Sweater Update

Good news. I think the sweater is not going to be too small. There is a chance it may be a tad too big, but I'll have to wait and see. Too bad beats too small, any day, any way.

Here's a really bad "in the mirror" photo, with me making sure it stays shut so nobody sees my boobies. Thankfully, the flash obscures my make-up-less face and unwashed hair. I'm wearing a push-up bra, and it seems to fit around that, so that's not a bad thing. The waist band might give it a "blouse" effect, which it doesn't have in the picture in the magazine. No surprise. It was probably pinned back so it fit the model more snugly, plus she was probably corseted within an inch of her life. Judging from the way it fit today, I will not have to wear a corset whenever I wear this sweater (I was prepared to!).


I also hung it up on my dress form. I draped it on there, as you can see, but just left it hanging. The buttonholes are NOT of equal distance apart. I did some math and figured that if I put each buttonhole about 3 inches apart, I would be fine with the 6 buttons. I just wrote some checks and balanced my checkbook, and realized that, much like Mike sometimes tells me, my math is suspect. I think I may have gotten a "lazy brain" from years of taking the easy way out and using a calculator. I need to always do my own math now, and THEN double-check (maybe with a calculator), so my brain doesn't turn to mush. But as for the buttonholes . . . I'm not sure what I should do with these. I forgot to make the holes on one row, so I finished that row, purled the next, then made them on the next row. I need to reinforce them anyway, because they do look a little sucky. I figured I would tighten them in the direction they should go, i.e., if one b-hole is a little higher than it should have been (and one is, as I mentioned above), I should tighten it pointing downwards. The same with the ones that are a little low. That way, it may give an illusion of being even (I call this my David Copperfield Finishing Techniques. I was able to work these when one armpit of my Hopeful sweater was lower than the other. You can almost not tell.). I can also use buttons that will not stand out much -- the yarn is so gorgeous anyway; I wouldn't want buttons to detract from it. Or I could Do It Right and frog down to the row the buttonhole should be on, put it there, and finish it up. That won't help that the very top button is only about 1.5 inches from the one below it. Me and my shoddy math.

I started one sleeve yesterday. We were 1/2 way to NJ when I realized I did not have my #4s with me, meaning that once I finished the front (which I did within 10 rows of realizing I didn't have my #4s), I had nothing else to do in the hour+ ride. A quick trip to a Wal-Mart in CT killed two birds: it got us lunch (they had an in-store Subway), and I got a pair of Boyd's Aluminum #4s for $1.89 (or, Mike did . . . thank you, Mike. Have I mentioned that I love you more than everything???). Sometime after about four rows of k1p1 about 42 stitches on #4 needles, I decided to eat my Sour Cream and Onion Baked Lay's (Mike was eating his, and the smell made me hungrier), and didn't pick up my knitting again. So I have an extra pair of needles.

CUTE CAT ALERT!!!!
This morning, Mike gave the cats some catnip. Zelia was too lazy to indulge, so as usual Solvie bogarted it. I grabbed the camera, set it on the floor in front of her, and started snapping away. Here are the two best shots:


Yes, it is the infamous felt sperm from Woolerina! It got washed accidentally, and therefore lost a little of its catnip scent, so Zelia isn't quite so protective of it (she still plays with it though). Notice the catnip all over Solvie's belly! I love how her nose scrunches up when she bites things (even when it is my hand she is biting).