FO: Goodale

It seems every time I finish a sweater it is my favorite thing I have ever knit.  Goodale and I have finally worked through her assertive issues, and the results are spectacular.

This was my first Cecily Glowik MacDonald pattern, and it was so much fun to knit.  The increases completely threw me but once I started knitting them they made perfect sense.  And the edging!  I know I'm not the first one to rave about the i-cord edging.  It's pretty ingenious.

In this pattern, like most, I fell between sizes, but I went ahead and knit the 34 because it does not have to close in the front.  I did add an extra repeat of the body increases to add a little length, but I still blocked it to the prescribed measurements.  I would have finished it much sooner but I put it down for about a week during the move because I did not want to mess up the finishing.  Oh, yeah, the finishing?  It's a lot but it is totally worth it.

Despite my love for the pattern and the yarn (Cascade 220 sport -- yum!), what makes this sweater is the amazing vintage buttons.  I bought these at the Carolina Fiber Fest and they are my new one true love. They came in a pack of four, so I'll have to use my leftover skein to make something else that uses the remaining two buttons.

WIP Wednesday: Spoiled

Please take the time to check out other, more productive WIP Wednesday posts over at Tami's blog.  She's so nice to run this every week.  And May the Fourth be with you!

It's the last week of school!  Well, almost.  I'm a TA, so the last week of school lasts until the grading is complete.  But as I'm moving in a mere seven days I feel pretty confident in calling this the last week of school.

Part of finishing up a semester is that last mad dash to complete lagging projects and assignments, as any caffeine-driven, under-rested student can attest.  I give my first exam today, so my mad dash starts this afternoon.  Fortunately I've had a brief lull in the semester due to the fact I passed comps last semester and will not be defending my thesis until next.  Aside from packing I have been using this time to finish one of my lingering projects that is crucial to the successful formation of my thesis -- scanning.

Meet Goodale.  A little top down stockinette cardi that has been my constant companion this week during the untold hours I have spent at the scanner with my bag full of primary documents.  (Side note: If you hear about that bounty the library has out on me, please note that Goodale and I are armed and dangerous.  We have returned all of the books now but the scary ladies in the back seem to have taken no interest and are out for blood.  Many a Bothan died to bring this laptop to our super secret police box hideout).  I counted yesterday and determined that I can pick up my knitting and purl five stitches or knit eight before I have to turn the page and start the next scan.  I look spazzy crazy during all of this, but it was the only thing keeping me sane.  (There was an incident with a 336 page book that did not save and a temper tantrum and a tangled ball of yarn, but I'd rather not talk about it if you please)

Despite all the scanning, Goodale already has a lot of good memories knit into her.  I knit the gauge swatch the night my dad and I introduced my brother to Dirty Harry (again, sorry Mom).  The first several rows were knit while shopping with my mom and sister during Easter break.  The yoke was knit during one too many Top Model reruns while I stayed a few days with Mom at the beach.  Overall, Goodale is a very happy cardi.  Even the yarn (Cascade 220 Sport) is deliciously squishy.

I am a little concerned that Goodale is turning into a bit of an attention whore.  She has spent most of her formative rows out in public and now she's so big she takes over her own seat in public spaces.  Last night one of the girls told her boyfriend "See, my friends are cool.  They knit in bars."  But I swear the subtext was "I can't believe she's allowed that cardi to get such an inflated ego.  Whatever happened to bringing socks out for a nice evening with friends?"

I blame the packing.