Things are coming along nicely. I separated for the sleeves during our first seven and a half hour car journey, and got a handful more rows done before arriving and during quiet moments in the few days we’ve been at my in-laws’ place.
I’m making the sleeves and body at the same time so that I can match the colours. I’m embracing some subtle differences here and there to allow the use of every scrap where possible. This means measuring two lengths for each sleeve before starting on the body, and three circular needles on the go at once. My partner G is appalled by this and thinks it’s some kind of sorcery.
I’m keeping each colour in its own bag. This helps with colour identification in low light (some of those greens are particularly hard to distinguish from the greys), and also minimises tangles from skeins coming unravelled while I rummage about for the next colour. It’s a tight fit in the project bag but I’m pleased with it as a system.
Just 14 inches of body to go, then! The colour work is easy once you get into a rhythm. Like many things in life, it works best if I don’t think too much about it. I’m a thrower, so I’m holding one colour continuously then scooping up the second colour with my middle finger every other stitch. The yarn is waiting there for me as if by magic… as long as I don’t over-think it, and just let my internal chant of ‘one, two, one, two’ guide me.
I’m weaving in ends as I go and, as you can see, the seam where the colours change is currently very obvious. I feel confident (perhaps foolishly so) that I’ll be able to snug it up once I’m done, either by tugging the woven-in ends or by crocheting a ladder up the inside I’ve not followed the instruction to move the seam to the side of the work, so that it’s a continuous seam down the back of the work.
The pattern suggests several ways to manage the ends and I haven’t taken their advice at all, so I’ll only have myself to blame if it doesn’t work out!
This is a Sea Glass Sweater (Ravelry link) by Wool & Pine (Designer’s site).
The Crafty Yarnster 