First and foremost, thank you all very much for the wonderful comments on Jemima! It cooled off yesterday (it even rained last night, which is unheard of for May!) so I was able to wear it once again. I’ve never been so thankful for overcast skies.
As I Spring Clean my WIPs, I have attacked my oldest WIP, the Habu linen paper/silk bag -
I started this in April. 2007. It’s just so darn tedious! Once I decided it would be finished, I powered through it. I think I knew if I set it down for any length of time I may not pick it back up. I have a three more seams, a dunk, et voila – what I hope will be an equally functional and funky small bag, perfect for toting knitting projects!
To counterbalance working on the oldest WIP, I started a brand new one. Well, I needed to justify starting a new project in Spring Cleaning month somehow, right? Oh yeah, I also needed a travel knitting project. Yeah.
Anywhoodle, last weekend I started the Tahki Classic Boatneck Pullover in Rowan Handknit Cotton in a deep indigo -
I first swatched on US6 and did get gauge, or very nearly, but I felt the resulting fabric was just a little stiff. I swatched on US7 and this fabric, well, this fabric was just right. Loose enough to drape and move, but tight enough to (hopefully) avoid super-dooper cotton garment bagginess. However, my gauge was also 1/2 stitch less per inch. The pattern calls for 5 sts/in, I am getting 4.5 sts/in.
So I threw caution right into the wind and took a stab at rejiggering the pattern for this gauge. I think with these numbers I will get a sweater with around a 34″ chest (an inch smaller than the smallest size) with the cables and pieces in proportion. But I’ve never done something like this for a whole sweater. With arms and everything. My fingers are crossed.
By some groovy cosmic coincidence, Bron also cast on for this last weekend. So we are having a wee knit-along we have dubbed “Boatneck for Two”. Sounds romantic, huh?
Materfamilias has tagged me with an interesting little meme:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.
Since my desk sits in the same room as our bookcase, there are many books about the same distance from me, so I picked the first fiction title I came to on the far right side.
The book is The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov (1972 hardcover book club edition, I might add – I was a small collector of Asimov for several years 
), and here are the sentences:
“There was one period of her life when she had been driven to almost hermit-like isolation to escape. If she had begun with a liking for aloneness, that had confirmed it. And being alone, she found consolation in the rocks.”
Hmmm.
As is my habit, I am not tagging forward on this meme. It’s open to anyone who would like to share something in their reading repertoire!
I am leaving Friday afternoon to visit Indiana for my nephew’s college graduation. I’m so proud! I’ll be back late Monday, and I will have internet access, but I don’t know if I’ll be posting during this time or how often I’ll be checking email. I hope to get plenty of travel-time knitting in on the cotton pulli in particular!
Thanks for doing this meme. I’ve been tagged with two in the last week, and I hope that’s it for a while.
I’m also just beginning a project in an indigo Rowan yarn, altho’ mine’s a skirt (Indigo Ripples) and the yarn is the Rowan denim. They’re both summery-y projects.
I’m so impressed by your “spring cleaning.” I need to do this! Hope you have a good trip. BTW, if the Asimov quote ended with the word “yarn” instead of “rocks,” that could be me sometimes
Seriously, you’re done with your spring cleaning project already? You amaze me! Yay for the new sweater cast on. Have a great trip; hope your nephew wears his Vanille to do you proud.
Good luck with your projects!
I was challenged last week by a fellow Swedish knitter and blogger to finish stuff before 11th of May. I’m done with 2/3 but am struggeling with a cardi project for my son. We’ll see how it works out, at least i tried…
I love that cabled pullover. It is very high on my to make list! I had planned on making it out of the yarn I used for my wrap sweater, but I wanted something a bit more substantial, so may use a wool/cotton or something….
Love the bag – can’t wait to see the oldest WIP turn into a FO!
The little bag is going to be worth the time. The sweater is going to be awesome–as always! Say hello to Indiana for me!
Although I have a great appreciation for the visual aspect of all Habu designs, they do involve a lot of stockinette on small needles, *sigh*. I made the Kusha Kusha scarf, and hated every stitch of it!
Obviously, that’s not stopping you, and your bag is looking great
Good luck with the bag *and* the boatneck. I’ve never done that kind of gauge manipulation, and I’m excited to see how it turns out for you!
Have a great vacation! With great family time! And great knitting!
Congrats on finishing (well, almost) your Habu bag!Okay, enough with the exclamation marks. But I’m happy you’ve finished your Spring Cleaning project, and can move onto more interesting knits.
I have that pullover in my queue too! I love the color of yours.
What a great idea to “reward” yourself with a new knit since you’re finishing up an old knit.
Have a safe trip to Indiana. You have a nephew old enough to be graduating from college? Wow.
I like the meme – yours was perfect as as a stand alone excerpt. Your new project seems perfect for your style and the color is beautiful! Safe travels.
Boatnecks are a good style on you. Have a wonderful time in Indiana – too bad you won’t be there during tart cherry season. I may have to go back just for the pies one Summer – LOL
Have a great time this weekend! And thanks for your compliments on the shawl. I’m so glad that weird combo worked out.