FO: Little Coffee Bean Cardigan

Well, in spite of the crazy spin that my life has taken recently, I've managed to finish a baby gift, the Little Coffee Bean Cardigan. It's a baby gift for a friend who just had her fourth boy (God help her). I used stash leftovers, Vanna's Choice in chocolate and linen. The buttons were even stash, found them in my mom's button jar. It was a quick and easy knit.
Made some modifications (of course):
1. Didn't do the eyelet increases at the raglan seams, just did regular paired increases for a boy's sweater.
2. Lengthened the sleeves to long sleeves: When sleeve measures 2-1/2” from armpit, dc one st each side of marker on every second round of the brown stripe until 24 stitches remain, continue until sleeve measures 6” from armpit.

I also used the jogless stripe method (which is why sleeve decreases must be on second round of color change, first round has the jog correction on the last stitch of the first round of the new color. There are several methods to do this, I wanted to hide the jog underneath the sleeve, so I knit the first round of the new color to the last stitch, then lifted the stitch below the last stitch onto the left needle and knit it together with the last stitch. It pulls the spiral up to look like the stripes are level.


Have decided that the debut of the Giraffe Jacket will have to wait until fall. I simply had zero time to work on it in the last month and everyone is now coming out with spring and summer patterns, so it will be ignored right now. The knitting is finished and it is washed and blocked. All it needs now are the zipper installed and the directions written up. Since this is Spring Break for my boys, I won't have the free time to do the write up until next week.

Now onto other knitting projects, I have on the needles the (Ravelry link) February Sweater or Best Baby Sweater or Sweater On Two Needles, whichever name you know. Have already knit this several times and it's a cute little girl gift for friends in Colorado expecting their first baby in May. Am using Patton's Silk Bamboo, it may be a little limp, but it will be soft for a baby.

The Whole World is Standing in Line to Stop My Knitting

Want me to do something for you? Get in freaking line!!!! I am positive that if I checked my horoscope, it would say, "no free time for you anytime soon, my dear." WTH?!

I am still managing to snatch 5 minutes here and there on my Giraffe Jacket, which would have been finished a month ago if my so-called life hadn't suddenly gone beserk. Drove to Fargo, ND for my son's hockey tournament for 5 days, and of course I'm thinking great chunks of knitting time in the car and at the hotel. Oh no, on the drive up the guys decided to wait and see the first period of the Canada hockey game, so we left after dark and the dome light "bugged the driver", and then when we got there the dry air freaked out my sinuses resulting in a constant splitting headache making it impossible to knit, then on drive home -- flu complete with alternating fever, chills, body aches, and complete fatigue. AAAAaaaah!

I am now well. But even if I do ignore chores or errands and sit down to knit, the Universe thinks, "Oh no, you don't!" and sends me an urgent phone call, sick child, broken household item, hockey practice, boy scout event, etc.

Calgon, take me away!!! (Two more travel hockey weekends and the season is done!!!!)