yarny update

Finally! A knitting update! I know you all are shocked and amazed, just as I am.





I finished these a month ago, but it took me a while to get around to blocking it, buying the buttons and, um, buying needle and thread. It was my first button-sewing experience, what can I say? I don't know why I dawdled because I'm really pleased with how the sweater turned out. I'll definitely be making more of these in the future -- I love all the garter stitch. I will mention that I found this spreadsheet to be super, super helpful for keeping track of the rows. Elizabeth Zimmermann's patterns are more like "vague directions" that can be tricky for a gal like me who tends to overthink things. This chart really helped.

The sweater and hat are for my co-worker Luis, who's going to be a dad in September. A co-worker and I are organizing a shower for Luis and his wife. A co-ed baby shower means no silly games. Since he is a designer (and so many of us are, too), we are providing people with onesies and Tees -- and iron-on stuff so they can make a shirt for the baby. The shower's in a week and a half and I can't wait to see their faces when they open the package!

I am on the fence about whether to continue knitting for co-workers. This is the first time I've upped my game beyond baby socks and hats. A month ago, I showed off this sweater in progress to my co-worker who had a baby in November and is pregnant again, due in February. I didn't know she was pregnant then -- only found out a few weeks ago. And now I feel obligated to make her a sweater. (She got a hat and a bib last time.) What should I do??

Last week, when I was feeling down about my granddad, I realized I had $35 sitting in my PayPal account from various destashes on Ravelry. So I hopped on over to my favorite yarn retailer and spent that money! I got STR mediumweight in Crabby McHappypants:



I just love that name. It makes me think of eating steamed crabs by the beach ... so I will need a lovely pattern to make a pair of crabby socks.

I also got STR mediumweight in County Clare:


I have finished three pairs of socks in the past month (that will wait for another post), but I can show a picture of my current sock in progress:



A 2x2 ribbed sock in Trekking 100. I am digging how it's working up -- and my fear was that the thin yarn would be splitty, but I have not found that to be the case at all. Yay!