Preparing for the Fall

It's almost August, you guys. Can you believe it? Despite the fact that we'll probably have some scorchers in September and possibly October, August always seems to me the last month that can be considered "summer." Pools close, traffic worsens, and every now and then it's slightly less hot than it was in August. Also, and this may be the most important thing of ALL about August, it's only two months before October; Rhinebeck month!

Last year I brought along my awesome Notre Dame de Grace pullover, still my favorite sweater to wear, and I was even able to walk around the fairgrounds for a bit wearing it before I got too hot and had to take it off. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for cooler weather this year, since I'll have a sweater actually made of last year's Rhinebeck yarn to show off.



Okay, so it's not totally done yet, but it will be. This is the Pen sweater (short for Penelope), part of my fake STEAM collection. All I have left to knit are the sleeves and collar, neither of which will take much time at all. I'll probably work both sleeves at the same time, as is my custom. Then there will be some blocking, seaming, and weaving in of ends to finish. The last thing I will do is find three buttons to go on the bottom band (seen below, being held together with pins).



The buttons are semi-cosmetic, but they are also there to help get the band placed correctly on my hip bones without stretching it out too much.



This sweater has come together in a very pleasant, organic way. I knit the bottom band first, flat, and then picked up and knit the body of the sweater in the round, up to the armholes. The raglan decreases are pretty standard (I think. This is the first time I've done raglan sleeves), and the neckline is shaped via short rows. The sleeves, like the body, have a cabled band at the cuff that the rest of the sleeve gets picked up from. I still haven't made a firm decision about the collar, but I think inspiration will strike when the time is right.




Argh, the February Lady Sweater! This thing is everywhere and cannot be avoided. I too have fallen ill with FLSS (February Lady Sweater Syndrome) and cast-on with Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk Aran, which has super crappy yardage. It also sheds all over the fucking place.

I dunno, bros, I sort of have mixed feelings about this sweater. I think I made the armholes too big, but I'm going to try and make it work (ROFLOLMAO). I started this project with 10 balls of yarn, and I'm saving 2 balls to do the sleeves, which are going to be considerably shorter than in the pattern. Eh, we'll see how it comes out. I can always rip it if it doesn't work. This is a super quick knit, and I feel kind of guilty anyway because I interrupted work on the Pen sweater to make it. Meh.



This is the Ribbed Baby Jacket I made for one of my co-workers, as his wife is about to have a behbeh. I'm seriously considering making it again, because I suspect it might be too big. I mean, it's stretched out on my dressform, but even still.



Also, the lettering on the back is kind of off-center. I think my indifference to children is really being showcased in this sweater. I guess I could add an exclamation point to try and center it up a bit... Enghhhhhhhh.



My Gossamer Stars scarf is half-finished. This is a nice project to pop in my bag when I need some low-intensity knitting, so I'm not in any real rush to finish it. The Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn is absolutely luscious, and the drape of this scarf is going to be gorgeous. I think it will look really cool all scrumpled up around my neck, maybe with some kind of cool metal pin. Overall, should be a cool finished object.



So, there you have it. I'm working on a bunch of things, and there's actually another work-in-progress not shown here because I haven't taken a picture of it yet. The Fall is coming, and I have to be ready. Peace!