Well, we might as well get The Ugly over with first. This - above - is Steve's sweater in it's current condition. Oh, yes it is. Dear Elizabeth, there were tears (well, only for the sake of family theatrics). But, I can imagine Elizabeth with a gentle and amused, but tight-lipped "I told you so" smile, because it really was a silly mistake of no one's but my own. It just so happened to be a rather big mistake. You see, when an entire sweater-making is based upon ONE number, it's most important that the ONE number be accurate. And, um, somehow, mine just wasn't. I had a sinking feeling about 10 inches up from the hem, but kept going. At the point to divide for sleeves, I put it on scrap yarn, measured, and tried it on my patient husband, who was then informed that he needed to adjust his chest size approximately six inches in order for the sweater to fit. He said nothing but smiled rather apologetically. I took a deep breath and began ripping.
Ah. But now we have begun again, with what I am SURE is the right measurement and the right number of stitches (I checked approximately ten gazillion times). And all is good, really - I'm over it. He's a patient man, and Valentine's Day is just as lovely of a holiday to get a sweater on as Solstice, don't you think?
Moving right along (yes, let's) to The Good...Tiny Tea Leaves for Adelaide is done! I have weaving in to do, and blocking, and interviewing buttons for the job and then it is d-o-n-e. Very exciting, and very sweet - I love how this came out. Just like my own grown up version of Tea Leaves, the pattern is a dream. (The lovely yarn is from FoxFire Fiber...and I'll share more details on the making of each sweater after the holidays are done and the appropriate sweater model is available.)
And to The Hopeful. Ezra's sweater, with both the front and back completed. Just two sleeves to go, which I intend to begin today and knit on the same needle at the same time. There's a bit of finishing to do with this one (it's been a while since I seamed a whole sweater), but really...barring any more poor measuring or (heaven forbid) a knitting injury, I do think this is going to happen.
With Calvin and Harper's already complete, I am so pleased that there will likely be a sweater for each of my babes under the tree this year. I made a promise to myself when I set out with this goal that it be a totally non-stress kind of self-imposed deadline. And it has been - knitting is the quite the opposite of stress (for me) and always should be, as far as I'm concerned. Even on those tragic Ugly knitting moments, there's nothing that a deep breath can't cure. Afterall, it only means more knitting, right? And more knitting is good. One stitch at a time, one moment at a time, here and there - it's how a sweater is made. And I think it's a rather marvelous process, indeed.
