Come on in, the sweaters are fine
When I let my blogging go as long as I did this time, I always wonder where to begin. This time, I'll dispense with the excuses and dive right in!
The finishing of Thermal sent me into a sweater frenzy that has yet to abate. With about eleventy thousand friends "up the stump" (thanks Dad, for the charming, I suspect British, reference to pregnancy) and many neglected little folk in my circle of friends, I started with the small sweaters and just kept going.
Amy's Cascade 220 sweater was the first one done, and she loves it.
The whole point of this sweater was for her to have buttons to match the ones on my Thermal, so I made a twisted rib faux placket (look ma, no buttonholes!) as I worked the upper body.
BFF Nancy's son Charlie has turned two, and has also not received a holiday present from Aunt Fun, so a lil' letterman sweater was in order for him.
[I can't wait to see him in it.]
Wee Tyler will be 3 in the spring, just after his baby brother or sister arrives, so he gets to be a letterman too.
Both of the sweaters are worked in Sirdar Denim Tweed DK from a bargain bin. Nice to work with, and a bit of cotton content, so it makes a nice, soft fabric. I worked the two sweaters in different gauge and actually preferred the firmer gauge of the 3.5 mm needle I used for Tyler's.
Next was the fulfillment of a request from a dear old friend who will welcome her second child, a baby girl, in the spring. Little Lauren will look just ducky in this. I especially like the little fairy buttons.
[Yarn is Bernat Naturals Soy. Surprisingly pleasant knit.]
Little Sarah was born last year, but she lives on the opposite coast, so I rarely get to see her parents. (Mum is a high school friend.) This has put me terribly behind on kid knitting, so this is a toddler sweater that I hope will fit her in the fall. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock and I'll post a more up-to-date progress photo in the next day or 2. For now, you get this:
[Solid colour is Navy, variegated is Dusk.]
One last sweater is a secret, and I've set a crazy deadline for it, so there will hopefully be photos on my next post.
To round things out, I finished Jason's socks. I'm not in the mood for socks these days, but I think he'll like them.
So, the magic formula for the sweaters, beyond blind obsession, is my persistent tinkering with the top-down raglan formula I've used many times before. I've made a major change to the method: when casting on for the neckline, I cast on the stitches prescribed within the worksheet PLUS one stitch for every row that will be worked before changing to the round PLUS the stitches that are intended to be cast on at centre front to complete the circle.
I join in the round immediately after casting on, work the neckband, then work short rows to shape the neck's front. Instead of increasing at the end of each row, I work one more stitch than on the previous row, wrap and turn. This creates a clean neckline, no raw edges, and one less step, as the sweater grows from a completed neckband. Does this make sense in the least?
Tomorrow I'll be busy turning 36, celebrating today's surgeon visit, my resulting clean bill of health, and my weather permitting return to KOL. My wish is for a healthy year, a comment from each lurker who reads this post, and 100 public Bloglines subscribers by the end of January. Little help?
Wow - 4 and 1/2 sweaters AND a pair of socks. And here I was feeling speedy about the teapot cosy I whipped up tonight. You win. The sweaters are really cute and will make lovely gifts for those lucky little people on your list.
Happy Birthday and best wishes!
Posted by: Rebecca | January 28, 2008 at 11:26 PM
Happy birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day and a very inspiring year!
LOVE the whale sweater and the first photo o Amy especially. SO sweet!
I'm 25% into my second Monkey sock and still hoping to finish by the 31st. Technically, I have already knit a pair of socks this month...they just don't happen to match! :)
Big hug!
j
Posted by: canknitian | January 29, 2008 at 01:03 AM
Lovely knits, great ickle sweaters.. not heard up the stump before lol.. up the duff may be..
The letter ones are charming and the pink.. my favorite oh to be that small to wear it ;)
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday and I hope all your wishes come true
Posted by: Pixie | January 29, 2008 at 03:33 AM
You knit like the wind, girl! I can't believe you finished all that since finishing your sweater!!!!!!! Good gravy! ha ha ha ha And happy birthday :)
Posted by: Hellcat | January 29, 2008 at 08:38 AM
Happy Birthday!
I guess I'm technically not a lurker b/c I've commented before, but not since I left NS to start my new job :-( Hope you get everything you want this year!
Posted by: Ellie | January 29, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Happy, Happy Birthday!
I tried to pretend that the weatherman wasn't saying "freezing" this and "slippery" that this morning as I listened to the weather report. Instead, I choose to believe that the roads will be fine for your triumphant return to KOL tonight.
Posted by: Steph VW | January 29, 2008 at 09:13 AM
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
Posted by: Lesley | January 29, 2008 at 09:15 AM
Happy Birthday!
Posted by: Frances | January 29, 2008 at 09:39 AM
The letterman sweaters are adorable.
Happy birthday and congrats on the clean bill of health for you. I'm waiting on my final test results from my yearly physical but so far so goo.
Have a wonderful year!
Posted by: Monet | January 29, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Yay! You'll be at KOL tonight? I'm hoping to make it too. See you there - who knows what the birthday fairies may bring with them. :)
Posted by: Deb B | January 29, 2008 at 10:35 AM
Happy Birthday! Love the all the sweaters. Does a subscription through Google Reader count?
Posted by: Leslie | January 29, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Lurker here - happy birthday! I found your blog via Azure on Knitty (which I adore by the way), and promptly read through all your archives. I am in awe of your 52 pair plunge, and the rest of your work. Beautiful sweaters (especially Amy's - she's just gorgeous)!
Posted by: Rachel | January 29, 2008 at 12:49 PM
Love all the sweaters.
I hope you can make it in to celebrate your birthday with us at the Wired Monk!
Posted by: Julie | January 29, 2008 at 02:13 PM
the sweaters look great! (i think amy's is my favorite) i'm always amazed at how fast you knit. happy birthday!
Posted by: the boogeyman's wife | January 29, 2008 at 04:03 PM
One of your lurkers here! Thanks for mentioning the top-down raglan calculator. I used it a looong time ago and had forgotten about it. The tip about the cast on and short rows is really good. I use them often but it probably wouldn't have occurred to me to do the entire neck that way. Your toddler sweaters are really cute. They gave me ideas for my niece and nephews.
Posted by: Celeste | January 29, 2008 at 05:35 PM
A commenting lurker here. I have you on bloglines. Hope that counts.
Posted by: Brenda Harris | January 29, 2008 at 08:43 PM
Happy Birthday! I've subscribed to you via Bloglines! The sweaters are beautiful!
Posted by: Michelle | January 29, 2008 at 10:08 PM
Goodness! You've been busy. Such cute sweaters. I need to get off my tush and start making one for my niece. You have me inspired!
Have a lovely birthday!
Posted by: Beverly | January 30, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Happy Birthday, from a lurker. :) Wishing you a wonderful year!
Posted by: Stacie | January 30, 2008 at 12:44 AM
Happy Birthday from a fellow Aquarian (mine is the 31st)and someone who started reading yourblog last fall.
Best wishes for a healthy year! Rae
Posted by: Rae | January 30, 2008 at 12:49 AM
Happy Birthday, just a day late. Your birthday gift to us was all those sweaters -- thank you for the inspiration.
Posted by: Georgiann | January 30, 2008 at 08:00 AM
Happy Birthday...from a lurker :-)
Posted by: Valerie Mason | January 31, 2008 at 07:03 PM
Man! This is what I get for being so far behind on my blog reading! I missed your birthday! I hope you had a fantastically happy one!
Posted by: turtlegirl76 | February 10, 2008 at 01:33 PM