I have indeed been knitting up a storm. I have been knitting so much, I haven’t stopped to take any pictures. So the pictures will come later!

I’ve knitted a February Baby Sweater from Elizabeth Zimmerman’s Knitter’s Almanac. I also started on a Manon cardigan from the Norah Gaughan Vol. 1 from Berroco. I really hated the look of this pattern at first…I mean, look at the horrible fit on the model (and she looks constipated, to boot). But the design was so pretty. I had a poke on Ravelry and got a much better idea of how the garment is constructed. I think it can be altered enough on top to be flattering. I mean, adding a good few inches before the armhole shaping would take care of most of its ills. I am going to post pictures of this in progress because the construction of the bottom cabled section, or the “peplum”, is so interesting.

My gray cardigan will indeed live! I mentioned in my last post that I didn’t have enough yarn to finish it. I emailed several websites that claimed to have the yarn in stock to find out what dyelots they had. One shop had ONE ball in my dyelot. I overpaid for it, but I needed it. When I realised that I STILL wasn’t going to have enough, I started stalking peoples’ stashes on Ravelry. No one with my dyelot were offering this for sale or trade. Nooo! In a very shameful moment of desperation, I sent a PM to a member that had quite a lot in my dyelot to see if she could spare two balls. I tortured myself for nearly a week over whether or not to send the PM, but I figured the worst she could say was no. But she said yes! She sent me two balls, bringing me well into the safe zone to finish my cardigan! She rocks! I happily knitted up the sleeves, and it’s decision time for the neckline. I stopped knitting the back at the same level I stopped knitting the sleeves, so right now it’d be a boatneck sort of neckline. I’m not 100% on this, so I’ve been looking at other necklines on cardigans. Once I decide, I will finish off those pieces and start on the fronts! Exciting times!

I also, in a most unprecedented manner, ordered yarn to make two Revontuli shawls for my aunts for Christmas. I don’t normally knit such big things for other people, and I certainly do not make myself hysterical with Christmas knitting because deadline knitting isn’t fun and I want no part of it. But we have….16 weeks till Christmas. The first one took me about a week’s worth of knitting, and I added an extra repeat. I’m confident that if I bring them back and forth to work, as well as work on them some evenings for when I need mindless knitting, I can get them both done without much rushing. Well, I say it now. However, I remain confident. I ordered Kauni yarn in ER, and EJ. They each suit my aunts in their own ways. They both deserve a special gift because of the events we had to endure as a family this year. Unless things change, these are the only two gifts I intend to knit this year.

I will be back with pictures shortly.