I dreamed a dream

Summer has come to Indiana with a vengeance: temperatures in the 90s every day and thunderstorms at night! It’s really too hot to do too much, but somehow we’re getting a lot of work done. Here are a few updates on some of my summer projects:

1. The June Almanac Sweater

It’s none other than the Tangled Yoke Cardigan, a pattern I’ve been wanting to make since I first laid eyes on it. I am using Felted Tweed, which I’ve never used before but I now love. Last night I got to the most exciting part of a yoked sweater (for me): the moment when you join the sleeves to the body and it starts to look like an actual garment instead of a misshapen afghan!

As you can (hopefully) see from the blurry photo above, I tried a new technique with this sweater: knitting the sleeves two-at-a-time on one circular needle. I was trying to avoid a few things: first, a repeat of my mistake with the Professor’s sweater (hint for sweater knitters: most people prefer both sleeves to be the same size); second, the terrible monotony of knitting a 17.5″ tube with shaping every 10 rows (somehow a flat, seamed sleeve piece is much more pleasant to knit for me); and third, the possibility that I would hate knitting the first sleeve so much that I would never cast on for the second one (remote, but when you’re using wool/alpaca in the summer, anything is possible). I’m not totally convinced about this technique, though. It’s a little fiddly, since the two skeins are continually a bit tangled and the circular needle I was using was dreadfully twisty. It might be better with a less recalcitrant needle. I won’t publicly shame the needle here by naming it, mostly because I have no idea what it is. Also, I have to admit that I completely cheated on the cast-on by knitting about 2 inches of each sleeve on DPNs and then arranging it on the circular. The sleeves are done, aren’t they? Let’s move on.

The elephant in the room: it’s possible (some might even say likely) that I won’t be able to finish on time. In case this occurs, I pledge to document my failure in excruciating detail. I don’t rule out a dramatic moment where I fling the sweater, still barely on the needles, under the sofa at 11:48 p.m. on June 30 with a cry of despair. If this does occur, I’ll try to get the Professor to document it for my first ever video blog post. Stay tuned!

2. The garden

OK, technically this is the Professor’s project, but since I intend to eat at least 50% of the tomatoes, I figured it was fair game to blog. There have been a few minor setbacks, mainly from slugs, but we are already enjoying parsley, basil, tarragon, and sage. The peppers and even the beans are doing well, and look at these blueberries!

3. Socks (or, Why I Might Not Finish the Cardigan On Time)

For my birthday, in addition to chocolate truffles, Prosecco, and a delicious brunch, my wonderful Professor presented me with this:

That’s Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in the Ravenswood colorway. Upon receipt of this, I immediately channeled Susan Boyle (“I dreamed a dream of Monkey Socks…with picot edge and varigation…like Cara’s, but not Socks that Rock…O, this must be my next creation!”) and ran upstairs to wind it. Now I have this:

No pooling, no puddling, no funny business. I might not win Britain’s Got Talent, but I’ll have some great socks.