Finished! (Excuse the laundry in the photo, when I'm done with this post I really do intend to fold it!)
The finishing up took almost as long as the knitting....I cast off the bottom edge (using the US 4 needle and a k2, p1 cast off) and realized I couldn't even get the top on, the bottom edge was so tight. So I unpicked the cast off and tried again, this time using a sewn cast off. Better, but I was still really fighting to get the top on, and knew that I would end up ripping it (or getting stuck with my arms flailing about!). So I unsewed that cast off (painstakingly slow process!), and finally went up 2 needle sizes (US 6) and cast off using k2tog, slip the stitch back to the left needle, k2tog, etc. (Does that cast off have a name? I think I heard it called lace cast off once?) The finished effect is slightly holey, but I can get the top on and off, so that's what counts, I guess.
The sizing does run a little smaller than I expected, even after trying it on during the knitting process. I am very glad I made the size medium sleeves, the smalls would not have fit. I plan to do another Zephyr Style top (Green Gable, I think?), and may do the medium in that one.
Otherwise, I have done 2 repeats of the body pattern on my Swallowtail. It's a fairly simple pattern, yet I find it easy to make a mistake, even under good knitting conditions, so I'm going to have to go slow on that. And I'm part way through the leg on my 2nd parasol sock, I should finish sometime this week if all goes well. Next on my list is probably Monica...but I have also been distracted by the Cat's Paw KAL at the AY forum. There is a discussion of modifying the various versions of the Cat's Paw lace pattern to make a trail of criss-crossing paws, like real cats would leave, rather than just working them in a straight line. So although I have no immediate plans to knit this, I'm intrigued by the process of working out just the right pattern and am swatching and charting away. This could become a very consuming process, for sure!
And now it's Sunday night and I have to start thinking about teaching tomorrow. ;-) My sense of time is very confused, as Stephen has been working the 4 pm to 2 am shift for the last few days. He sleeps all morning, and then gets up and goes to work in the afternoon....so I spend the morning tiptoeing around, trying not to do anything very loud. Then when he leaves for work I get it in my head that I have hours and hours left in the day, when really it's already approaching dinnertime! (don't even get me started on the pain that is creating meals for myself that will leave him with decent leftovers to take to work with him, or to eat when he gets home at 3 am!) Anyway, I think tonight is the last time he has this shift, although then Thursday I think he has the 10 pm-8 am shift. And in June he's doing obstetrics, which is 24 hours shifts, plus he'll be out of town for it, so I really should just get used to a weird schedule, shouldn't I? Now....time to fold the laundry from that picture.
The finishing up took almost as long as the knitting....I cast off the bottom edge (using the US 4 needle and a k2, p1 cast off) and realized I couldn't even get the top on, the bottom edge was so tight. So I unpicked the cast off and tried again, this time using a sewn cast off. Better, but I was still really fighting to get the top on, and knew that I would end up ripping it (or getting stuck with my arms flailing about!). So I unsewed that cast off (painstakingly slow process!), and finally went up 2 needle sizes (US 6) and cast off using k2tog, slip the stitch back to the left needle, k2tog, etc. (Does that cast off have a name? I think I heard it called lace cast off once?) The finished effect is slightly holey, but I can get the top on and off, so that's what counts, I guess.
The sizing does run a little smaller than I expected, even after trying it on during the knitting process. I am very glad I made the size medium sleeves, the smalls would not have fit. I plan to do another Zephyr Style top (Green Gable, I think?), and may do the medium in that one.
Otherwise, I have done 2 repeats of the body pattern on my Swallowtail. It's a fairly simple pattern, yet I find it easy to make a mistake, even under good knitting conditions, so I'm going to have to go slow on that. And I'm part way through the leg on my 2nd parasol sock, I should finish sometime this week if all goes well. Next on my list is probably Monica...but I have also been distracted by the Cat's Paw KAL at the AY forum. There is a discussion of modifying the various versions of the Cat's Paw lace pattern to make a trail of criss-crossing paws, like real cats would leave, rather than just working them in a straight line. So although I have no immediate plans to knit this, I'm intrigued by the process of working out just the right pattern and am swatching and charting away. This could become a very consuming process, for sure!
And now it's Sunday night and I have to start thinking about teaching tomorrow. ;-) My sense of time is very confused, as Stephen has been working the 4 pm to 2 am shift for the last few days. He sleeps all morning, and then gets up and goes to work in the afternoon....so I spend the morning tiptoeing around, trying not to do anything very loud. Then when he leaves for work I get it in my head that I have hours and hours left in the day, when really it's already approaching dinnertime! (don't even get me started on the pain that is creating meals for myself that will leave him with decent leftovers to take to work with him, or to eat when he gets home at 3 am!) Anyway, I think tonight is the last time he has this shift, although then Thursday I think he has the 10 pm-8 am shift. And in June he's doing obstetrics, which is 24 hours shifts, plus he'll be out of town for it, so I really should just get used to a weird schedule, shouldn't I? Now....time to fold the laundry from that picture.
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