Author: Joyce Makes Art

1-I've started both of Arlo's fronts, thinking that if I knit them together I'll be happier.

2-I've got a lot of ends to weave in at some point!

3-Reading ahead, it occurs to me I've made the same mistake I always do of thinking I'll be done once the pieces are knit.  In reality, I have a lot of finishing work to do, starting with picking up mega-stitches to knit the button bands and collars.

4-My arch nemesis, short rows, are about to be conquered.  I am doing a class on Craftsy.  They will not be the boss of me anymore. (Any thoughts on using the traditional wrap and turn versus German short rows? Leave me a comment)

5-Set in sleeves.  I have not done this before.  But I am determined.

All this for my teenager, right?  I hope he will appreciate it.  He had better not plan on growing this winter!

Knitting is a wonder.  I saw a very wise woman refer to it as a way of "finding your tribe" earlier this week, and although that thought had never occurred to me before, it's true.  Knitters tend to be like-minded, kind people whose commonalities cut across race, gender, color, economic background and other demographic factors that often keep people in their separate worlds.  The tribe of knitters is encouraging and supportive.  A year or two ago I could not have knit this.

But, with my tribe's inspiration, help, and some occasional cheering from the sidelines, I've now got the back and sleeves of a lovely cabled sweater.

Psychology Today did a nice piece in 2013 touting the benefits of knitting, including medical benefits for those dealing with addiction or disability.  The Guardian noted, "Einstein is said to have knitted to clear his mind, while textile designer Kaffe Fassett thinks it's 'the most therapeutic thing in the world.' "  In a world where people can sit in a room together but communicate by texting (watch teenagers if you don't believe me), knitting offers benefits far beyond just the final product.  Of course, as knitters, we know this.  It's just the non-knitting muggles who don't understand.

So while I'm grateful for the sweater that will keep my youngest child warm this winter as soon as I knit the fronts and do some finishing, I'm equally grateful for the tribe of knitters who bring so much to my life.  You know who you are.  Thank you!

Today: I am outside, knitting sleeves on our partially rebuilt back deck. Right now, it is just the bare floor boards with no rails. I can’t imagine anything as nice as knitting on a cool day with a gentle breeze and looking up into the trees, some of which are beginning to turn red and gold. I think I could sit here forever and knit 1000 sleeves.

While the back of my Arlo Sweater was blocking, I decided to get on with it.  I cast on for two sleeves and both the left front and the left back.  Doing the tubular cast on four times, in rapid succession, made me feel like something of a savant.  In addition to appreciating the thick, squishy edge, it's fun to knit.  Michele's directions are so good that it's worth grabbing one of her patterns just to have them. 

Now I'm ready to knit!  I've got the two sleeves on one needle (lots of people seem to do this succesfully, so why do I sense disaster in the making?)  The right front is cast on with red waste yarn and the left front is with the blue.  I thought this might help me keep them straight down the road.

My motto: Never fail to block.  Never.

I got gauge for the Arlo Sweater on the first go round.  It was totally amazing.  This NEVER happens for me. And so I set off on my merry way, knitting, knitting, knitting.  I was a little bit worried because the back looked a little bit shrunken and sketchy.  And then the miracle happened.

With a gentle block, the back measures just a bit bigger than my gauge swatch suggested it would be after blocking. This makes sense as the piece will ease back in a bit after the pins are out.  Aren't the cables pretty after blocking?

Had I knit this one, using an unblocked gauge swatch, it would have been a disaster.  Midway through my Godzilla sized sweater I would have run out of yarn.  If you want to worship at the feet of the yarn goddess, you must swatch.  And you must block.

The moral of the story?  Swatch.  Block.  And knit happily every after.

Arlo continues to grow. It is sad to be knitting something for your youngest child and realize you are knitting a size that is too big for you personally.  Where does the time go?

Speaking of time, today is my 27th wedding anniversary.  I still really like this guy.

In addition to being fun to hang out with, he has been kind enough to leave unacknowledged the fact that I am putting him to a lot of trouble and expense to build a little tree house room I can knit in, with a nearby grill and fridge so I can eat without walking the 20 extra feet into the house. [He's probably going to fuss a bit when he realizes I'm planning some moth-proof cedar storage out here to go along with those beautiful cedar beams.]

Because I warned you up front that this was a rambling kind of post, I'm sharing this bad selfie.  I was so happy to be in a part of the country this week where it was cold enough to wear the Antarktis I knit earlier this year.  I adore Janina Kallio's well-written patterns and plan to knit a few more this fall.

It's really fun to come home from a business trip and, in addition to my adoring family who missed me so much that they cleaned the house and cooked me a fabulous meal, come home to a box of Plucky Yarn.  Of course, the whole family/clean house part is a fantasy, but I did come home to some pretty yarn this week.

It is Plucky Bello Worsted.  I love these skeins together and need to come up with a shawl or scarf pattern they can all play in.  Bello Worsted knits up closer to a DK weight for me.  If anyone has pattern suggestions, I would love it if you would email me or leave them in the comments.  This yarn is to die for!