Tuesday, February 21, 2006

My Olympic Project

I'm just too lazy to take pictures this week. I have a hideous cold and I'm in survival mode. But I have been knitting. If you'll recall, my (revised and revised) Olympic goal was to make two size 6 sweaters for the twins using this rotten cotton I'd grown to despise.

I knit the front and back of the first sweater, then discovered that it was coming out way too small. It was knitting up like a size 4. Probably my gauge, but whatever. Ben *is* built like a barrell up top. So I switched to the placket-neck sweater in Last-Minute Knitted Gifts (which was a Last-Minute Christmas gift from a swap I was in) in part because it involves almost no sewing (there is some grafting in the armpit).

I really love the way this sweater is constructed so far, although I still have my doubts about the room in the shoulders for the boys.

A few days into this I learned that a friend of ours who I thought was having a baby at the end of March is delivering on February 28th, so that put me into full knitting-pink mode. I'm doing the Baby's First Luxuries set from Knitters Stash.

And I was swatching up the yellow machine-washable yarn anyway, so I cast on and started the first 12 rows of the bottom of the placket-sweater for baby Oliver who isn't due until June.

Yep, since I have SO much work to do right now, I started five sweaters simultaneously, and then got sick.

:::smacks head against wall::::

So, progress thus far:

1. Too small sweater--no progress. It has a front and back and 80% of a sleeve. It's tabled until after the Olympics.

2. First Placket-Neck Olympic sweater--85% done. It has the main body, two sleeves, and the first portion of the yoke done.

3. Second Placket-Neck Olympic sweater--not so much. It has the main body and the first two inches of the first sleeve done. I'm hoping to finish up that first sleeve today and do the second sleeve tomorrow.

4. Baby's First Luxuries in pink--the body of the sweater is done. It needs two sleeves and three rounds about the neck. Then it needs a pair of socks. Still seems totally doable by March 3rd (assuming Mom and baby stay in hospital for four days following c-section).

5. Oliver's yellow Placket-Neck Olympic sweater--no further progress and none expected until early April. But it is a pretty yellow.

Sounds good doesn't it? I could pull this off and have a few days to spare! There's only one itsy bitsy problem.

I have one skein of yarn left at this point. Yep. So I got online and found the dang yarn I've grown to dislike and ordered more of it. Thankfully, noone else likes knitting with it either (although blessedly, it feels GREAT knitted up--wonderful weight to it, perfect for the late winter and through the spring) so the price was significantly reduced.

I feel like the Spanish ski team when the Italians lost their luggage--including all of their skis--at the airport. For days.

Will the yarn arrive in time? I don't know. I probably have enough for the sleeves. If I have to, I can frog the sleeve of the two-small sweater in order to finish the Olympic project. I was trying to avoid that because the sweater was coming out nicely and it looked like one for the gift drawer. It's up to the USPS now.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you're looking for a very deserving, skinny size 4, I know of one who is having a birthday in June ;) She's very cute and has beautiful curly hair. Hope you feel better soon.
S.

The Queen said...

Ooh, and she'd look pretty in a green and yellow blend :)

How'd that soaker ever work out? Was the waistband too small?

Anonymous said...

worked great! sorry i was so unappreciative (that's spelled so wrong.) i don't have the strength check the spelling. plus i'm typing one handed.
s.

The Queen said...

Pah! I had just hoped it worked out. I'd really worried about the waistband--ask Charlotte, I ripped it out at least five times trying to get it the right size.