Strings 'n Things

Time seems to be flying at a much more rapid pace than usual these days. I can't believe it's been more than a week since I last posted. It doesn't feel that I've been busier than usual, but I suppose there's just so much going on that I simply haven't found the time (or energy) to post. I had intended to post earlier this past weekend, but with everything going on around here, it just never happened.

I have been knitting. John's sweater now has two completed sleeves and I'm working at finishing the body. I only have to work a couple more rounds and then do the ribbing. I was concerned that I might not have quite enough of the main colour when I bought the yarn, but I still have one untouched ball and another half ball in the denim blue. That will be plenty to finish off two inches of ribbing. When I have it finished, I'll post a picture. I'll even try to get John to model the sweater for you. (He's a little camera shy.)

That's really the only knitting I've been doing, other than a repeat on the Estonian Garden scarves now and then.

Have any of you knitted with Louet's Euroflax Linen? What's your opinion of it? I bought the yarn, pattern and needles to knit a nice, lacy, sleeveless top; I cast on 272 stitches on waste yarn, on a 2.0 mm needle (US 1). I worked the first 3 rounds in stocking stitch, as required. Then, I had to switch to a 2.5 mm needle (US 2) for the picot round. Have you ever gone from smaller needle to larger needle, with a yarn that has NO stretch, and knitted 2 together all the way around? That round nearly killed my wrist! It took me three hours to work that round. And then I found that I was 3 stitches short. *big sigh* My wrist still hasn't recuperated.

I frogged it.

Let me know what you think; is the yarn worth the pain of re-doing that first part? Or should I just go ahead, wimp out and do the alternate garter stitch edge? Or... should I return the unwound skeins and purchase fingering weight wool instead? It is a summery top and a wool summer top might not be the best idea around these parts. The temperatures can reach into the mid to high 90's, after all.

Enough of the rambling. Let me know what you would do. In the meantime, here are a couple of pictures I took this morning, right outside our back door. Enjoy!