True Confessions

Yes, I did say I'd post pictures earlier in the week, but I ended up having a pain flare, and there we are.

In the meantime, I've sorted out what is my current batch of projects on their way to completion, taken photos, and am prepared to 'fess up.

Before I do, though, that the reason I started blogging was mainly to give myself a focus. I have some health problems that have made the last couple of years challenging -- nothing serious or life-threatening, but enough to reduce one to fits of depression and discouragement. It's all too easy to give into that when one is tired and in pain, but I was getting frustrated with the whole process. So I started blogging to give me something else to think about. To have something to either do every day, or plan for every day.

And since I cannot knit quickly, it also helps to look back at things and realize, "Hey, I *am* making progress! I *am* finishing things!" And since my attention can tend to wander when I lose focus, it also forces me to either limit the dreaded startitis, or at least to keep track of things.

So here you go, the current crop:

1. Henry VIII (from Alice Starmore's book Tudor Roses)

I didn't get a chance to sew the armhole steeks and cut them open. Here's what's left to finish on Henry:

- sew armhole steeks and cut them open
- knit both sleeves
- finish off any tacking down of steeks on sleeves, trimming excess
- working in any loose ends

There aren't much in the way of loose ends on Henry. To be brutally frank, I spit spliced the yarns whenever I could. I figured if I was changing from a dark to a dark or a light to a light, then the difference in colour over a few stitches really wasn't going to be that big a deal. I know that Wendy decided to knot and trim, but since my fine-motor control isn't the best, and I'm not as skilled as she is, the spit-splice option works for me.

I can't see the difference unless I really look. When The Other is wearing it, if anyone gets close enough to see a difference, then they will be standing too close, and bending over looking at his heiney. I'll let them decide if that's something they want to do .

I always like to learn something, no matter how small, on each project. The spit-splice realization was a big light-bulb moment for me. I realized that I'd started and abandoned Blue Corn Cafe because of all the yarn hanging out at the colour change, and how much of a hassle that was going to be to work them all in at the end. I'm going to return to BCC at some point, work in the ends on what's done so far, and keep going with the spit-splice method.

2. 14 juillet (free pattern from the Phildar web site)

Back is done. Right front is done. That leaves:

- left front (already cast on)
- sleeves
- collar/bands
- sewing in ends

BTW, Kiwi in the yarn Licorne is *not* discontinued. And it looks *much* nicer than the bamboo. This project has already fostered another one -- I have some tweedy cotton in cream with blue and green, the bamboo colour looks fab with it, and I got another colour of Licorne to coordinate. I'm going to make another version of this sweater in three colours at some point in the future. Which means, I get to use up some stash yarn!

More photos over the weekend. I still can't figure out why when I try to upload a picture into a post, the whole thing disappears. It's a PITA.

On the other hand, more to look forward to!

Comments

[Melinda]

Katherine,
Thanks again for the info. I think I found a way to get most of the yarn via a Phildar store in Belgium. They have taken my order and hopefully this will turn out ok. They didn't have Sunset in stock but I think I'll be able to find a good substitue here.

[katherine]

Melinda, yes, I have the Sunset in "Indien".

I know that Phildar yarns are carried in Canada, but very few out of the line -- the distributor is DGB, the same people who import the Confetti sock yarn into Canada. They seem to only carry basic yarns.

I think with some time and thought you will be able to find good substitutions -- for example the Sunset reminded me of some glitter threads I'd bought from Texere yarns in England -- and that's all you really need, thread, because you carry it along with a strand of the cotton.

[Melinda]

Ooh! It's even more beatiful then the pictures on the Phildar site. Thanks for sharing pictures. I want to make this sweater but I'm having a difficult time finding good substitue yarn here in the US. I think the pattern will stay on my to do list until the perfect yarn surfaces. Did you find the "indien" sunset yarn?

[Ruth]

I love this pattern. It was free? No? I tried the link but it is in French. Can I obtain it in English?

YOur knitting looks so very sweet and I want to try the same pattern.

Thank you