Finished Object - Irene

Yes! A 4 week sweater. A hurricane project. All it needs now is a name. I was torn between Irene - in honor of the storm that gave me the uninterrupted knitting time - or Eileen because I think it's the prettiest thing that I've ever seen. But I believe I shall let its beauty speak for itself and go with Irene.

She lies still on the pile of old beach towels on the dining room table because we can not seem to escape the dank damp wetness of September 2011 - but I couldn't wait to start bragging.

I thought long and hard about the neckline treatment and experimented with i-cord and appliqued leaves but in the end I went with a simple garter stitch edging. I felt that gave a polite nod to the garter portion of the leaf border. I knit a bunch of leaves and they all seemed a bit too big for the neckline. They'd take up too much space in the shoulder/chest area. It was a proportion thing. The same sweater knit in a fine gauge might have allowed for the clutter around the neckline because the leaves would have been more delicate. As is - I don't want to look like a downed tree when I walk into a room. I'd rather just have that flirt with the leaf shape in cuff and hem.

Another time one might have put a leaf treatment around the neckline would be would be if this sweater was being knit for a woman with a slender shoulder/chest area and wide hips. Obviously nobody would put ruffly leaves around someone's widest point. As it is, though, I can handle hip clutter and putting the border on the hem area was a whole lot easier than putting it around the neckline would have been.

So. Now all we need is cold weather - which doesn't look to be coming our way in the near future. Still, I'll see about getting a photo of me actually wearing this soon.

Next up on the needles is Christmas Sock Knitting - and some swatching. I ordered in the Cleckheaton tweed that Webbs has on closeout. I like the feel of the yarn very much and the only negative comment it got on Ravelry was that it was a weak yarn that broke easily. All I can say is that - this yarn is not weak. It is a wee bit splitty but you expect tweeds to be that way. Those flecks of fiber, lightly spun throughout the length of the yarn, are bound to separate the plies. My only sadness about this super sale yarn is that it's not quite the color I was looking for. The flecks are perfect. The yarn is a little more tan - more like oatmeal that has been already cooked, and not cream colored. I'll swatch with it though and experiment with stitch patterns and ponder making a purchase. Not yet ready to spend.

And so - it is raining, yet again. TheQueen is Not Pleased. Her only consolation is the long stretches of knitting time this rainy weather provides. She would give up the knitting if it would dry up.