Holiday Weekend Progress

No new photos today, since my kids took the camera with them on a trip, so here's my favorite purse. I made two, one that lives in the yarn shop and this one, which I carried for so long that the handle came off (haven't had a chance to fix it). I guess I made this last year some time or in late 2005. What fun, though! These were my first entrelac projects and I had a BLAST with them. I also made a little holder with a triangular flap for my Palm Pilot in smaller squares, which has been used for lots of other stuff, too. I should write up that pattern. The pattern is from a Berrocco one that's out of print, I believe. I will treasure my copy!

I have been he**-bent on finishing the shiny green top this weekend, and yesterday, in a marathon of congestion incuded restful knitting, I got the body done. Then I looked at it. ICK, it looked just AWFUL. In the shiny (slimy) cotton/viscose blend Mytsik, every knitting irregularity glared back at me--slightly large stitches, slightly twisted sections (how do I do that?), the place where the stitches unraveled because I didn't have a stitch holder and the item was as large as my needles...blah blah blah. I said to myself that I didn't want to waste my time on this item if it was gonna look so bad. So, I stuck it in the sink and soaked it. I pulled and tugged a bit (hey, it's cotton!), then I wrapped it in a towel to get some of the water off.

When I laid it down, just a bit more stretching revealed a whole new sweater body. Yes, there are a few stitches that are a bit large, but it's way more even, lays flat, and is quite acceptable now. So, it's a-drying while I work on the sleeves. I am halfway through sleeve #2 (it is a short-sleeved top). I am knitting it in the round instead of in pieces, too. I hate seams. There will be short underarm seams, but that's all. Once I am done with sleeve #2, I will put the sleeves and body all on one needle and do the yoke. The fun part; the lacy part. Yay.

Also, I did the body on Addi bamboo needles, and I switched to Knitpicks for the sleeves. I am getting much more even tension on the sleeves, so I'm sticking with the Knitpicks for the yoke. The ribbing on the sleeves also looks better, thanks to my new Knitpicks 2.75 cm needle. I am so happy they made ALL the small sizes now. My socks will also be happy with more choices in needle size.