I’ve managed to remember to bring knitting needles along with my yarn the last couple of days, so I’ve made progress on the Fair Isle gloves for E. They’re about 40% complete or so. I want to get them finished and start on the Donegal sweater.

#1 Son’s car is supposed to be ready tomorrow, which means he will once again be launched on an unsuspecting driving public, and I will once again be out of my job as taxi driver. I’m not sorry about that.

I wore the Tilt sweater today. I received only a couple of comments, both of which added, “It’s bright!” Sigh.

#1 Son drove his car (that would be my old Outback) with leaking water pump and no coolant. The car was not happy about it. The mechanic supervising the rebuilding of the engine is probably a lot happier — or will be when I fork over my hard-earned cash to him. It was an expensive lesson and one that comes at a bad time of year and means a bit of belt-tightening at the PI household.

The current lack of working motor vehicle has caused #1 Son to hitch rides downtown with me in the morning and then catch the Max to school from there. Ditto for picking him up at the transit center at night after work.

This morning we were running late. I can do that well all by myself, and #1 Son can do it even better. So with both of us trying to get out the door at the same time, we were a bit pressed for time.

I always bring an UFO to work with me, just in case I have time to knit during lunch. I have several little totes that I keep UFOs in for just that purpose. This morning I took the Lorna’s Laces socks out of “their” tote because I wanted to start the Fair Isle fingerless gloves for E. I need to wind the pink Frog Tree alpaca into balls, also.

Did I say we were running late?

I arrived at work with yarn in hand, but no nostepinne for ball winding. I found that a white-board marker is just about the right size to wind a center-pull yarn ball, so I was going great guns. Until I realized that I also forgot to bring any needles.

AARRRRGGGGHHHHH

I have absolutely no office equipment the same size and shape as a US#3 circ.

And here it is. All finished. Click on this link, on the list in the right-hand bar or on the 2005 Finished Object Gallery for the back view and the particulars.

I finally figured out one thing I didn’t like about it: After finishing and blocking, the collar refused to lie flat. There were two problems: The neck stretched out because of the weight of the sweater body, and the collar was bound off too tightly. I solved the first problem by crocheting a row of chain stitches inside the neck edge to give the neck more support and shape and to make it a little smaller. I also undid the bind-off around the collar, knit one more wrong-side row and then worked a stretchy single-crochet bind-off.

That solved the fit problem. It now fits great. But, unfortunately, it’s not terribly flattering.

And… it’s really bright, isn’t it? What do you think?

This lovely kiwi-green (aka color 892) Tahki Donegal Tweed is destined to become the next sweater. I don’t have a pattern yet, but I do have an idea rattling around in my head.

I knit the test swatch on US#10 needles, and that seems to be giving me the fabric that I’m looking for. It does knit up nicely, doesn’t it? I love the flecks of darker green.

Alice thinks it sounds like a fun idea and this is the perfect yarn for it. I think Kalani may be of the opinion that I either (1) have a screw loose or (2) have picked the wrong yarn.

For now, I’m siding with Alice

And this is the Frog Tree alpaca for E’s Fair Isle fingerless gloves. These are colors #57 (hot pink) and #0012 (natural gray).

I’ve found a heart snowflake pattern that I think will be really cute.

The number of UFOs grows. Sigh.

Tilt is 99.99% finished. All that’s left is end-weaving and a bit of steam. And here’s the dirty little secret that’s been hiding like a moray in its cave, waiting to pounce when some unsuspecting little fishy swims by:

I’m not sure I like it.

In theory I like it. I like all of its parts. The yarn has become wonderfully soft since washing and I love to pet it. The colors are yummy, they really pop, and most of them are “my” colors: Greens, blues, plums, browns. I love the way the colors striped. It fits. It fits well. The sleeves are the right length, it’s long enough.

So, in theory, the liking of the sum should be at least equal if not greater than the liking of the parts.

But when I put try it on, I think… hmmm… interesting…

People who have seen it comment, “My. It’s bright, isn’t it?” Since that seems like one of those comments that you make when you want to say something nice, but you can’t think of what, well, that just doesn’t seem like a good sign to me.

And this is why it’s sitting forlornly on my ironing board, with ends unwoven.

And now I have some Tahki Donegal Tweed in a lovely kiwi green color (color # 892 for those of you keeping track, you know who you are) — enough of it for the sweater idea kicking around in my head. It’s calling my name.

I promised #1 Son I’d make a pair of gloves for E. Gray, and I’m thinking pink. I should probably get these done some time before next summer, eh?

And last night at Tangle knitting night, D showed me the socks she knit from Noro Silk Garden. And I think I have enough left over from Tilt to knit up a pair for myself.

But I really, really need to finish Tilt. Really. So I can decide if I like it or not. So I can ask for other opinions. (My, that’s bright, isn’t it!)

Tonight I weave. Tomorrow I block. Sunday, I will report with picture and you, gentle reader, can weigh in with your comments. Love? Hate? Bright? Let me know!