Emerald City

I'm writing this from the airport, waiting for my flight. (Sidebar: Don't you find it amazing when people do things like write posts from the airport? Really, 90 per cent of the reason I'm doing this so that I say I've joined the club. Of course, the hard core peeps write from airports on their smart phones. I've tried writing posts on my smart phone, just in TO, and it's an experience that will not be repeated...)

However, since I am writing, I suppose I should tell you some things.

For starters, I successfully brought knitting needles on the plane (carry on luggage) both from TO - where needles are not a restricted item (I looked it up) and from Charlotte, where all carry on is subject to the whim of the security personnel. I did bring a SASE and postage in the event that I would have to mail them to myself. My needles are Addis and those fuckers cost! I'm very pleased to have had this experience, not that I can rely on it. I polled numerous knitters about taking their needles on the plane and it's been a mixed bag. Apparently, Europe and Canada are generally less fussed about it than the US.

However, to obviate a potentially challenging, live-stich transfer to stitch holders (basically little knitting needles with ends?! Note, I did have yarn cut, just in case...), I actually stuck to my timelines and finished the sweater. Last night at 10:30 pm.

I have to say that I am VERY pleased with the end result. I figured out all kinds of math / sizing adjustments and those adjustments worked to produce a sweater, the fit of which is just how I envisioned it. I still need to sew on the ribbon stabilizer, buttons and buttonholes by machine. But the knitting is complete.

Interestingly, as I tried to explain the irrational nature of short rows to my father, it appears he had no difficulty understanding how they work to shape a garment. Hmmm. Is this because I explained the concept insanely well?? Or does it really just hurt my brain?

I will show a photo of the finished sweater as soon as I've done the button work. I'll have to model it because this narrowed version will not fit the dress form, I suspect.

I was on the fence about the colour at first. I chose it by necessity - it was the best of the Super Wash Cascade 220 colours available to me, and you'll recall my goal was to avoid having to gauge swatch again. In order to see if my fitting alterations would work, I couldn't add another variable (i.e. new yarn or needle size producing different gauge). It would have defeated the experiment.

In the course of knitting, I came to appreciate the colour increasingly. It's Emerald City (890), in case you're interested. I'd post a photo, but no photo shows the colour even vaguely accurately. They online pics all make it seem like the very same blue I have used on 6 other knitted items and I am not going to deliberately put that visual into your heads. You must trust me when I tell you that the colour is a blue green. Even a teal. Mind you, since I hate that colour, I don't particularly want to put that into your minds either. Really, just wait and see. It's a colour that looks good with my hair and pallor - and, in its intensity, makes my eyes look like I'm wearing weird-coloured contacts.

I suspect we're going to board shortly, so I have to run... More from TO. Maybe even a picture of a new roof? (Don't hold your breath.)