Enough of Christmas!

There has been plenty of knitting throughout the past week. The cardigan is making good progress. The back is finished and I’m past the armhole shaping and into the collar and v-neck shaping on the left side.

I was a little worried, when wrapping it around myself, that it might just be a little too small, but it shouldn’t be. I’d hate to put all this work into it and discover that it doesn’t fit as I expected it to. When I hold the sides and hold it to myself, it does fit just fine. I should stop worrying, right?

Yesterday, I went through my unfinished projects and came across this one, Western Seas, an Alice Starmore pattern that I started a long time ago. It was 3/4 finished, but I had no idea where I was in the pattern, so I frogged it. And, obviously, restarted it. The one thing I do know is that it was the smallest size in the pattern. This time, I’m making the 4-5 year size, guaranteeing it will fit one or more of the grandsons for quite some time. I know I’ve been ignoring the cardigan, but I’m very much enjoying the knitting of this little sweater. I’m now thinking of making a few more of these and, eventually, sending them out to the grandkids.

The sweater is a simple gansey, worked in the traditional style, from the bottom up, with a split welt (waistband). I’m working it in a sock yarn on 3.0 mm needles and it’s working up very quickly, considering that I’ve had nothing but time on my hands this week. Even now, I’m inches further than the picture show; I’m now up to the start of the underarm gusset shaping.

I’ve also been playing some more with double knitting. I bought a pattern online for a pair of double knitting mittens, and have started them… twice so far.

As pretty as it is, I’m afraid I’ll have to frog it. As a matter of fact, I’ll have to turn my back on this technique. Because I’m using 2.0 mm needles (I could and may try using slightly larger needles) and using both hands, holding one strand in each hand, it has been really hard on my thumb. It’s been so hard on my thumb that I’ve had to use a tensor bandage (I use the brace, too, but this time the tensor felt better) and Naproxen. Proving to myself that I can do this technique effectively is not worth the pain. For that reason alone, I’ll be frogging this mitten and putting it away for now.

Luckily, knitting English style (throwing vs picking) is much less painful so I can still knit. And, as you can see, I have plenty to work on. One less project will not be missed. :)