The cardigan that never was!

As part of February is for Finishing, I opted to finish a cardigan which I began in 2003. The knitting was all done - all that was left was the finishing. At the time I started it, I worked full time in corporate administration. I left home at 7.30am and returned ten to twelve hours later. I needed layers of warm clothes for the trip to work by public transport. A coat over a cardigan over a long sleeved blouse (with a collar) was a good option. I replaced my cardigan with a blazer in the office.

However, winter 2003 was probably the last time that I wore hand-knitted wool cardigans or jumpers regularly for two reasons.
1. I resigned from that job in the summer of 2004 (February).
2. I can't stand the feel of wool against my skin, no matter how soft it is in the skein.

Since winter 2004, I have worn shop-bought synthetic zip-up jackets over long sleeved tee shirts for layers of warmth. This is more practical in my current job as an English teacher to adult migrants/refugees because a zip is easier to deal with than the buttons on a cardigan or pulling a jumper (sweater) over my head. Besides, all my classrooms are heated and I travel in my own car (also heated)!

On Tuesday (27 February), two days before the end of National Knit and Sew-up Month, I pulled the cardigan out of storage. Western Sydney has experienced severe thunderstorms every afternoon for a week; the cardigan is navy blue and I needed good light to see what I was doing so I had been procrastinating. As the end of February loomed close, I determined I was going to finish that cardigan whatever the weather. I carefully pulled out each piece, the back, the right front, the left front, one sleeve - all looking good. I pulled out the second sleeve and there it was - a hole so large I could pass a ping pong ball through it! :-( Some nasty, wool loving insects had found a tasty treat despite all my precautions.

I guess I could frog the sleeve and knit it again but, as I've already said, I don't wear knitted woollen clothes anymore, so what would be the point? I will use the wool (5ply) to knit something else - stay tuned for Part II of The Cardigan That Never Was!!!

Still knitting - still finishing!

After a southerly change last weekend, the weather has cooled slightly but the temperature is slowly increasing again. The humidity - yuk! We had some much needed rain on Monday; so much that my class was cancelled because the women wouldn't be able to move between the classroom and the creche! It was the most torrential rain I have seen in many months. Come to think of it, it is one of the rare occasions of any rain I have seen in months!

The cancelled class gave me some "free" time which I used on my Patches Wrap for February is for Finishing. So far I have sewn in over 1600 ends - 100 for every day of February plus some extras because of my 'free' time! This picture shows just a small part of the wrap/afghan, multiply by 100 and you get the idea! To give you some idea of scale, the picture shows a section about 6 inches x 4.5 inches.

On the knitting front, I have been working on Diamond Wrap #2 and Small Diamond Wrap. Diamond Wrap #2 is about 70% finished and so is becoming very heavy and too hot to sit under in the hottest month of the year. Small Diamond Wrap is made up of 5 inch squares knit on the diagonal - much easier to manage in the heat and humidity. So far I have succeeded in sewing groups of four squares together as I finish them rather than have 112 squares to sew together at the end! Happily, I can report that I have now have 20 squares sewn together.

I have also been listening to podcasts. I particularly enjoy Australian knitter David Reidy of Sticks and Strings; in the past few weeks I have listened to all his podcasts. David attends meetings of the knitting group to which I belong - the Blue Mountains Group of the Knitters Guild NSW. I am slowly working my way through the archives of American knitter living in Wales, Brenda Dayne of Cast-On. In Episode #44 she mentioned the KAL I joined at the beginning of the year - Stashalong.

Speaking of Stashalong, so far I have managed to buy only yarn that I need to complete current projects. I went to my local department store on Monday, and found that 100g acrylic had gone up from $2.98 a skein to $3.12; it seemed like a big increase but it's less than 5% so I guess we can't really complain! Still, I'm glad I've decided to stop knitting with acrylic. My hands feel so dry and rough. It's funny, the variegated yarns always seem softer than the plain colours - I wonder why?

I need to get all my current WIPs (see sidebar) finished before 17 March because my lys is attending the Blue Mountains Knitters' Group meeting that day and will be bringing yarn for a "one skein challenge". I won't be able to participate if I can't buy yarn and I can't buy yarn if all my projects are not finished (self imposed rules).

So I guess I'd better stop blogging and knit/finish! :-)

PS Does anyone know if any hospitals in Sydney are taking donations for Chemo Caps?

February is for Finishing

I'm still mulling over what to do with that recycled yarn; in the mean time I have joined another KAL: February is for Finishing

Basically, during February I have undertaken not to do any knitting until I have done at least half an hour of finishing! So I have three projects that will definitely be finished pretty soon:

1. teddy (for charity)
2. cardigan (for me)
3. wrap/afghan (for charity)

Mum will be so proud of me; she always finishes everything she knits!