Who says I never finish anything?

Everybody does. And usually, they are right.

But not today.


(photo by Nick, who doesn't often photograph handknits, and who was running out the door this morning for work)

pattern: Tempting by Jenna Adorno, in Knitty winter 2004 - I made the 36" size
yarn: Malabrigo Merino worsted (215 yds/skank), 3 skanks in Tiger Lily (with not very much left over)
needles: US 8 circular & dpn

modifications: Just the yarn. When I went to Wool & Co. and asked for Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran, I was told they don't carry Debbie Bliss. So I hunted around the store for pretty, soft, worsted-to-heavy-worsted yarn. Fortunately, I found the last three skanks of the Tiger Lily in the store and clutched them to my bosom, snarling at those who coveted my spoils. I was also very lucky that day, as my Fairy Godmother was with me at the store and insisted on paying for the yarn. (My Fairy Godmother is a friend of the family who has taken it upon herself to spoil my sisters and me, and only recently did I learn that she is a knitter.)

time spent: I'm not even sure. I think I started in March, and ended on September 10th. So, seven months. Oh my god. That is shameful. Pretend you didn't read that.

inspiration to just finish it already oh my god: Hanging out with the Femiknitter (she has a new blog -- stop in and say hello!) and hearing of her knitting triumphs and FOs made me want to join the club and actually have a wearable FO of my very own. So I knit like a fiend and finished it and here we are.

things I learned from this sweater: I taught myself how to knit continental (picking) because I couldn't deal with the 2x2 rib in English. It was taking for. ever. With continental, I just zoomed right through, until I put the sweater down and forgot about it, or got married, or something (full props to Maggie Righetti's Knitting in Plain English for instructions on how to purl in the continental style). I also learned how to make eyelets with yo, k2tog, which was pretty awsome; how to join sleeves that were knit on dpns to the body on a circular needle; that using a metal circular makes the knitting slide along *much* easier than does a bamboo needle; and how to perform a three-needle bind off.

unofficial slogan: Ribbing sucks way less when you pick!

verdict: This is a great first sweater, in my opinion. Everything is in the round, there is no shaping, and it turns out pretty darn flattering, too. Just after I made the eyelets (about 1 inch from being done), I thought "What am I doing, making an off-the-shoulder sweater? I don't wear off-the-shoulder things. I don't wear bows. How am I going to wear a bra with this?" Well, the design is more flattering on me than I thought it would be, and I'm so *ahem* un-endowed in the boobal region that I don't really need a bra (which is good, because I only have the one straplss bra, and there are very few occasions left in my life that would compel me to wear that again). I don't think I would make this for myself again, one off-the-shoulder sweater being enough for me, but I think it's a good one.


Read all about my trials, triumphs, more triumphs, and more trials with my first-ever knitted garment. Or, to be more accurate, a chronicle of my profound laziness.