City of York (Heather)

is done!

Well, truthfully it was finished about 3:30 on Thursday afternoon. I just lacked another pair of hands to take pictures for me. And my usual photographer didn't get home before dusk either Thursday or Friday. Such are the hard times that befall us these short winter days. Even more apalling, it actually snowed last night! Really!

Anyway, we headed off to the park to get the shot I have been waiting for all these months:



See? Sweater named York? City of York? Get it? Even better, just a block or so over is Raglan Ave. Be prepared. There was a 'York Region' park bench that I wanted to get a shot of, but there was a guy sitting on it, and he just didn't seem to be the sharing type.

Yep, the sweater odyssey is over. I can't believe that a sweater this simple took so long to complete. A testament to a short attention span if ever I saw one.

But I don't regret a minute of it (well, except for having to rip back BOTH sleeves upon the discovery that the cast on edge was just too loosey-goosey for my own admittedly low standards).



York from Noro Knits (by Jane Ellison)
Noro Silk Garden 247, just under 8 balls
Started August 2006, finished January 11, 2007
Final word? LOVE IT!

One word of warning, though: I used almost an entire ball more than the pattern called for in my size. And there was a lot of this:



This drives me a little crazy at the best of times, but in Noro it is even worse because the breaks in the yarn ALWAYS break up colour patterns. Until I wised up and started spit-splicing, I had ends dangling from every edge. The thing is, I have knit two clapotises and a sweater previous with noro yarns, and the random knots are usually the exception, not the rule. Maybe this bag caught Mr. Noro on a bad day. Still, I love the yarn and wouldn't hesitate to use it again. And the sweater itself is extremely comfortable and wearable and well-fitting. Even despite the fact that I apparently missed part of the neck shaping on the fronts. Did I mention a short attention span?

So, as soon as I finish that trekking sock and Mike's sweater (wait, did I say finish the sweater? how about start?) then I can freely start on a whole new batch of knits for 2007!


(see? snow!)

I'll sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam... (Heather)

I may not win any awards for my stitchery, but it seems structurally sound. All zipper installation instructions should come with references to Grey's Anatomy.

No, York is not done (Heather)

I haven't started seaming yet. Good news is, the pieces are pretty much dry now. I had to take them off the bed around nine last night to ensure a relatively dry night's sleep.

Instead of cleaning my apartment or seaming my sweater, or even running my errands, I have been waffling over what sweater I want to knit next for me. Never mind that I promised my husband that his sweater would be my priority. It will still be next, but I need something to which I can look forward. A carrot, in other words.

After a session of pattern-flipping, and having consulted my to-knit list, these are the current contenders:



Rowan Felted Tweed (colour: Blaze 149) for Salina:



OR



Rowan Kid Classic (colour: Victoria 852) for Greek Pullover:



Any thoughts? I seem to be in a very Rowan mood today.

Block this way (Heather)

Is there anything more satisfying than casting off the second sleeve?

Maybe throwing the whole pile of knitting pieces into a nice room-temperature bath?



Or maybe seeing it all laid out on the bed (I really hope it dries fast...) waiting to be seamed?



I suppose what would be better would be to have it all seamed and zipped up, but that will just have to wait.

Now, would it be better to put the zipper in first, or should I seam the shoulders and knit the collar first? The pattern would have you sew in zipper absolutely last, but then again, the pattern told me I would need 7 balls of yarn...

Finally, a cautionary tale:



Never teach grafting post-dinner in bad light after a glass of wine.

The Battle of York (Heather)

York is my perfect storm of 2006. A convergence of many separate events resulted in a very pleasing cardigan.

First, on a visit to the yarn store, a shipment of Noro had just arrived, with new colours, even! I did something I had never done before, snap up a bag of Silk Garden 247 without any real thought to what I would do with it.

Then, a month or two later, my birthday present from Vancouver arrived, including a much coveted copy of Noro Knits.

Finally, while Jane was visiting in the summer (a very unknitty summer with lots of work and not so much free time) I very lazily cast on for a swatch, and proceeded to miraculously get gauge on the first try on 5mm needles (usually I would have tried with 4mm first, as I am a loosey-goosey knitter, but the lazy won out and the 5mm bamboo circs were sitting on the coffee table)

Then, having nothing else to grab when we moved to Toronto, I cast on for the back, and nearly finished in two days of driving back and forth.



That percolated in the WIP basket for awhile while we unpacked and settled in, and eventually i knit the two fronts (at once). I cast on for the sleeves immediately, and the frogged them both after three inches. Then it sat for months.

I took it out the week after Christmas, and slowly eked away at the first sleeve, knitting two inches or so a day. I just don't knit as much at my parents' place, I guess there is too much else going on.

Finished the first sleeve on and after a very stormy drive back to Toronto last night.



I cast on the second sleeve immediately, and in about three hours (including watching the Yarn Harlot on Newsworld) I got through the increases, and am ready to knit straight for awhile while we run errands around the city.



I am planning on finishing the second sleeve today and blocking it tomorrow. Then the sewing begins! The only thing then standing between me and a wearable cardi will be a collar and one measly zipper.

Wait, did I say zipper? *gulp*