tale of two sleeves

I have a confession about sleeves. I don't really like making them. It probably stems from the first ever sweaters I knit (about the 5th and 6th things I ever knit respectively). Both sweaters were the same pattern, same yarn (different colors), done on the same needles and all 4 sleeves came out different lengths!
I have gone so far as to do both sleeves at the same time to get even lengths. Mostly, I find just paying attention to the pattern usually gets me within a few rows. And this was the case in my sleeves for the central park hoodie. Because of the pattern, I was able to determine, that I was within 4 rows.

I suppose I should also say that I don't pay much attention to row gauge. I always figure that the pattern will say--knit until piece measures X inches. I do pay attention to stitch gauge, but I also confess, I don't record before and after blocking measurements.

I suppose that it is no surprise then to note that if you compare a blocked sleeve to an unblocked sleeve you get this:


Blocked one is on the right.
Ironically the one on the left is a little longer.
Not so ironically, these are going to be really long on me.

earrings!

I have all the major pieces done on my Central park hoodie, and I have the extra yarn, although now I'm sure I have way too much. And I had an idea to do an entry about blocking that puppy. But it will have to wait.

I also have a bunch of knitting I want to do--almost all of it summer knitting, and I'll blog about that once I get my thoughts in order.

I did repair my daughter's sweater, but I only took pictures of the hole before and the hole after and not really any in process. So I'll tell you this, she managed to snag and break off some yarn in such a way that it was really only effecting 2 rows of stitches. So I did what might be seen as a spot of darning--I wove in the end real good, looped the two loose stitches several times, wove around it, in case it was loose in other places and wove in the ends. Then I noticed one of the cuffs was a little ratty, so I cut it off, picked up the stitches and knit a new one. You can tell if you look at it, because the new does not look lie a child wore it happily through two years of outside play. I also bound it off with a sewn bind off because it felt clever. And I wanted to get her hand through it.

I'm glad I made those sweaters big--even though it might be time this winter to make new ones.

I also finished an object:

Don't look at it big because it is blurry. Of course photographing earrings is hard--if you don't believe me you should check out etsy!
I finally figured out the whole how to get them on the earring thing. I think stitch markers might be in my future. Of course I didn't make one pair, I made three. Two blue and one green.

I don't know, but I think I might not be as good at this whole jewelry thing--I took three necklaces to the mom to mom sale, marked them $10 which I thought was fair, and none of them sold. So remember how I made so many and I didn't have any for me? Well now I have three. I'm going to make another one just for me, and I wanted to make earrings to match, but I don't know quite how to do that yet. The closest I have is a blue necklace, and those blue earrings, which I wore to work the other day as a set and no one said anything, which means either--ha you look terrible or wow, we didn't even think they looked homemade. I also bought a dress, which just happens to look good with both of these (and needs a little shrug--see summer knitting decisions). I guess I like them and that's all that matters right now.

Ok, next time, I hope to have a big list of what I want to knit this summer!

easily distracted

I had an entry started but I think this might be a better one to describe this and any other long absence I have from this blog. I am easily distracted.

I say this because I still haven't finished my central park hoodie--although I am on sleeve number 2 and I am certain I will have enough yarn to finish that sleeve, but not enough for the hood and trim. I'm attempting to get more. Usually my second fear is that it will be too small (or too big) and so I've been blocking pieces of this sweater, and I'm more hopeful of its fit.

But I haven't been spending as much time on that as I could. I started the second sock of the screaming green variety--have gotten it cast on and 1/4 inch of ribbing.

Then there is this sale thing coming up this weekend and I wanted to make a few necklaces to see how they'd sell. So I did.

Then at the library I got ahold, by accident because Dewey was so helpful in putting the knitting books near the beading books, this book on making stringed beaded jewelry that shows you how to make earrings that I LOVE. And it doesn't look too hard. (Stringing beaded jewelry in case you are curious). And honestly stitch markers are very similar in construction.

And then one of my daughters brought out a sweater I knit for her and it has a hole. And I thought, I'll blog that repair. So I have that in the works!
So you see, I distract easily, but I hope that it will all come together soon and you'll see post after post after post. Now, though, I need to go buy some earring findings.