In July, I shared with you my grand ambition of finishing a knit sweater for everyone it my family by Solstice. Of this year. It was a lofty goal, I will confess. But you know, I do knit an awful lot. And crazier things have happened in my crafty world. So this basket has joined me everywhere since then, getting a few rows here and a few rows there in on each sweater. In the car, waiting outside of dance classes, on the way to look at another house, at the bank... You get the picture - everywhere and anywhere and slowly but surely through my days.
Then there was The House, and a six week (or more?) knitting hiatus. And I really began to accept that the sweaters might not be done in time. No worries - my people would all forgive me (of course they would), and they'd be finished when they were finished - whatever the date.
But recently, I interruped the little quiet vacation all those half-finished sweaters were having and took stock. It turns out...that all that 'one row here, one row there' really amounts to something. And you know, these sweater? They're actually quite close to done. It just might happen.
Calvin's was the most recently completed, making it the second sweater 'done'. I'm so very pleased with how it turned out. I didn't use a pattern per se, but the wise and wonderful words of Elizabeth Zimmermann to create just what we wanted (and it worked! The math worked!). It's knit with Beaverslide worsted, and this is the first time I've used that yarn. Oh, it's yummy - it has such a strong and lovely drape, I think it's going to wear quite well. Originally, he had asked for a zip-up hoodie, and that where this one was headed (I had steaking planned, even though I wasn't really looking forward to it). But somewhere along the way since July, my little boy went from "just" a nine year old to a "tween" nine year old who much prefers skinny jeans, hightops, black eyeliner, and fitted sweaters. (Love. and, sniff, sniff - stop growing!) And so, this one is 'perfect' as is. The slow progress on this sweater totally worked out well in my favor, I'd say.
The kids (and Steve) sort-of-kind of know about these 'surprise' Solstice sweaters, but they still play along with the silly element of surprise about it all. So as I finished this sweater yesterday, I tried it on him one last time - with his eyes closed. He felt it with his hands a gave a big grin. And then I snapped this picture.
I think he's going to like it.
One month. Two sweaters down, three to go. It could totally happen. (Right?)
