I’m loving the alpaca/wool magenta fabric I’m getting as I knit my current Olympic-season sweater project. This is NOT what I normally knit, not at all. It’s lovely in spite of needing more attention than I typically spend.

It’s funny, but knitting a sock with two colors of yarn in a stranded pattern, would be more comfy for me than this. I am knitting on medium-sized needles. I often work on size 1 and smaller, or size 10.5 and larger, but this is on size 8 US (5mm) for the main part. I am knitting flat, not in the round.

I am doing a chart/pattern, for texture. I see color “hiccups” very easily, and very quickly. Texture mistakes I can miss until I’ve passed the hiccup by a dozen rows.

I’m very glad I’m knitting rather than crocheting, because I can switch a knit to a purl or vice-versa without fully ripping back. (One can run a column down like a nylon stocking, and then re-chain things back up the run to correct the problem. Very cool.)

Overview

It’s a lot like a rib, actually easier in some ways than rib. The right side rows are “knit all stitches.” I love that part. The wrong side is essentially “Purl 4, Knit 1, repeat.” No big deal, mostly. I don’t usually purl much, but as long as it is not 100+ purls in a row, I’m good with that.

However, I am so used to working with socks, which most often have a multiple of 4 stitches for ribbing, that I keep finding myself doing a P3K1 pattern. This requires fixing, but does not require ripping out.

About 20% Finished (Cringe)

This is where “she” stands right now: my percentage finished is not great. The 2-color swatch in the above photo is approximately in the area of the sweater where I will embroider a zigzag/chevron pattern around the sweater once I finish. The small piece on the right will be the back (or front, at this point they are identical).

It is ready for me to work the area of 10 rows or so, where the embroidery will go. I am putting knit stitches where I will do “duplicate stitch” embroidery to add turquoise, later.

Placing an embroidered “knit” stitch over a purl in the fabric is not fun (I tried it on the swatch). So I made myself a bit of a chart just for knitting that short strip of stitches at the bottom, to help me accomplish my hand-sewing easily, later.

I guess I could have just done stockinette for the 10 rows, but I like that the rib won’t be interrupted. It’s costing me a little time but giving me a product I’ll be happy wearing.

I hope this is interesting enough, friends… what can one say with a sweater that is not half done? I’m plugging away, anyway.

A Lovely, Off-Topic Report

In other news, I am enjoying a Facebook thread where folks are registering their contentment with their spouse/partner. Someone went on about “does anyone believe in love anymore” and the answer was definitely YES in my circle of the world. Love that.

I saw the same thing when we sang at Altu’s on Valentine’s weekend. One woman (a knitter) came alone and was her own valentine, having dinner and knitting and sitting in the front row for the show. However, from my view on stage, I could see people I know. And I saw seven couples I know, who are happy together. Happy.

When I was single, I kept a list of happy couples I knew. Often it was folks I knew well. In some cases, I’d note “lady I met on elevator” or “someone in class with me.” Didn’t matter. I wanted to believe it could be real and good. I liked being single just fine, but if I could have a good partnership I wanted to recognize that opportunity.

Let’s hear it for happy relationships. This stuff doesn’t make the news at 10, you know?