First Glimpse of Brica

Whoa - didn't mean to disappear like that - stuff just happened. PerfectAngelBabyDarlingOnlySon, a.k.a. LD,  returned from a month abroad - which always makes the tempo around TheCastle different. He's another dawn prowler and I don't like to use a computer when there is a PABDOS to talk to. 

Then more family showed up which made electronic devices even less interesting. Only niece on my side of the family is adding a new generation so we welcomed the 2.5 of them on Saturday for a long delicious afternoon of talking, walking and eating the magnificent honeybell tangelos I brought home on Thursday. 

I am in love with her man and think her father would have adored him. I'll just have to love him twice - once for me and once for Ned, who surely is smiling down from that great archaeology dig up in the sky. 

But I know my faithful readers are really longing to hear about Brica (the former Aran) so here she is - in all her penultimate glory.

  

 I'm delighted with the neckline, over which I agonized. I am less thrilled with the sleeves which want to poke up right at the seam and feel a little skimpy at the very cap. Too narrow. This tells me that I either:

a. came in too far when I was decreasing from the body

OR

b. decreased too frequently as I was taking stitches from the sleeve

I'm going to go ahead and finish the sweater. Yes. I know - complete with neck band that I will have to rip out if I decide I'm still unhappy with it. But I'll block this baby and see if that will take care of the shoulder and sleeve cap issues. If it doesn't - there are 2 more skeins of this decade-old Cashmerino Aran to reknit the shoulder area. I can do that.

Something odd cropped up while I was dithering with the shoulder part this weekend. I decided to weave in ends, a soothing task that is my second favorite part of sweater making. (the first is casting on, of course) I found a hole. A hole with ends woven in around it. When I plucked out the ends to see what the h????? there was just that - a hole - and 2 stitch loops on the bottom - 1 stitch loop on the top of it. I can't figure it out. I can't imagine when this happened. This is so definitely not the way I knit - with weird surprises showing up at the end. Eh. It is darned. It shows - to me - but I know where to look. Thank goodness, it's on the side, in the stockinette part of the sweater, pretty much where my arm will hang down and hide it. But - weird.  

I'm anxious to finish this baby up before what little cold weather we've got left is gone for good. I have two other sweaters just begging to be knit and warm weather will be here before you know it! 

And now - it is Tuesday - this week's Monday. Ta.