Home stretch with Erin - sleeves get smaller each round, especially since I have short arms. I figure I'll end with the mythical beast chart round and a bit of corrugated ribbing. Then add the buttons and done.



Finished organizing and cataloging the yarn stash. This is some of it and yes I said some. Sort of an addiction isn't it?

I love living in Maine. We're close to the coast and love taking drives down tiny back roads and visiting much loved places and sights. A long peninsula stretches out south of Brunswick, Maine. At the end of one finger are the tiny fishing communities of Orr's and Bailey Islands. The very end is appropriately called "Land's End" and is one of my most favorite places in Maine. Gorgeous day, few tourists around, just sat on the rocks and soaked up the sun, sounds of the sea and calls of the birds. It is equally as beautiful in dead of winter - with no tourists! The statue amongst the regosa sea roses is of a lobsterman pegging a lobster's claws. It is a tribute to those who make their living from the sea - and those who have lost their lives there.

Sometimes I wonder why I keep knitting since my brain seems to be disappearing. The sleeves of Erin were going so well. I've rotated the charts so that the sleeves would be knit upside down, thus making the mythical beasts right side when the arm is down. I marked the charts with sleeve decreases so they are being made evenly on both sleeves. So merrily, merrily I knit the first three rows of Chart D to set up the sleeves, then Chart C which in my colors is the turquoise rows. Then my brain took a break and I knit Chart A, the beast, instead of Chart B which is the checkerboard looking band. Since I'm knitting a chart on one sleeve, then the same chart on the second sleeve to keep the sleeves going, I now have both sleeves with beasts done and Chart B skipped. Is this mistake really going to stop Western Civilization?? NO but it sure am disappointed in myself. My dear DH asked me if knitters followed each other around with the patterns, checking to be sure it was slavishly followed. Well NO and as usual he lifted my spirits. I suppose if anyone ever comes up to me and saves there is a chart band missing, I'll just ask them if I could take a look at their Erin

I'm not going to rip out 33 X 2 rows of chart with decreases. I'll put the checkerboard on both sides of the next turquoise chart and call it good. It is a beautiful pattern and is intricate enough that non knitters will never know those rows aren't there.

In the blog post of July 29th, you can see the skipped chart. The first sleeve has the turquoise band which is NOT supposed to have a checkerboard at the top but is supposed to have it at the bottom. Oh well!

Anne

Adventures in Wooly Boarding - maybe we can make this an Olympic Event? After years of lusting after a wooly board and a few attempts at making my own, I finally went up to Halycon Yarns in Bath, Maine today and bought one. Beautiful wood, smooth, perfectly made joins, well varnished to resist water damage. Had to treat the DH to a Chinese buffet for lunch for riding along with me but hurried home as quickly as possible.





The original washing/blocking for my blue Aran FLAK sweater was on towels on the floor and I was never happy with the way it dried as the ribbing ruffled. FLAK is re-washed, spun dry in the washing machine and now drying on the wooly board. Poor cat sort of backed out of the room when she entered and came face to sweater with something standing there.

Don't know why I waited so long for a board but know it will be well used for many years. It's also finally cooling off a bit so let the knitting resume!

Anne

Finished the first pair of socks out of "The Sock Calendar" by Catherine Wingate. The socks are called "Ahoy! Socks" and are in DK weight knit on US size 4 Brittany wooden sock needles. They have a knotted cable and a plaited cord rib and were a lot of fun to knit. Best thing about the socks is they are the same size and they fit. It's just too hot to work on a big sweater though I've been plugging away on the sleeves for Erin.

Janet Szabo's new book "Cables: Volume 1: The Basics" has arrived and been devoured. Having knit Aran cables as long as I have, thought I knew all there was to know - wrong! This is an excellent book on how cables are made, how to change them and how to design new ones. Good book to add to the design library.

I've made myself promise not to start a new sweater until what is on the needles is done, washed and blocked. Right?? OTN isn't too bad right now - 1) Erin, a fair isle cardigan 2) Shirt Tail Hem fair isle pullover 3) Joe's all over rib raglan 4) Hemsdale - Dale of Norway cardigan 5) Spring Forward Aran cardigan. 1,2,3 and 4 are all at sleeve stage. 5 may be ripped back to begin the fronts again. At least I know I'm not alone as a knitter with dread of sleeve finish.