front. The pattern calls for a beaded weight to hold the purse closed, so I'll have to think about what will work. Since my sister is so good with beads, I will ask her advice about a closure. I also worked on the Central Park Hoodie tonight ~ that yarn (Decadence by KnitPicks) is so soft and smooth ~ and I feel like I will be knitting on it forever!!

Bye Bye Squiggle ~

All done with Squiggle ~ the pink is all gone and the hat is done. The deadline of November 10 is met! Rockin'10 approves of the hat, so that is great news! Betsy, my doll from childhood, is modeling the hat. Now, back to Central Park Hoodie!

Beach Knitting

Here is the Central Park Hoodie at the beach ~ what a great weekend we had ("we" meaning our family...... well, and I am sure the Hoodie had fun too!)

Early Bird

Well, whoops anyway.... I thought our Yarn & Yak was today, as I was so excited to be knitting. It is really next Monday... so I was early ~ by just a week. So here is my Monday knitting gathering this week ~ not a lot of conversation with my halloween friends, so "we" listened to an audio book, Fearless Fourteen by Janet Evanovich.

Hoodie Invention

Remember when I told you about my invention with the knitting bead counters that would cue me to which cable to do....well, I have created another invention that is more brilliant (is that possible, you ask?) than the beaded counters ~ although not as pretty to view. The invention uses the bigger plastic stitch markers and I've written the "next directions" on the marker with a sharpie pen. Can you see this in the picture "K14" and "A10" written on the markers? "K14" means knit 14 stitches and "A10" means knit the A cable for 10 stitches. Not so pretty, but now I do not need to refer to the paper pattern (until I have completed 13 inches of this cable pattern for the fronts & back). Pretty clever, eh? You will also notice that I keep the beautiful whimsy of the bead counters as they are really pretty to have dangling on my knitting!
(also, check out my great progress!!)

Altitude Knitting

Knitting on an airplane is almost as great as Road Trip knitting. I was able to knit quite a bit of my Central Park Hoodie while on route to vacation with my folks. I was also able to knit during bits & pieces of travel time while I was there, as I went to the airport a few times, plus we had a Road Trip to Toledo. We had a great vacation ~ no yarn purchases, but still found time for some knitting! This picture was taken at the beginning of our trip. I will soon post a picture of how far along the Hoodie is now!

More Progress!

I've made great progress on the Central Park Hoodie this weekend. I've finished the ribbing on the right front, back and left front pieces that I am knitting "all in one piece"(Yes, I like short cuts and do not like seaming). When I was done with the ribbing, it came time to knit from the "A chart" and "B chart" and "C chart" for the cables. I thought of a way to make this a bit easier, so I wouldn't have to keep checking the directions. With the help of my wonderful and talented sister, I was able to create beaded knitting counters that include "A", "B" and "C" beads. I place them at the beginning and end of the chart area so it won't matter which row (even or odd) I'm on, the bead counter "A" will indicate it is time to begin an "A chart" bit of knitting. Here is a picture of the hoodie with the bead counters ~ although it is hard (impossible?) to see the "A" and "B" and "C" beads ~ trust me that they look lovely! I made them in red, yellow and blue primary colors (get it? A, B, C...... I knew you'd get it!) and the "A" have blue beads dangling, and "B" beads have red beads dangling and the "C" beads have yellow beads dangling. The double orange bead counter indicates the right front and back 'seam' and the double red bead counter indicates the back and left front 'seam'. Pretty clever and talented sisters, eh? My sister helped me with the bead layout as she is great with colors and sparkles ~ we make a great team!!!