Several posts ago
I wrote about a couple of projects that were in progress. The first one was a sweater that I had “designed”
and was working toward completion. (See “Switch
Knitter” post from March 20, 2014 .) The
reason I started this project was because I wanted to get used to knitting in
the Continental style instead of the English style as it is supposed to be
faster and easier on the hands. After
having knitted the sweater in the Continental style, I can verify that it is
much easier on my hands and it does definitely speed up my knitting. Back in December, prior to quitting my job, I
had knitted a couple of dishcloths for a “Dish Washing Basket” for a raffle at
our family Christmas party. I liked the
way the dishcloths turned out, they were quick and easy, and I liked the feel
of the cotton yarn. So when I decided to
knit a sweater out of the yarn, the thought flitted through my mind that I
could use blocks of dishcloths to in the pattern.
Well, when a seed
gets planted in my little pea-brain it almost always takes root. So I mulled over the idea of how I could use those
cotton dishcloths in other, more complex projects. I use these little idea nuggets to formulate
project plans before I go to sleep at night.
(Some people drink warm milk to help them sleep, I think about projects
to create.)
So, the idea to
use the dishcloths to create a block-style sweater was formulated. The body and shoulders would be knitted and
then sewn together to form the body of the sweater. That would just leave the ribbing for the sleeves,
neckband, and bottom band to be picked up and knitted directly onto the garment. This project proved to be much easier than I
had expected. It’s amazing how many
things can be made out of foundation “blocks”…the possibilities are
endless.
Although the
sweater pattern does need a bit of tweaking, I think it would be a great
pattern for beginner knitters. It’s
perfect for those who are ready to take up the challenge of making a sweater,
but it’s not so complicated that the knitter would get frustrated and quit. It’s a shame when an unfinished project ends up
stuffed in a closet for years.
The second
project is one that Charming and I have been working on for a while. A month or so ago, we pulled up our garden
pavers that were almost obscured by weeds and grass. We then put down weed block and sand, and
then put the pavers back in place. The
final step was to sweep sand in between the cracks of the pavers. There is still a fine layer of sand on the
pavers, but that will get washed into the cracks by the summer rains. Both Charming and I heaved a huge sigh of
relief after this project was completed.
I’m hoping that the next completed project will be the kitchen
renovation. I’m getting tired of the
cats and dog making a huge (noisy) game of running under the huge sheet of
plastic that divides the old and new parts of the kitchen. Uh boy…never a dull moment…
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| Finished sweater...note the individual dishcloths that make up the body of the sweater. Sleeves are 3/4 length, which is great for spring and fall. |
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| The sweater actually looks better when someone has it on than when it's on a hanger. Charming was unavailable to take a picture of me and I couldn't find a willing model. |
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| My little bit of Heaven. (If you're wondering, the plant you see on the right is Napa cabbage. It wintered over from last fall and has set seeds, which we will dry and save for next year. |
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| Another angle of the garden. The pavers look wonderful, thanks to Charming's hard work and patience. It is now a pleasure to stroll by the garden beds. (Ooops...note the tail on the left, belonging to Max the Wonder Dog...he's rarely more than 10 feet from me...GOOD PUP!) |
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