cabin fever

It's snowing again. Ummm, God? Are you listening? This is enough snow, ok? It's pretty and all, but we'd rather not break our backs digging out of it. So you can stop hurling it at us now. Deal?

Hubs is heading to Home Depot after work to check out a new, very large snowblower. Which is awesome, because I was just thinking about lighting $1000 on fire and now I don't have to.

There is little choice, however, as there is a solid 4' X 4' block of snow in the driveway behind his car (thanks plow), another solid block at the end of our front walk and surrounding the mailbox (thanks again, plow), and did I mention it's coming down like gangbusters again? We managed to get my car dug out yesterday (Jeep) so Hubs could go to work today, but that leaves me with no car. And even though it is 7 degrees F and snowing sideways, I still want my car because cabin fever? It is setting in. If Daughter and I don't get out of the house soon we will both go nuts. In the last 3 weeks I have been out 4 times. 4. FOUR TIMES. Target is going to go under if I don't start getting out again.

It is so bad that I am actually finishing projects I don't care about.


Wee minty green sweater. The pattern is from an old book (1940s) that once belonged to my great aunt. From what I have heard she was an amazing knitter who made full suits for herself and back then they did it with size 1 needles, peeps. None of this chunky and bulky weight business. And that is what you find in the baby pattern books from that time as well. I love and collect old pattern books, as I think it's worth it to make a dainty baby item from fingering weight yarn. It doesn't take that long and the result is so delicate and sweet.

This sweater is supposed to be a 1-year size. I don't know if it really is because my 1-year old will be a 2-year old in about two seconds, so I have no one to try it on. The yarn is some sort of cheesy fingering-weight acrylic, which I often use for baby items because hey, it's soft, and also machine wash-and-dryable.

Needles used: US sizes 1 and 3

It has no buttons yet, and it hasn't been washed. It came from the needles straight to you, internet. I'll wash it and slap on some buttons, and then pack it away for whenever.

And then there's a project that I do care about.


Behold! This is the mighty Kinsale, sweater of doom that has haunted me for years. I think the timeline goes like this:

Late winter 2004: Get Elsebeth Lavold silky wool for birthday gift, cast on for Kinsale
Spring and early summer 2004: Knit happily on Kinsale using (US) size 3 needles. Finish front and back. Begin sleeves.
August 2004: Get pregnant. Forget about Kinsale, won't be able to wear it anyway.
April 2005: Have baby. Ignore Kinsale. Summer is coming.
Fall 2005: Ignore Kinsale. Can't wear it while breastfeeding anyway. Besides, there are way too many cute kid sweaters to knit. Feel a bit guilty about Kinsale anyway because that yarn was pricey, yo.
Winter 2005: Make half-hearted effort to finish Kinsale. Complete sleeves.
Late winter 2006: Get pregnant. Forget Kinsale. Again.
Summer 2006: Well, you all know that story.
Fall/Winter 2006: Knit neckband but bind off too tightly so it won't go over head. Become disgusted. Throw it in a heap.
Winter 2007: Realize 3 years is quite a bit too long and finish the stupid sweater already. Undo the neck cast-off, redo it with a larger needle and a stretchy method. Sew up the sleeves and underarms over 2 nights of lousy TV. Sigh contentedly. Post to blog.

Pattern: Kinsale from Alice Starmore's Fishermen's Sweaters
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold silky wool. I don't know what the color is anymore - granite, maybe? In some light it is very gray, in other light it is greenish. I had either 8 or 10 balls and used almost every last yard.
Needles: US 1 and 3 circular
Mods: Mine is a tad shorter than specified in the pattern because I am short-waisted and didn't want it hugging my hips and bottom. It hits me around hip-level and I like it. Good thing I did this, too, because I would have run out of yarn otherwise.

Also, silky wool is technically a sport or dk weight yarn and size 6 needles are recommended. However, it knit up very nicely on smaller needles and is not stiff at all. In retrospect this was not the best yarn choice for the pattern. It's very slubby and nubby and does not show off the stitches very well. A disappointment, to be sure, but I didn't know enough at the time of purchase to disagree with the yarn shop owner who recommended it. That just goes to show you, ladies and germs...don't always assume your LYS is offering the most appropriate guidance. Take a more experienced knitter with you for help if you can. I wish I had. Oh well, I like the sweater and I will wear it. If nothing else I'm happy to remove this particular albatross from around my neck.

Only one more silly little languishing knitting project to finish up, and then I can make something all new! What to knit, what to knit.....well, heaven knows it will come from stash yarn because I can't get to the store, and also, all our money will be sunk into that new snowblower by the end of the day. Boo.