I started this sweater in December with the idea that I would finish it for late february and have it for those days when the highs are in the 40s, it's a cotton/wool blend, so that seemed like the right temps for wearing it.
Unfortunately, I underestimated how long it would take me to finish, those cables were really, really hard. Not hard like I couldn't do them, hard like I never memorized them, EVERY. SINGLE. ROW. I had to check against the chart and see what came next. It drove me absolutely bonkers.
The sleeves were too long, believe it or not, I shortened the cuffs by an inch, I may shorten them more when I get it back out next fall, but right now I just need to be done with it.
The underarms are a touch tight, the sleeve fabric kind of bunches up there, but it's not anything anyone but the knitter would notice and it's not uncomfortable (especially when I am NOT wearing a dress underneath it).
Oh, this is Parcel, from the winter twist collective in Shelridge Farm wool/cotton.
It doesn't match what I am wearing in these pics at all because I really do have it on over a dress, I threw it in my bag to take to work so I could get some pics taken because I don't envision being able to wear this before september. Sigh. But hey, a brand new sweater ready to go next fall, that's bonus!
The pattern was excellent, the fit is good, I am most pleased.
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Book Review!
I have two today, one good and one meh.
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand: I cannot possibly tell you enough times that you should read this book. It is not earth shattering, it will not blow your mind, it will make you feel...wait for it...HAPPY. When was the last time you read a story that made you feel good inside? Major Pettigrew is a fabulous character (older British retired major) with a really great sense of humor, his little asides had me cracking up outloud, and it is all the easier for you to understand where he is coming from because he seems to surrounded by complete idiots on all sides. I won't say anymore, just read it, it is wonderfully written and it will make you smile.
The Passage: This is the meh. 800 pages of meh. It starts slow. It starts reeeaaalllllyyyyy slow. It reminds me a bit of The Stand, a bit of every movie ever made about a deadly pandemic, and a bit of a very strange vampire book. It's not a bad book. It's not a great book. It's a book...you may love it, or maybe, like me, you'll wish you knew it was the first in a trilogy before you started so you could have gotten out while the getting was good. Because the thing is, I really do want to know what's going to happen with the characters, I just wish I could find out in 300 pages instead of two more (presumably) 800 page books.
I wanted to share that because I kept seeing it on 'best books of 2010' lists and I didn't think it was all that. Sometimes I wonder if books like that get on multiple lists because somehow LONG and COMPLICATED has been mixed up with GOOD in literature.
Just because an author can write a storyline that crosses 1000 years and has hundreds of characters does not mean the book is automatically good. Give me Major Pettigrew or Beat the Reaper any day, good writing, characters I really care about, and a plot line that isn't completely predicatable...books that stay with me days, weeks or even months after I've finished them. I'll take that any day over long, complicated and just a little bit boring.
Alright, there's my rant for the day. I was a lit major, some things stick with you...
Lovely sweater! the color is great on you.
Thanks for the book reviews! I had been kind of eyeing Major Pettigrew's Last Stand so now I know I will give it a try!
Posted by: Emily | April 22, 2011 at 12:59 PM
Gorgeous sweater! Nice going!! It will wait for October...
Posted by: Julia | April 23, 2011 at 01:43 AM
Love the sweater. It is such a great color too
Posted by: Connie | April 23, 2011 at 11:58 AM
I am with you 100% on the rant - and I went and bought Major Pettigrew before I even finished reading your post :) I need a book like that right now, and I just finished the one I was reading. (Which I *highly* recommend - even though I had to order it used because it's no longer in print - another blogger suggested it to me because it's got a linguist as a main character. It's called Hellspark, in case you're interested.)
The sweater looks great - I bet you'll get a LOT of wear out of it once the weather's turned again!
Posted by: Jocelyn | April 23, 2011 at 03:55 PM
Good to know about the Passage. I've been trying to motivate myself to read it since Xmas but I think I will skip it now.
Also, as usual, the sweater is lovely! :D
Posted by: Heather | April 26, 2011 at 09:28 AM