Almost done!!!

My EZ fair isle yoke sweater from Knitting Around is almost done! I have been knitting and knitting and knitting on it for the past two weeks and I finally am in sight of the finish line! I LOVE this pattern! It is soooooo easy to do as long as you get your count right when you attach the sleeves and are ready to do the first set of decreases! I will definitely be making more of these, especially for kids!

Me wearing the sweater when it is almost done!

This sweater has been very forgiving of my more ample chest and I have lots of extra room through my back and arms even before the blocking, so I'm happy..

The yarn I used was Patons Classic Wool in Winter White, Worn Denim, Grey Mix. New Denim, and Leaf Green in case anyone is interested.

And one gratuitous close up for you to drool over:

Later: I hope that blocking can even out the problems that developed in this sweater... As I worked on the neck, and continued with color work closing up the shoulders, I came across a massive problem: gauge. i should have remembered that the gauge shrinks and the fabric becomes LESS elastic when you switch to a color work design! For someone who has worked on fair isle sweaters before, this should have been a no duh, but I failed to take this into account. As I slipped the sweater over my head and expected it to fall easily around my shoulders, I was shocked to discover that the neck was resting around my vocal chords because of the wonky shaping of the second row of decreases.. some good tugging and i was able to make it look a good bit better, BUT I am hoping that the wet blocking will take care of my problems. I am hoping to enter this in the fair this year. I have a good number of entries I want to take over including this sweater because the color work really is very beautiful. I would feel awful if it didn't fit properly at all, though.

Wrapping up projects

The summer has been very good to me, even if I have not told you about everything. I have finally moved into my own place which I am loving to no end. I have no extra spending money, but I have a roof over my head, food on my plate, electricity, and stash to fill my needles. I am so thankful I had built up my stash over the years. I now have stuff to keep me busy until I have money to refill the stash.

With that, comes the finishing up of projects that have been sitting around.

1) The Pi Shawl from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Almanac that I changed up just a bit.

And the obligator close up of the detail:

I am also knitting up a storm on that fabulous fair isle yoke sweater Elizabeth created so many years ago that launched her Opinionate Knitter magazine! While I don't have any pictures right now, I hope to once I get the body attached to both sleeves which are already done and ready to go as soon as I have enough on the trunk.. I am sooo excited about having it done and ready to wear this winter.

My fair isle sweater is being much more of a pain. The sleeves are being very difficult. I have now had to switch to the double pointed needles, and anyone who has done fair isle stranding on double pointed needles knows how easy it is to make the stranding on the back of the material too tight. So it is coming along, but it is not something I am relishing picking up at the moment. I am even contemplating undoing the sleeves and reknitting them from the cuffs up. Am I willing to put up with the facing around my arms and get the sweater done faster or shall I continue with the sweater as is and risk NOT winning Best in Show at the fair next year? Choices, choices! I am beginning to see what I must do to get it done to my liking, but it is a very hard decision to make. My last experience with sleeves and facings was NOT good (Baby Norgi) but for reasons that were beyond the pattern itself.

I guess I will decide when I finish my fair isle yoke sweater and have a chance to model it for you!