the finish of the finish

This has been fantastic, guys! I'm going to figure out some kind of symbol to mark those of us who finished all our projects this month (not me, I'm afraid!) So let me know if you're earning your big 'F' for finishing!

I'm pretty sure that I'll need this again next year, so don't worry too much if you slip into old habits...I'll be there right along with you, avoiding sewing.

four for seven is better than half bad right?

Or is it five? I set out to work on Lady E, not finish her, so I suppose she's one for the record books too. I finished the collar on the not-so-cowl of doom last night, a nice roll neck that I'm really happy with. I'm wearing it right now but haven't had decent light or anyone to take a pic yet so I should be back to post that tomorrow sometime. It's nothing like the pattern picture led me to believe it would be (seriously, who photographs a sweater with the model's arms crossed over her chest?) but I love it anyway, the fit is really flattering. Many thanks to the ladies at SnB for assuring me that it would be fine when I was sure it would be better off in a pile of crinkly yarn on the shop floor.

The FA mitts, mom socks and Rutelilje were my other FO's for the KAL with the seamless hybrid, dad's socks and Lady E still on the needles. I am proud though that I didn't work on anything but the items on my list for the whole month, not even an errant swatch!

This has been great!

What a wonderful way to motivate us to get to those UFOs! I now realize that all I have to do is apply a little time and Voila! magically those projects seem to finish themselves. Thanks for hosting such a productive KAL.

A sad finish to the month!

Back at the beginning, I said I was going to finish three items in February: a wrap (with 2200+ ends to sew in), a teddy and a cardigan. The wrap and the teddy are finished. The cardigan is a very sad story.

Western Sydney has had heavy thunderstorms every day for the past week. That means the natural light is not very good. The cardigan in question is a dark colour (navy blue) so I have procrastinated.

On Tuesday, two days before the end of National Knitting Sew-up Month, I pulled the cardigan out of storage. I was determined I was going to finish that cardigan whatever the weather. I carefully pulled out each piece, the back, the right front, the left front, one sleeve - all looking good. I pulled out the second sleeve and there it was - a hole so large I could pass a ping pong ball through it! :-( Some nasty, wool-loving insects had a feast on my sleeve despite my precautions.

So I have struck out - the month is over and I have not finished! (sigh) However, at midnight on 28 February, I was only 40 rows (1760 stitches plus bind-off) short of completing a wrap (70in x 40in) - those nasty little insects don't eat acrylic! (one thing in its favour!)

Thanks, Aleta, for putting this KAL together. Maybe we can do it again next year - or maybe we've all developed new habits of finishing for 30 minutes before knitting! :-) Fellow-finishers, I bid you adieu, drop by and visit my blog sometime!

PS If you drop by now you can read the expanded version of this story - The Cardigan That Never Was (Part I)

One down

I didn't finish ALL my UFOs but I did finish one. These alpaca armwarmers will be sent off to their recipient to be enjoyed in whatever is left of winter. Although they look small on me, they will fit her better as she is a tiny wisp of a woman.

I am close to finishing one of my own armwarmers as well and did succeed in not casting anything on during Feb. Other projects, like unfinished Branching Out, stayed in my knitting bag all month.

Thanks for this project! It really kept my knitting time focused on projects I needed to finish. Now if only I can keep that focus AND make more time for knitting in March!

Updated: One? I totally finished more that one! I forgot about all the ends I wove in (3 scarves worth) and blocking of one of those scarves. All the things I finished were for other people and all the ones that remain to be finished are for myself so I am happy about that as well. I am actually gifting one of those scarves tonight so it is REALLY finished!

i'm 5 for 8!

I bet my friend Preacher never knew he wanted an Sn'B Nation Rockstar Doll, Palaver style! This doll is largely improvised, but I love a challenge. I'm now past the deadline for Preachtoberfest, but I was determined to do this one right, no matter how many times I had to knit the head. The embroidery was damned finicky as well. Fun.

my apologies for this garbage picture

This guy is coming with us to his new home NY this March Break. Good thing I managed to finish him in the last gasp of NaKniSewMo!

and one makes three...

Rutelilje is done and she’s so gorgeous I could cry. This tiny little sweater is the triumph of my knitting career so far, that’s a bit melodramatic maybe but I’m so insanely proud of her I could pop. I learned a lot on this knit and really stretched myself to do some things I was really afraid in the beginning I wouldn’t be able to do successfully. I knit the colourwork, I steeked, I did what seemed like an endless amount of finishing to get the details just right and in the end I think it’s paid off.

I thought about going with off white buttons to match the body but DH thought the pink would have more pop and I have to say he was right, which he generally is when it comes to these things which is why I consult him so much. I’m glad that I decided to knit the body in flat stockingette, the allover moss stitch in the pattern would have been too much I think and would have taken away from everything that’s going on in the yoke.


I used a bit of grosgrain ribbon to seal the steeked edges which weren’t that nice to look at as I used pink thread to sew them so I could easier see what I was doing. It took hours last night to sew it in by hand with the tiniest little stitches but I think the work is worth how clean it looks on the inside now. I also sewed in the tiniest little tag I found at Knitomatic (click here, they’re having a huge sale).


If I had to do this one again, and it’s a strong possibility as I really enjoyed it, I’d cast on more stitches in the steek to leave myself a bit more leeway on the sewing, five was just a few too little and made things a bit tight in places where my machine stitching wasn’t perfectly straight (tough to sew really straight when you’re that nervous!).


This was mostly a stash knit which is great, I don’t think I’d have ventured to do this one had I had to buy a new ball of each colour only to use just a smidge of it. I was told by the lady at the LYS that I could probably get away with two balls of the main colour if I was doing the body stockingette but I was skeptical and picked up a third (to add to the two I already had) just for insurance and I’m glad I did, I used the majority of the third ball and I always like to have little bits of Baby Ull or Lanett laying around for something like this. Of course I'll give you the obligatory inside shot to show off my wonderful stranding.

Specs for this knit:

Yarn: a mix of Dale Baby Ull and Lanett Superwash, two of my fave baby/sock yarns as they come in great colours and wear like iron (not to mention machine wash like a dream), three balls of the MC and scraps of the CCs

Pattern: Rutelilje from Dale of Norway Baby #129 in six month size (but would almost fit M so I have to think that the sizing runs a bit on the large size)

I started this early in January so it wasn't the quickest knit out there but I'm still glad I did it and will do it again