Okay, so, how many seams ARE there in this sweater, anyway??
No, seriously, I've got all but one finished. I sewed in the sleeves (four seams), sewed the side seams (two) and the sleeve seams (two more), and now all that's left is to sew is the yoke on the top.
And, of course, the button/button loop. I ordered some buttons from the Button Drawer the other day (hey, it's not like I have any good button stores nearby, I've got to do something, right?), and I got an e-mail yesterday saying that they've been shipped, so I should have those any day now.
May I just say, though, that I'm really happy with the way this sweater is coming together? I haven't tried it on yet (kind of hard to do when it's not assembled), so I don't know for sure how well it's going to fit. I haven't blocked it because, well, two reasons. It looks just fabulous unblocked, and blocking ribbing is a no-no, and most of the sweater IS ribbing. I won't block it unless it looks seriously too small.
Julia started an interesting meme, inspired by Margene--show your wheels. So, here are mine. Note the subtle MV sticker on the bumper (silver on silver, classy, huh?). Also the "Proud Mother of a Boykin Spaniel" license plate frame (gift from about 5 years ago--when I was still driving my red Honda CR-V).
Oh, I have a Drew University sticker, too, even though I graduated (cough) years ago. They sent it in the mail a year or so ago, and I figured, why not? Certainly my parents paid enough for the tuition, why not take advantage of a free sticker?
Now, about the Olympics.
First, you have seen JenLa's Olympics buttons, haven't you? These girls may just possibly have too much time on their hands, but they definitely have a wacky sense of humor. I love it! And I really love the way the Knitting Olympics are taking on a life of their own (as Norma said).
Anyway, here's what I'm working with. (Diagram photographed with respect from Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' Knitting in the Old Way.**) I knitted a little swatch last night and actually washed it. The plan this afternoon was to sew together the cabled sweater, and then crunch numbers for my yoked sweater, but, well, there was a lot more seaming than I planned on, so I never got further than this.
Maybe tomorrow. I'm taking the day off from work to use up some leftover vacation time from 2005, and hopefully can find some time then . . .
Except, well, there's a glitch. This isn't going to end up being a nice, pleasant, relaxing day away from the office. Why, you ask? Because our furnace died on Friday night, and we're getting (we sincerely hope) a new one tomorrow. It's been, in fact, a little chilly here today. It was 57 in the dining room when I got up this morning. (That's 14 C for you metric people.) Not completely freezing, but . . . brrr.
The extra fun part? Yesterday, Dad went out and bought three little ceramic heaters--one for my parents' room, one for mine, one for the family room. (We already had a heater in the kitchen, from last year's furnace break-down.) Little, inexpensive heaters, that nevertheless have been doing their best to keep at least some heat in their rooms . . . except for mine. I had it on for all of two hours last night, and then around 11:00 it cycled down to rest and never came back. At all. I even got out of bed at 5:00 this morning to try getting it up and running again, but . . . no. It's dead. (Boy, the quality you get for $12.50 these days!) Still--the other two have been running for hours and hours since yesterday with no trouble. Maybe it's just me?
All I can say is that I'm so glad I thought to pull out my down comforter last night. Okay, so I didn't think of it until 11:45, and so it was almost midnight and I was trying to maneuver the comforter into my duvet cover, all while keeping Chappy from "helping" too much. (You know the kind of "help" you get from pets and small children. In this case, rubbing his head into the comforter, the cover, the quilt that was on my bed....) But I've got to say, even in my chilly room--which is regularly the coldest room in the house, after the basement--I was toasty warm all night long.
I think it's interesting, though--when there's no heat, my first reaction is to get extra-warm clothes and layers. Namely wool. The down comforter on my bed. Hot beverages. And doing things (like, say, seaming a sweater) to keep my fingers warm. Lighting some candles (which do put off noticeable heat). I cooked a pot roast for hours in the kitchen, generating some ambient heat over by the stove. My parents go more for the synthetic approach--electric heaters (which I'm not saying are bad!). Extra layers, yes, but more of the nylon/acrylic variety. My Dad only owns thin, rayon socks--and wouldn't wear wool ones even if I made them for him--and I believe all his sweaters are acrylic. Mom likes polar fleece. They kept their bedspread on their bed last night for an extra layer, but it's that polyfill stuff.
And, I just wonder--is this part of their generational thing? "Space-age" fibers being better than natural ones? Or that "all wool is itchy" (despite the quantities of non-itchy stuff in my closet), a belief engrained from their childhoods with, no doubt, what probably was itchy wool socks and sweaters. Or is it just part of that old, family joke that I'm reincarnated from some long-ago age and deep down rather like the occasional, minor privation like being 10 degrees colder than I'm used to, and feel comfortable wrapped in shawls with candles nearby? (We used to joke that I was a pilgrim in another lifetime. Also that I was my mother's mother in another lifetime--she's convinced of that--grin.) Either way, this afternoon, Mom was in the family room watching a movie with her space heater; Dad was upstairs watching football with his; the radio was on; and Chappy and I were sitting in our favorite spot in the (drafty) dining room window--he wrapped in a towel, me in my warmest shawl, while I stitched away at my sweater with no electronic distractions of any kind. Hmmm . . . maybe I am a throwback! (Gee, none of you could relate to that, huh?)
Anyway--I'm going to go take a nice, modern, hot shower and get thoroughly warm, then go downstairs to make some tea, and then I'm going to sit in the family room--with the functioning heater--and watch television and knit for a while. At least I had a chance, today, to wear a sweater that's normally much too warm to wear, what with, you know, central heating and all! Tomorrow's going to be interesting....
** Did you know that Priscilla Gibson-Roberts is coming out with a new spinning book, Spinning in the Old Way? I can't wait! If it's half as good as the knitting book, it'll be marvelous.
i have knitting in the old way, and i loved it (what bits i read, it's been languishing on my shelf, sigh). i would love to see the spinning book, i have a huge dearth of spinning knowledge (like the difference between woolen & worsted). you'll see pics of my ride tomorrow, lol.
and a funny story for ya. i started the jaywalker socks on wooden needles, and decided it wasn't good to stick them in my mouth, so i put it in my hair when the pizza guy showed up. i about had a panic attack, because i thought i'd lost the needle, until i put my hand up to my head, and found it there, lol.
Posted by: minnie | January 22, 2006 at 08:09 PM
oooo, hope you stay WARM!
Thanks for the tip about the new spinning book,
she is a WONDERFUL author!
Posted by: greta | January 22, 2006 at 08:10 PM
It sounds like you are a Minnesotan at heart. :) The red sweater is looking fabulous!
Posted by: Chris | January 22, 2006 at 09:06 PM
I haven't read that book. Surprisingly, it hasn't found its way into my library. I wonder how I missed it.
Stay warm!
Oh, and have you seen the Charlotte Bronte shawl pattern at Redbird knits, you literate throwback, you?
Posted by: Snow | January 23, 2006 at 12:37 AM
oh, i love her writing style - how exciting! what great news ;)
Posted by: andrea | January 23, 2006 at 12:55 AM
Wow -- good luck with that Olympic Knitting! Looks interesting! Hey -- I'm making that DB Cabled Jacket with Hood from book four -- can I ask a question or two? What size did you make? How did it turn out? How about the hood? Was it super long? Thanks in advance. I can't decide between the 38" fin chest, and the 40" fin chest. I can usually wear a 38" chest well, but in a jacket I thought I might need the biggest size. Yours turned out great!
Posted by: Jenifer | January 23, 2006 at 01:00 AM
Your cabled sweater is grogeous! Love the color too ;-)
Posted by: Michelle | January 23, 2006 at 07:44 AM
Very cute car you got there, deb. Stay warm!
Posted by: julia fc | January 23, 2006 at 09:54 AM
Spinning in the Old Way? I'm on the edge of my seat in anticipation!
Posted by: amanda | January 23, 2006 at 10:20 AM
I love the color of your sweater, it is such an intense, saturated red. I haven't decided what I am going to knit for the Knitting Olympics, because I have so many WIPs! As for being a throwback, I can empathize- while my mom lives for TV (with most of the damned lights on in the house), I'd rather listen to classical music and knit in front of a roaring fire.
Posted by: Christina | January 23, 2006 at 01:31 PM
Oooooo, so close! Lookin' forward to seeing the finished shot!
Posted by: Kerstin | January 23, 2006 at 04:20 PM