Yarning Along...

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...with Ginny at Small Things.


The sweater I was working on for Faith had stalled the last couple of weeks so I didn't participate in Ginny's Yarn Along. I ran out of yarn at the end of the second sleeve and when the skein I order came, I discovered the company had filled the order with the wrong color (sour apple green -- yuck!). Finally the right one arrived and I finished the sweater at the end of last week.

My first sweater! I love this pattern. It was the perfect first sweater because the pattern was simple to follow and with the exception of a few stitches, I knew how to do all of the steps already. Knittinghelp.com, of course, came in handy for learning the kitchener stitch and casting on stitches to a finished edge.

The pattern was this one, and I used inexpensive cotton yarn because it was my first sweater and I was afraid I would botch it and waste a lot of money in good yarn. As it turned out, I probably should have used nicer yarn, but at least now I won't feel badly if she plays outdoors in it and really uses the sweater. The sweater is a bit long, and wide around her middle, but she's a fairly skinny little girl. I probably could have finished the second sleeve with the original allotment of yarn, if I had shaved a few inches off the length, but now she can wear it this fall and winter (if her arms don't grow too much!).

I apologize that I am sharing so many pictures, but it is my first sweater! And just FYI, I did not block the sweater before I took the pictures. Because it will be washed often, I'm not sure I'll ever do that.

Explaining something to me with her hands.

I started another sweater by Knitting Pure and Simple for Doug's little niece. It's the same brand of yarn in bright, cheerful colors -- called Gumdrop (how could you not like gumdrop yarn?). This sweater is a cardigan with one button and because Doug's niece is only four, the sweater will be much smaller. I love how the sweater starts to take shape after just a few rows. Thanks, Ginny, for the recommendation.

My "yarn" is To Kill a Mockingbird, which I am reading with Joshua, my high school senior, so that we can have a little book club discussion before he writes his final English paper.

Join Ginny for more Yarn Alongs.

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