Finished Jeweled Sporto

As promised, here is the finished Sporto. I really love this sweater.

I wore it to Spin Guild today. Thank goodness the weather wasn't as warm as predicted earlier. It was very comfy, although while in the Senior Center, I had to take it off. I put it back on for the "glamour shots" though.
The back shaping is hard to see here, but I find it makes the fit better. No baggy back here.

I will definitely put this pattern in the re-use pile.

The Rain Must Fall

And fall it did. After waiting and waiting, no race today. Drat.
And while I probably will have to have my NASCAR app playing in my ear during spinning guild tomorrow if they race (weather doesn't look good then either), the weekend wasn't an entire wash.
In the last two days I finished two (2!) WIPs! I managed to finish Sporto yesterday. And I didn't want to pick up Evelyn's cardigan to knit during the race--too much counting to watch for decreases. So I dug out a vest I made over a year ago, but that needed adjustments. I shortened the armholes and re-stitched. They go fast with super bulky yarn.
Another finished project!
Pictures of my Jeweled Sporto will be taken during Show & Tell tomorrow at spinning. But for now here is Gertrude and my so called Burly Quick Vest. Just not too quick.

Now, to look at the Misty Blue Cardi.

So Near

I have been plowing along on my Jeweled Sporto. I got to within the last two back shaping increases last evening and decided to run the stitches onto a string and try on again. And the results?

Ta Da!

By Jove, I think I almost have it. It is curled a bit as I wear it on the bottom, but by the time I have completed the decreases, it will have another couple inches. And then the 2 inches of ribbing.

I think the end is near on this sweater. Ribbing and pocket, then the ends to weave in. And then, the wearing. I wonder if I can finish by Spin Guild on Monday?

We shall see.

And if so, I think there is some light blue Brown Sheep in my future. Are you ready Evelyn? Your sweater is next in the rotation.

Knitting On The Go

When I picked up my sheepy bag yesterday from Lorraine, I mentioned that it was big enough that I could carry a sock project with me when I was out and about. She wondered just how I would be able to keep the needles from poking holes in everything.
And that, my friends, is the magic of WIPs keepers. I explained that I had these little gadgets that helped keep the needles in the project and the points protected when be dragged in and out of my purse.
The picture above shows the Keepers on my current sock in progress (yarn from Yarn Hallow, color way Dove Gray I think, with silver sparkles) (link is to her ETSY shop). The WIPs keepers help prevent the needles from breaking, poking holes in other items, and most importantly, helps keep me from pulling the sock from my purse without the needles. Saves a lot of aggravation that way.
They make knitting on the go so much easier. And easier to lug around than my Jeweled Sporto.

I Love Crafty People

One of my cousins recently formed a new page on FaceBook, "Its Sew Made" for her sewing group. After enjoying all the completed projects they had posted, I asked if they do custom work. I wanted a messenger style bag, with an adjustable strap.

So we talked and she asked about my colors and size and what kind of design I wanted for the lining. She suggested flowers or something. I replied I like sheep, what with my spinning and all.

And today, this is what I got.

I love the panel with the sheep on the front. And since my cousin also raises sheep, that even makes it more perfect. And look at all the interior pockets!!
When I found out they ordered the sheepy fabric from Australia (home of some of the best wool!), it blew my mind. Apparently fabric with sheep is not too common around here.

I brought it home and filled it up. I will never see this view again. Thanks, Beth and Lorraine at "Its Sew Made". This is above and beyond what I expected.

We Pause For a Moment

I briefly mentioned yesterday that I had not worked on the Sporto yesterday. I got sidetracked.

The yarn shown here is some of my hand spun left from the yoke of a Onsie I made a couple years ago. It is fiber from Spunky Eclectic, and I am afraid I forgot the colorway or fiber. Very soft and a natural brown with a pink overdye.

The project is one of my own design, for a travel mug cozy. I needed one for my coffee cup at the history center, so I could also keep one in my purse for actual travel. And besides, I suddenly realized here it is half way through February and I have not completed a single project in 2012.

Obviously that had to be remedied. So I dug through stash (another bonus!) and started the Rosy Baby Cabled Cozy. Warm coffee and soft to the hands. What could be better. I hope to finish in a couple days, tops, and then back to the Sporto.
Update: I finished it.
Back to the Sporto.

11,253 and Counting. (Or So)

While I haven't worked on my Sporto yet today, (more on that tomorrow) I have managed progress this weekend on the Jeweled Sporto.

The markers mark the center back decreases. The last green/blue one marks the last decrease. I am now working on the increases for the hip area. I have completed one set of increases since this picture was taken.

The end may be in sight, but it is still a way to go to the bottom cuff, and then the pocket.

The stitch count grows.

Thinking Too Much

As I sit and knit, I often watch tv.  Last night it was The Nun's Story followed by Casablanca. Tonight it is Fiddled On The Roof.  
But even with my great movies, I find time to think.  Some nights I think too much. 
For example: my Sporto.  I started with 248 stitches on the body. After 4 decrease rows, I still have 240 stitches.  Each of those decrease rows are ten rows apart.  And the body is only about 6 1/2 inches long.  If you figure just the 40 rows  since I started decreasing, that's been 9600 stitches.  That's not counting arm and yoke stitches.
And the body isn't half finished yet.
That's a lot of stitches still to go.
Yikes!  Yup, sometimes I think too much.

Knitting and Sorting

Part of the reason I haven't been blogging much is that I have been both knitting and trying to get the history center set up to get ready to open.  (So maybe, soon, I can call it a job and get paid, even if only part-time.)
My desk is set up.  Our collection is being cataloged, shelved and sorted.  We have our equipment in place so I can start to scan and save obituaries, engagements, wedding announcments and other vital statistics from news clippings.  We are going to try to use a different filing system than we had at my "previous place of employment".
On the knitting front, well, Sporto continues to grow.  Thank goodness for the back shaping that keeps me out of the Black Hole of knitting.  Those markers every ten rows let me see progress, even if it is slow. 
But it is progress.  I may be only 5 1/2 inches below the armpits, but with my ample size, that's a lot of knitting!.
So for now, back to the needles.

Gertrude Approves

After a bit of a delay due to sickness, Gertrude finally got to pose with the Jeweled Sporto. And look! Two sleeves!

Every knitter needs a Gertrude. I always find this step so reassuring that the magic of gauge and knitting has once again worked its miracle on a garment that will fit. Since I can't see it so well well when I am wearing the sweater, Gertrude is a great way to actually see how it fits. I am especially glad to see how the short rows I worked at the bust line is helping the fit over the curves. Of course there are still the belly curves to work around. But I think the shaping incorporated in the back and hips will help that.

Sporto hasn't grown much in the last couple of days. You know your sick when you don't even pick up the needles. It was a quick 3 hour flu, that then leaves me totally tired and (bonus!) with no appetite, usually for a couple weeks.

But now, its back to the needles.

Picture Delay

Due to Hubby expecting a telephone call all day, and me getting a cold/flu the picture of Gertrude wearing Sporto will be postponed until tomorrow.
I'm going to bed early, with a bucket nearby.
That shows how sick I was.  I didn't even wait for the "are you sure you want to post?"  Then I slept till a hour ago.

Movie Time

Only a very new reader of this blog would not know that I love old movies.  Turner Classic Movies is my favorite channel.
With this month being their celebration of movies called 31  Days of Oscar, I have been reveling in favorites:  The Gay Dicorcee (my pick for best dance number); My Fair Lady (great songs); Key Largo (Bogie & Bacall); and so many more.
Every once in a while I sit down and watch a movie that I have only seen bits and pieces of, and that I thought was ok but nothing special.  If nothing else, it can be great knitting time.  So tonight I sat down with Red River which was one of those movies.  I was so wrong.  John Wayne. Montgomery Clift.  Walter Brennan.  Watching it straight through makes a big difference!  I loved it.
Turner Classic Movies comes through again.
And by the way....Gertrude tried on the Jewelled Sporto and I promise to have pictures tomorrow.  Two sleeves and everything.

Sleeve Progress

Not much to say right now. I have been knitting along and have gotten almost two thirds of the second sleeve finished.

I hope to finish it tonight so maybe tomorrow, Gertrude can pose again and I can get back on the body stitches. So....that's all for now.

We Have Seating

I made a run to Muskegon yesterday with the plan of getting myself a chair to use at the history center.  (As well as some groceries.)
I had delayed the purchase for a while, because someone had purchased one at an auction, even though I had stated my intention to purchase my own.  But that chair had a castor that kept falling off.  Even applying Goop and letting it sit overnight failed to secure it.
So a-shopping I did go.
The first place, Meijers, had only one possibility.  And I could not sit in it, to see if it fit.  Having rather short legs, I needed a low, shallow seat so my legs don't stick out.
At the next store, Staples, there were plenty to try.  There I found one that was low enough, shallow enough and supported my back.  And reasonably priced, on sale.
So last evening, after a rollicking hour with Hubby spent assembling it I now have seating.  (Pardon the dark blurry cell phone pic.)

A Wonderful Book

A week or so ago I shared a picture of a pile of books that somehow arrived at my door.  (I still plea the Fifth.)
All of these books are great, and for different reasons.  I recommend them all.
But my surprising favorite is Coastal Knits by Alana Dakos and Hannah Fettig.
I hadn't seen (to my knowledge) any of Alana's designs, but I have been a fan of Hannah's for some time.  My Duchess of Cambridge WIP sweater is her Featherweight design.  It's growing slowly, as other projects jump ahead, but at good traveling stage.
But back to the book.  I consider a book a good buy if there are one or two sweaters that fit me and some I want to make.  In Coastal Knits I love them all!  And would make them.  Plus they would be the right size!  I showed the book around at Knit Nite this week.  Everyone loved the tam.
I still don't know how it came here (that's my story and I'm sticking to it!), but I am very glad it did.
(In the picture below, Coastal Knits is on the top left.)

In My Other Life

In my other life, as a genealogist/history buff, friends and volunteers are scrambling to open the Terry Wantz Historical Research Center. We are in the building, and are bringing in our own books and pictures. Furniture is being placed and I have spent several days cataloguing our inventory.

In many respects, our building is our pride and joy. While the old freezer compartments need to be aired out, the mirror, cabinets and lights are ones brought from one of our buildings previous owners. The whole marble bar was from an old World Fair in Chicago that was brought here to be the showpiece of this building which was a ice cream and candy store. With the brick walls and painted tin ceiling, it will be a great place to help people study history.

We can hardly wait to open. (Especially since I will hopefully start getting paid then.) The first steps of getting the internet connected was completed today. Hopefully we will be able to open before the end of February.

Its Better Than No Sleeve!

After the picture of the half sleeve, I felt inspired at Knit Nite last night to run all the body stitches on a thread again. I think I will leave them on that until the sleeves are done, to make it easier to have Gertrude model.

Or to model myself.

I have done a bit more of the sleeve, and hope to finish this afternoon. The body, with some of the short rows in front, is turning out well. I still may add a couple more pairs of short rows once I get back on the body section.

And as you can see, when I have someone else holding the camera, I can remember to smile. I am really loving my Jeweled Sporto.