Topsy Turvy

This month's jumper for the Sweater-a-Month KAL was the Cable Down Raglan from Interweave Knits Spring 2007. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw the previews and knew I had to get my mitts on the magazine. It's not that easy to find in the UK but I have a friend who lives near a stockist in the South and she offered to get it for me and bring it on her next visit north. I've been twitching ever since to get started but knew I had to get everything else finished first.

It's in RYC Cashsoft DK in Crush and took just under 500g for the 38" size with monkey arm sleeves. I decided to lengthen the sleeves rather than do the 3/4 ones in the pattern. I also altered the raglan increases to either knit or purl M1R/L accordingly as the ones given looked untidy as I worked them. The smaller cables were changed to have an equal number of stitches on each side because I'm OCD about things matching and they bothered me.

I went for a size smaller than I'd usually knit to make sure I had enough yarn and really like the fit. I still feel like I'm knitting upside down with this method, but I do like being able to try things on at an early stage to see how they fit. I don't like knitting sleeves in the round though, they seem to take ages as I have to work them individually. I don't think I'm fully taken with this way of doing things although the lack of seaming is winning me round. I've just ordered Fitted Knits so this won't be the last top down thing you see from me.

Reduced to the status of a bum

I'll be drinking lighter fluid in the gutter next.

You know your knitting experience is going downhill when you resort to broken needles and novelty yarn. If the FO wasn't for my favourite wee person there'd be no hope of me working like this.

I've broken both my 3.5mm bamboo straights and circ and don't have this size in any other type of needle so with a pencil sharpener and an emery board I produced a (just about) workable tool. The yarn was given to me by a friend who was clearing out her knitting things. In fairness it wasn't too horrific to work with, but I wouldn't be in a hurry to use it again. Being unable to see the stitches drives me potty.

This Teddy Bear Bodywarmer took me a little longer than I hoped because apparently I was drinking lighter fluid in the gutter or damn near to it at Scarlett's Dad's birthday when during the evening of a day long BBQ and drinking session I saw fit to pick up the needles. Despite a fellow knitter begging me to put them down I insisted on KUI (knitting under the influence) and paid it for a day later when I'd obviously made a mistake but couldn't see where the heck it was and had to rip.

I brought it home because I didn't fancy sewing in a zip with the mother of all hangovers but it will soon be winging it's way back to her. This is just a bigger size of the mink gilet I made a while ago. She wore it so often that when she outgrew it her Mum was devastated and asked for another. Although I was dreading using this yarn I felt it was perfect for the project. I didn't follow the pattern (Knits for Babies and Toddlers by Fiona McTague) as it has an awkward construction involving pockets, but instead worked out the size required from my gauge swatch and went from there skipping the pockets entirely. She won't miss them, she's a handbag kinda girl.