the sweater!

Here it is, my first (very small) sweater. It's amazing how just some yarn can turn in to not just fabric but a fitted garment without really very much effort.

Ta-da...



I ordered 10 balls of yarn (approximately what the pattern called for), without thinking that the pattern was probably written with adults in mind, not toddlers. It only took 4 balls. (I could make another whole sweater! In the next size up!)

All it needs are the buttons and blocking. Any suggestions for buttons? And how the heck do you put them on (seperate the yarn and use that, or use matching thread?)??

I'm thinking about making this pattern for myself, now that I have a "test run" under my belt. All that stockinette stitch did start to get a little bit boring, but I'm not sure if I'm brave enough to try adding my own stuff into the pattern.

I screwed up a few times along the way with this one, simple as it was; when I picked up one of the sleeves I knit the first row WAY too tightly (scared of loosing stitches off the double pointed needles) so there is a band there, and then there was this little thing...

Look closely at the collar:



For some reason when I picked up the collar stitches, I stopped about an inch short on one side. What was I thinking?? I have no idea. I had to go back and pick up the last inch and then seam it together.

Then there's the button holes - they are so wonky! For my next one I will have to actually keep track of how many stitches until the button hole and how many rows in between. Hmm, sometimes just winging it doesn't work out so well... duh! I should know that by now, don't you think? Lesson learned!

The pattern was the Sure-to-Fit Cardigan by SpinCraft Patterns (here's the Ravelry link), and the size was for a 9" neck. It only took me about a week to knit. Yarn is this stuff from KnitPicks, thanks to my cousin Jake (or really Aunt Gina probably)! And true to the reviews, it feels much nicer than it looks - not itchy at all. Most excellent for $1.99 a ball!

Now for the hard part of convincing Sophie to wear it - she gets freaked out when I try to put it on her! It's probably a product of being yelled at so often ("Don't touch my knitting!!"). Maybe I'll have to wrap it up and give it to her as a present!