Scallop Edge Pullover, Part Deux

BEFORE
The more times I tried on the Scallop Edge Pullover, the more I realized that I would never wear it because I hated the sleeves. Specifically, the way the sleeves revealed the rolls at my armpit (you know you have them). So on Sunday morning, I took the sleeves back out, repinned them much farther down in the armscye and stretched the bejeesus out of them to fit. Not only did it fix the unsightly underarm roll problem, it reduced the flare of the sleeve so it removed the 'wing effect.'

AFTER
I wore the sweater to my neighborhood presentation Sunday afternoon and loved it!

FO: Scallop Edge Pullover

Finally finished the Scallop Edge Pullover. This was my first time to do picot edging and a buttoned placket. I think it turned out pretty well, the only mod I would make would be to make the sleeves one inch longer, they didn't attach to the armhole as far down as they were supposed to, and I didn't want to distort the edges to make it fit. Now I must go to the gym to tone my arms to wear this puppy. Ha.

Cast on for the kilt hose for my husband's Christmas present despite the fact that I bought yarn a month ago at Gourmet Yarn to design a sweater that I'd like to sell the pattern for. Oh, and I entered that same as-yet-formless sweater in the fair in an attempt to motivate myself past the fear of rejection and ridicule to finish it already. It's not working so far. However, I've already muffed the directions for the kilt hose and will have to rip back. P3TBL in worsted weight on size 1-1/2 needles really really stinks. So maybe I'll revisit the design sweater, it's to be a saddle shoulder, so if I knit the sleeves I'll be past the hard part. Of course, that's after I clean the house, walk the dog, workout, make a Power Point presentation for the neighborhood meeting that I'm conducting on Sunday, and get the boys to the rink before 5. Yeah, it'll happen.

Pining for Winter Knitting

I just watched a Berroco video on slip-stitch knitting and I am dying to try it. I absolutely LOVE playing with color and finding new combinations, but I STINK at stranded knitting. I checked a book on slip-stitch knitting out of the library, but was uninspired by the patterns. Maybe I'll go on Amazon later and browse the knitting books.

The dilemma? I am a mostly-serial knitter. I have a few WIPs that I haven't worked on in awhile, a winter sweater that I ran out of yarn and money for, a really long scarf that I work on in between projects until I get bored with it again, and of course, my TKGA Master course that is languishing for want of a report on blocking. Present project is a summer sweater on size 3 needles which is taking FOREVER. The sleeves and back are done, and I've made it up to the waist shaping on the front, finally, which gives relief from endless miles of stockinette.

And, I confess, I placed an order from KnitPicks yesterday. But it's for a Christmas present for my husband, completely justifiable in my opinion. Never mind that I added on a few goodies to get the free shipping (blocking mat!).

I really should be cleaning house right now instead of pecking on the computer. ;)

First Day of School

Today was the first day of school for my kids. This is the last year that they will attend the same school until my oldest is a senior in high school! Kinda sad.

Finally finished the back of the summer tee that I'm knitting, it's (Ravelry Link) Scalloped Edge Pullover from Knit Simple magazine Spring/Summer 2008, and it's taking far longer than I meant for it to. Probably because I'm having to knit on size 4 needles. I'm really ready to move on, but I still have the front to knit. It has some features that I'm interested in, it has a picot hem and I haven't done one of those yet, and a front placket that I'm interested in the construction of, so maybe this part will go faster.

I also sent in an entry for the State Fair, but I may have goofed it up, I had a letter returned the other day because of too little postage, and I think I used that same stamp for my entry. It never came back in the mail, so I don't know if they went ahead and delivered it or not. I swear, every year I intend to enter something in the fair and something always happens. Sigh.

Non-knitting weekend

So far this weekend has been a bust for knitting. OKC is having their ice hockey travel team tryouts this weekend and not only has it been a nail-biter for the kids, but the Parents Causing Problems factor has reared its ugly head again. This year the Squirt team (ages 9 and 10) have a 3-time Stanley Cup champion as their coach, and we also have assembled some amazingly talented kids together who could easily play AA hockey (AAA is the best, then AA, A then B). We were an A team last year, so we are excited about the opportunity. However, Those Who Are No Longer In Control of the team are now trying their best to make everyone upset and miserable about this, because, of course, this team is about them, not about the kids. Sigh.

In REAL knitting news, I have managed to knit 6 pairs of mittens for charity. I still have a little matching yarn left but I'm sick of mittens, so I'm improvising a small scarf.

I'm still working on the TKGA Master course, have written my cover letter and typed up just the questions. I'll go back and write my answers when I have some quiet time (yeah, right!)

Still working on TKGA Master's Program

Yesterday Jo-Ellyn sent out an e-mail detailing the wonderful progress she's made on her program and I realized that I've procrastinated myself into lagging behind now. So I spent yesterday afternoon making the labels for the tags. I ending up entering the data in MS Excel and mail-merging it in MS Publisher. Then last night I pulled out each swatch, tied the tags on, and looked for rust spots from my evidently-not-stainless-steel T-pins. I ended up pulling out 4 swatches for rust spots. The Tide-on-the-go stain pen didn't remove the spots, so this morning I used Whink on a Q-Tip to dab at the spots. Worked like a charm. I didn't re-wet the swatches (since I don't have STAINLESS STEEL T-PINS, argh, and it's Sunday so Hobby Lobby is closed), just dropped little water over each spot to remove the Whink. I'll check later and see if it bleaches out. Hell, I've spent more time trying to get the rust out than it would take to re-knit the things. But then I'd have to block...

Today I'll tackle finishing the hat. We don't have any hockey today, so I might actually get to hang around my own house for a change. Tomorrow, it's another week of hockey camp.