The recent newsletter for the Secret Pal II program requested that we complete a survey to help out our secret pals. Here are my answers:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Tweedy yarns, Rowan Handknit DK, Koigu

2. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? lace (I cast on for Charlotte’s Web this weekend and have had to force myself to put it down…must finish other things first!)

3. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? My favorite items (besides sweaters) are felted bags and socks.

4. What are you knitting right now? I’m in a mad rush to finish my Audrey pullover. I hope to have it done early in September so I can focus on the knitalongs I’ve joined.

5. What do you think about ponchos? (this is really a curiousity question for us) I’d love to make one. I just haven’t found the perfect yarn and/or pattern

6. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circular.

7. How did you learn to knit? My mother showed me how to cast on, knit and purl. I learned everything else from books and weblogs.

8. How old is your oldest UFO? I started Audrey in April (?) I’m a slow knitter *sigh*

Just in time for the really hot weather, I finished my Everyday Cardigan made out of Peace Fleece:

I’m really happy with the finishing job I did on this sweater. I used shortrows to shape the shoulders and seamed them together with a three-needle bindoff. If you haven’t tried this before, I highly recommend it. It makes a very neat and smooth shoulder. You can find instructions for this technique in Nancy Weisman’s finishing techniques book.

I wasn’t impressed with the pattern at all. It seems like a lot of the important details which create a really nice sweater were omitted. For instance, if I had cast on the number of stitches recommended by the pattern, I would have ended up with asymmetrical ribbing (the k2p2 ribbing would have been interrupted at the seams). To correct this problem, I cast on an additional two stitches for each piece.

Also, the instructions for the button band were just awful. They wanted me to place the buttons 1 stitch in from the edge. According to Montse Stanley’s Knitter’s Handbook, you should have at least three stitches between the button hole and the edge of the fabric to make it more stable. I also didn’t use the purl border recommended for the outer edge of the front bands. I just cast off in rib. It looks much, MUCH better this way.

Finally, I decided not to knit the sleeves as instructed. I cast on more stitches so that the cuffs wouldn’t be really tight and worked the increases farther apart so the slope was more gradual. I also had to make them two inches longer than they were supposed to be to accomodate my monkey arms.

This may be a simple sweater, but I learned some valuable lessons: (1) cropped sweaters are not flattering on my figure, (2) I can modify patterns to suit my preferences without the sky falling on my head, and (3) I prefer inset sleeves.

Today is my son’s third birthday! :birthday:

He and his daddy dressed in matching outfits Saturday evening when we went out to dinner. They both wore blue button down shirts, khaki shorts and Birkenstocks. It was so unbelievably cute…but it also made me reflect on how much he has grown and changed during the past three years.

Here’s a trip down memory lane for you.