The Sweater

Right now I have only one major knitting project actually on the needles. (I have a couple others that are merely yarn and an idea) It is a cardigan, the first I have ever attempted. I found the yarn in a bag in my mom's stash - she bought it because there was enough for a sweater and it was on sale.




Yarn: Kid Classic Mohair, body in purple, patterning in green and brown.
Gauge: between 4.5 and 5 to the inch (all kinds of fun, let me tell you). I'm knitting tighter in pattern than plain, which is not surprising, but makes for interesting math.
Pattern: I'm making it up as I go along. It's based on the Elizabeth Zimmerman cardigan percentages, with a square neckline. We'll see how it goes, could get pretty interesting when I get to arm hole shaping and the like.
Color Pattern: borrowed from one of the sweaters in Poetry in Stitches (wonderful book). I reversed and flipped it so the leaves will alternate around.

The cardigan is steeked down the center, which means that when I'm done I'll have to cut it open. I've done it before, but it's always a little nerve wracking to take the scissors to something you just spent a significant amount of time on.

Old Project, Complete

So while my Saturday was totally unproductive from a schoolwork perspective, I did finish a project that has been waiting around for a spare hour since last spring. The project: a tapestry bag, in a size I've been feeling the lack of lately. There wasn't much left to do - just finish sewing on the handles and install the pocket. It's a copy of a canvas bag I've had for years - the original was red with black handles, and had a picture of a sewing machine on the pocket with the legend "Women's Sewing Circle and Terrorist Society." It was the perfect size - the handles are long enough to go from hand to elbow, for ease of wearing on the shoulder, it's wide enough and not too tall. But it's really too worn out to carry without complete reconstruction, so I decided to make a replacement.



The new bag is made out of a sort of brocade/tapystry kind of material, the handles are plain cloth tape, the kind that is used on the seats of Shaker chairs. It's a little less sturdy then the original, but that might not be bad. I might add a lining with some inside pockets, there is some stranding behind the weave, which could catch on things. Regardless, I'm very pleased, and it will be nice to have a bag with just enough room for a notebook or two and my knitting.

Inside of bag

So you want to start a blog

I just came back from an evening pick nick by the sea. Soft cheese, bread, a salami, some grapes, what more could you ask for? It was a gorgeous day - cool and bright, with a cloudless sky. The sun was setting as we got to the beach, and was still bright on the Isles of Shoals across the water. It was altogether a satisfactory expedition.

Having a car is new for me at school - all last year I relied on the university bus system, which will get you places if your willing to set your schedule around once an hour buses, two hours on the weekends. Let me say, it is highly preferable to be able to drive, and go to the tea company and the beach in the same trip. I now have a half finished cup of Chai Tea that I just purchased - decidedly a good investment.

I am a civil engineering student, and mildly addicted to knitting (the construction and math aspects actually have a lot in common). I am currently working on a sweater for me, and I have yarn for a lace shawl, two pairs of socks, a pair of fingerless gloves, and at least one hat. They may not all be made any time soon, but before too long my sweater will be too big to take to class, so I'll have to start something else.