Three Quarters of the Way Done

At this point I'm actually knitting to a timetable goal. I have always claimed it took 3 months for me to knit a sweater whether it was spread out over a whole year or compressed into 3 consecutive months. Mostly that's because I always want to make up my own pattern and whenever I get to the bust/shoulder area I start to worry about fit and, you know, just in case there's a problem, maybe I should put the project down and let it cook a while. And while I'm waiting maybe I ought to start some other new thing - or knit an always needed pair of socks. And then it gets put in a box or zipped into a bag or slipped inside a drawer and ... forgotten. It's pure cowardice, of course, but hey - it's a hobby. I'm only supposed to knit what I want ... when I want to.

Last year, though - something changed. Something in my confidence level, something in my skill level. And then there is this whole top down thing. As I said, fitting the neckline/shoulder/bust area - especially if you are not average sized or shaped, is soooo tricky. And if it doesn't fit it looks so bad. And if it looks so bad - one becomes so depressed. See where this is going? Knitting the hardest part first is just so efficient. I believe I can finish this sweater in 4 weeks instead of 3 months. And that only stimulates me to think about More Sweaters (and More  Yarn)

I did a much better job grafting the leaf border this time. That's because this time I was more careful about the provisional cast-on. Last time I really only had 7 stitches on the cast-on row and had to fake it,  matching those 7 to the 8 on the last row of the other end.

I've also kept much better records on this project than I am wont to do. Usually I have brief disjointed paragraphs, sprinkled with margin notes, a la Elizabeth Zimmermann. This time I actually wrote down how many stitches I picked up on sleeve #1 so I could do the same with sleeve #2. Ditto the decrease rate. I know these sleeves will match.

(I'm also putting notes up on Ravelry  - in case you need More Information)

And I am SO LOVING this cuff treatment. I just think it's the prettiest thing.

So. It's motoring down the second sleeve time. And when I am taking a break from that I'm perusing my 6 linear feet of knitting books to get inspiration for the Next Project. I've always been a huge fan of Nicky Epstein. What she does with color is magical. Unfortunately, her marvelous stranded colorwork designs are all knitted flat!!! Now - I would rather slit my wrists than try to do stranded colorwork on flat knitting - but I can convert and/or adapt her stranded designs to circular knitting and she has the cutest jacket in her book Knitting On Top Of The World. She calls it the Ottoman Empire Jacket. If you click on this link you get a page of images and on the second row, second from the right is a photo of it. (at least, here's hoping you will)

Another of her designs I really like is the Londonderry Rose Coat. Or rather - I love the idea of a bulky tweed cabled coat with that particular shawl collar. I don't like the hemline she designed, which is stepped and odd looking and definitely doesn't look like it would keep me warm where I want it to. But the idea ... and that collar. Yum. Again - here is a Raverly Link  - onnacounta I don't want to dig through the copywrite process.

So. All that's left to ask is "Will TheQueen finish this sweater by 9/21 - which happens to be her birthday?" We shall just have to see. There's at least one more weekend ahead - but let us all hope and pray there are No More Hurricanes.

Ta.