Progress photos -

Fair Isle is the Shirt Tail Hemmed sweater from "Sweaters from Camp". Pretty complicated chart to follow so progress is slow but very satisfying. I have lots of FIs planned and have started collecting fiber.

Red is Janet Szabo's "Spring Forward" cardigan from a Twist and Turns issue. It's ready to start the sleeves. I added a cable in the moss stitch area on the front cause I couldn't stand that much blank space. The cables do line up and all is straight on the sweater though the photo doesn't look like it.

Blue is the FLAK , Follow the Leader Aran also from Janet Szabo. Second sleeve is close to the cuff as is the first. Ready to start the body probably this weekend if there is time at our knitting weekend/retreat.

Really enjoying retirement. Worked in the gardens doing winter cleanup today - first time it hit 50 degrees with low wind. Some of the herbs are showing - bad since I'm sure we have at least one more big snow storm to come.

My constant companion, Patter, sleeps under a lamp on the back of the couch I'm usually using for knitting. He's getting older and almost never leaves my side. Most of my knitting has grey hair knit in.

The Spring Forward cardigan is going well. With advice from the SF knit group, I made the increases for the left side today. This is a very easy pattern so no need for charts and graphs. The yarn is Plymouth Galway Highland Heather on size 6 needles. Gauge is right on and I'll look forward to wearing a cardigan for a change. Might finish both these fronts to back length and then work the second sleeve on the FLAK knit along. So much to do - retirement is great!

We're finally back in Maine after a rather eventful two weeks on our southern trip. The plan was to head to VA, spend a night with my sister, head to Mom's, spend a night there and then all head to near Charleston, SC for a cousin's wedding. The arrival at mom's was a bit traumatic as we found her in pretty bad health. Being a stubborn southern woman, she insisted on going to the wedding anyway. Long story, very short version, is a four day hospital stay for her in SC and entry into an assisted living center on return to VA., How horrible to get ripped out of your own home setting and into a care facility so quickly On the other hand, how fortunate to have a large, extended family to care enough to get the best possible care to extend her life and healing. I'm sure there are many more trips up and down that long Route 95 corridor coming up to visit her. But for the moment we are home and she is safe and well cared for. Love your family folks, take the best care you can of them since you never know how long they will stay healthy and in their homes.

Knitting? Not a lot though I thought about it a lot. I did manage a first repeat of the pattern for the back of Spring Forward Aran over the past two weeks. I knew enough not to take the Sweaters From Camp Knit Along (SFCKAL) sweater on the trip. The pattern for the Shirt Tail Hemmed Fair Isle was a bit too complicated to try to knit in a car while travelling. I'd also finished the first sleeve on the Follow the Leader Aran Knit Along (FLAK) down to the wrist ribbing and picked up the stitches for the other sleeve before the trip. Too much going at one time probably but that's me. It's great to be back and work in the knitting during my day.

I'm looking forward to a knitting retreat end of this month through Unique One Knit shop in Camden, Maine. Will be going with friend Shirley. There will be a class in Fair Isle color choices and in cables for Arans. I've also ordered Janet Szabo's new Aran design book and will eagerly await its arrival. Hopefully I'll be posting progress photos next week. I really want to get back on track with these projects.