I made a hat, and am progressing on the cardigan

White Sideways Cardigan in Progress
Originally uploaded by sunasak

I thought I should prove that I actually am working on that white sideways cardigan from Vogue Knitting. See, here it is. I have noticed on Ravelry that a lot more people have finished them. Probably that errata helps. I did just print that out, and even landscape it is one TINY chart, but I think it will help when I get to the top of the sweater. What you see here is more than half of the lower back. It's still a little thin, but this is the best yarn I could find. Of course, NOW I will have time to check out other yarn shops, since I have no job (but, that will take gasoline, which then means I am wasting money, sigh).

I also made a hat for my son's 15th birthday (which will be on Thursday). It is another pattern from Son of Stitch-n-Bitch, the Ski Beanie. I made it in Cashsoft Cotton DK rather than the wool Cashsoft stuff, since we are in Texas and all. The hat fits, though the boy has so much curly hair it's hard to get it on. I think what he wants to do is wear it while his hair dries, to flatten it out, for some mysterious teenage boy reason.

He was very impressed with the hat, which calls for knitting it up flat, then seaming it (for no reason as far as I can tell--if I do another one, I will do it circularly and save a LOT of purling). He came in with it and asked, "Mom, where is the seam on this thing? I can't find it!" I turned it inside out to show him, but he is right. I have really got that mattress stitch thing down! You can't even see the black yarn in the green trim! Take that, prospective employers! I DO have some mad skillz at something!

Well, I have lots of knitting to do on this US holiday weekend. I have already talked to my dad and thanked him for his hard work serving his country (he played baseball to entertain the troops, because, as he said "I just wasn't cut out to be a trained killer"--guess he knew he's end up a Quaker in his later years!). I mostly want to send sympathy for all the families worried about their sons and fathers who are doing the work they are assigned, not complaining, and just hoping to come home alive. It takes a lot of strength to serve in the military, and I think, even as a pacifist, I can honor that!