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Life before Wii

We all know there was life before Wii. I have knitted proof.


I wore said proof to work on Monday with my Digitessa socks. Woot.


The kitties wanted to get in on the photo shoot yesterday, too.


Right over that bridge is a pathway into the boggy woods behind my house. I take the dogs there almost every weekday. Over the winter our most scarediest of cats, Hunter (background), started coming with me on my walks.

I was amazed, and encouraged him. Hunter was hit by something, most probably a car, when he was one. His leg was shattered in three places requiring an orthopedic surgeon to insert three sets of pins at each break. Three months later he had all but one set of pins removed, the poor guy, and he's never been the same. Who would be? Now he spends most of his time out of doors in the woods, or when he's indoors, under the kitchen sink.

For several weeks now, since the weather has been less hostile, Hunter comes with the dogs and I every single day. Grissom joined us two days this week. So in the woods you will find two dogs, two cats, and me. Isn't that bizarre?

And that isn't even the first time I had cats walk the dog with me. Even when we lived in the dense 'burbs, I had two cats, Zacker and Isabeau, who would each, individually, accompany me on occasion. My street and the ones around it constituted a pedestrian throughfare to the T, Boston's subway transist system. Some people ignored us, as city people are wont to do, but many expressed their amazement of seeing a cat and a dog walking together, waiting at lights, crossing roadways, etc. I had never seen it before, either, but I can't have had the only four cats in feline history to like going on dog walks.

It just dawned on me that youtube probably has scores of videos on the matter. But before I run off to youtube, I should give at least a brief wrap up of Blueberry Moon. I started the project around the last week of August, 2007. I finished it March 30th. Sadly, it took seven months to complete what is basically an all-stockinette, knit from the top down, raglan sweater.

I had really hoped to integrate some kind of lace-like motif into the sleeves and the edge, but I couldn't make it work. I did learn how to integrate a button band into the neckline, in a top down design.


Other new frontiers crossed were the use of a less visible increase than the M1,


and learning how to do the Russian join, which is a must-know technique for knitters. I wish I had learned how to do this earlier. I also became a great deal better at weaving up those pesky armpit holes.


The fingering weight yarn and the shallow P2K1 ribbing set the tone for the sweater, for me. There is an elegant restraint to it.



Yarn
Rowan 4 Ply Soft in Malachite
Fingering weight, 100% superwash merino wool
It is a plied yarn with a considerable twist. I used approximately 1,375 yards.

Needles
US3 and US4 bamboo circs. I intended to knit the entire sweater on US3s. However, when I was cleaning up the project bag and putting the needles away, I found the needle I used on at least the bottom third of the body was a US4. Oops! Turns out, no harm. I'm got some junk on that part of the trunk, so all's good.

Pattern
I just used a basic top down recipe and tweaked it as I went along. I find this pattern suits me best, as I am busty and I absolutely abhor the second skin sweater and shirt styles that constitute the fashion of the day. Aside from the sensory overload clingly clothes engender, I'm also a child of the 80's, where clothing with significant ease was preferred.

My pattern notes are very spotty, since they were made over the course of the 7 months. I'm trying to get better, but baby steps, baby steps, Bob. I did keep decent notes where needed, and that is for the arms. Each arm started out with 98 stitches and after 16 sets of 2 decreases every sixth row, the wrist circumference was 66 stitches. Not much, but hopefully useful sometime, someday.

Happy Friday, blogland!

Comments

Knitting Bandit said…
Your stitches are so perfect! I shy away from stockinette because I can never get mine to look like yours. Great sweater!
Unknown said…
Great sweater. I love the three buttons at the neck. Very cute!

And I'm in SHOCK that you got a cat (let alone 4) to take walks with you. I can barely keep them out of my favorite chair!
peaknits said…
There is life after wii - I promise:) Love that your cats walk with you - what a charming site you must be! The sweater is gorgeous - nice job!
Knitting Kris said…
I absolutely love the sweater! It's such a beautiful color.
I am also a child of the 80's and pretty much think that most people walking around now wearing baby doll shirts is crazy....they all look pregnant, unless they are super thin (which most are not).

And the story about your cats....so sweet!