Long time no blog... but look!

Look - it's a SWEATER! Yes, my first-ever-sweater, for me, by me, but not on me. At least not for the picture (I hate having my picture taken). Trust me, it does fit beautifully, but since it is now SPRING (JOY!!!), it's too warm to wear. D'oh! It will be packed away for Fall once I'm done showing it off.

What I learned from knitting a sweater:

1. Buy an extra ball of yarn, more than the pattern calls for. I rushed out on a Sunday afternoon to get enough to finish the last 2" of the turtleneck. Thank HEAVENS it's a variegated yarn - if I'd had to match a dye lot, I'd have been toast.
2. If the seam doesn't quite line up right, but the pieces matched before sewing, don't "jiggle" the seam to make it match. The reason it's not lining up is because you're trying to seam the arm to the body. Since sweaters are not meant to be worn with the arm attached to the body, this is a Bad Idea. (2b: it takes just as long to rip out a careful seam as it does to put one in). (2c: check your body parts before sewing seams).
   
3. Uh... 3. Yeah. 3 would be, "hey, look, I actually CAN knit a sweater! yay!" Or in other words, don't be afraid of a HUGE pile o'yarn and a pattern with new stuff in it. You can do it.
   
4. Have other projects to work on to take breaks from the sweater. This reduces stress. Preferably though, don't make one of them another sweater. D'oh!

I'm pleased with it and got loads of compliments - this is a Good Thing, because I do admit to being a bit of a needy knitter - admire me, tell me how wonderful the thing I made is, ooh and ahh. Really. That was a lot of work and I need to feel loved. :)

So now that the First-Ever-Sweater is out of the way, current WIPs are:

• Dad's cardigan. Back done, pockets done, first front piece underway. So far so good. Won't be ready for the birthday, but definitely for Father's Day (which is air-conditioning season so it's practical too!)
• Eeny-weeny sock #1. These are the funky blue/green/purple socks for me, which are knitting up in the COOLEST way, but I'm not taking a picture until I finish at least one. Then I'll have to make the other one. Y'all are keeping me honest here.
• Karen's scarf. Yes, I'm not working on it much. I'm also not blogging or newsgroup-posting much. There's a connection. It'll get done.
• A new thing, just started this week, but I can't say what it is because it's a surprise for someone who reads this. I won't even say who. Neener!

And, calling to me from the wings, a pattern for a travel pillow/shawl in the latest Knit.1 - it calls for baby-pink LB "cashmere" but I'm thinking it'll work up nice in that Freshisle Fibers suffolk wool I have. Then I could have a pillow for the trip up to Manitoulin this summer, where I will undoubtedly buy more Freshisle Fibers suffolk wool. I want to meet this lady in person. :)

In fact, I've been such a good Do-bee this weekend (no, really, I even packed away my winter clothes and got out the summer stuff and tidied my bookshelves and cleaned off my desk and found my floor!), I may just start that shawl this afternoon. It's a gorgeous sunny day and I feel like starting something new. Again.

Oh, and I worked on my novel for two hours this week. Progress!