The Learning Sweater...

OK, so here's what I'm learning about sweater knitting: (a) I'm not a fast knitter; (b) there are a LOT of stitches!!; (c) circular needles make the process MUCH less painful and quite a bit faster, even if you're a slow knitter.

The yarn? Well, it's a cotton blend. Cascade Yarns Sierra, which is 80% pima cotton and 20% merino wool. Color # 22. It's one of those yarns that's basically a "3-season" yarn. The sweater is a simple pullover. I did a rice stitch band at the bottom instead of a K2P2 ribbing. I want it more "tunic" than "stuck to my hips." I love the blue color; it'll go with everything from khakis to jeans to tailored pants. There are 2 images: the overall front and then a close-up of the band. I want to do the collar and cuffs in the rice stitch as well, and I think I can do the cuffs by changing to a smaller needle - not sacrificing "stretch" for the overall pattern.

Every Knitter Knows...

That there are certain "stash-worthy" yarns that you MUST have. Particularly if they're on clearance or on sale. Pictured is my most recent find. On our KnitWits Unite thread at Weight Watchers, one of our posters has all of us hooked on a scarf that uses 4 skeins of Noro. Well. Anyone who knows fiber knows that Noro is certainly a premier hand-painted yarn. I wasn't going to go forward with this project. Seriously. Stop laughing. I have a Finance final to study for; I have my Learning Sweater I'm working on. I haven't finished my eyeglass case. I have the ribbed shell in a butter yellow that I've just got about 3" of the back done. I have 2 baby afghans in mid-stream (and 2 gals with grandbabies awaiting those afghans). I have S.A.B.L.E. (Stash Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy)... But I fell into the Fiber Hole. It was on clearance at Jimmy Bean's (www.jimmybeanswool.com). Seven bucks a hank. I got Noro #2 and Noro #5. According to our poster, we're supposed to use "really different" tones or colors on this scarf, and they blend in typical Noro fashion to create something yummy. This scarf ought to be nice; as you can see, the yarns are a combination of bold jewel tones and subtle earth tones. They are in a similar color family, but I think the combo of bold and tame will be interesting. As it progresses (a/k/a "When I get to it") I'll show pictures. Gotta love stash. It's comfort food for knitters with no calories.