Paper and ribbons

Yesterday was my birthday, and my marvelous husband got me two knitting books I have been coveting.

Yesterday morning, after I unwrapped it, I browsed through The Sweater Workshop but had to finally force myself to put it down and make the rule that I am not allowed to look at it again until both T3 and the Seabreeze sweater are complete, because I am just itching to start my sampler and try out some of the things she talks about in this book.

Today, among other things, I spent a few hours reading through most of Stiitch and Bitch, just because I have been itching to ever since I flipped through it in a bookstore months ago. I’ve already found information that will be very helpful for T3, because I think I might not have sewn it long enough, plus the bottom ribbing is still really annoying me with the way it flips up. However I’ve not really wanted to have to rip out both front and back just to make them longer. So knowing what I need to do to start over at the bottom instead of from the top will be oh so useful.

Speaking of T3, I did the side seams, amazing myself with how beautifully invisible they turned out. It looks like somehow I managed to measure the top parts well enough despite myself so the next step is to seam the shoulders – yet another new technique to learn – and then it’s on to the sleeves and the aforementioned lengthening of the bottom that is required. I’m scheduled to fly away for work again – this time with an overnight, bored in a hotel with nothing to do but either flip through dozens of channels of mindless television, or knit. I predict a finished T3 by the end of the week at this rate.

And I have an almost-finished object to report. Voila! Behold an unblocked, but mostly finished shawl!

The way I stretched it out on the table makes it look a little lopsided, but it’s actually pretty even. I have absolutely no idea how it is I am supposed to seam up that strange little neck piece at the top, but Friday night is craft night so I shall appeal to those with far more experience than me to offer insight. With that and T3, I see much blocking in store for me this coming weekend.