Caitlin, finally

My Caitlin pullover is finally finished. I just checked on Raverly to see when I started it and it was on November 2nd, 2010! What took me so long? No idea. It's an easy pattern, the color-work is not really all that demanding, minimal shaping (I did convert this to be knit in the round, rather than having to sew everything up later). So the reason for working on one sweater for almost 6 months? I'm gonna go with general laziness and lack of motivation. 

But I think all that time spent was worth it, because I love the finished sweater. Mostly the colors, pretty much the same as in the pattern (the colors are the reason I chose the pattern in the first place). 

I'm not too crazy about the height of the collar, it does tend to ride up my neck if I raise my hands or something, and then I get the feeling it's trying to choke me. Even though it's relatively loose. This is why I never wear turtlenecks either. You're probably laughing now, but the feeling your clothes is trying to end you is no laughing matter.

But still, high collar just comes with yoke sweaters. Did I mention I like the pretty colors on the yoke? 

 

I'm really satisfied with the fit too, even tough it grew a bit in the wash, it's not too long or too loose. 

All in all, super happy with the FO and just in time for summer too ;-) I'm kidding, it's actually still pretty cold here, but not the kind of cold that requires a woolen sweater. So off to the closet it goes, where it will wait another six months for me to wear it. 

Pattern: Caitlin

Needles: 3,5 mm, done in the round

Yarn: GGH Wollywash

Time it took: 6 months on and off knitting (3 hours just to weave all the ends in)

Voodo time

Not actual voodoo. But there are pins involved. 

In my regular rotation of crafty preoccupations, where I only do one craft intensively for a longer period, forgetting all others, the time has come for sewing to...um, occupy me.

And when I sew, there are pins everywhere. I usually just throw them on the table, as I'm pulling them from the fabric, and then they inevitably fall from the table to the floor. Every sewing project of mine ends up with a 'pin search' on various surfaces - table, floor, sewing board, chair, couch. It's like the little suckers have legs. I also poke myself with them a lot, but that's another story.

Finally, I decided to make a pincushion. Heather Bailey's Square deal pincushion. 

You're probably wondering what a duck has to do with sewing. I do to. But the cotton yarn I used for that crochet flower was still on the table, and the duck simply matched it in color. 

Crochet flower pattern here if anyone's interested. 

Right after I made this pincushion, I hemmed some jeans. Guess what I did with the pins? That's right - they were all over the table, the floor and the chair. And my brand new pincushion was standing right next to my sewing machine, unused. 
Old habits die hard - so true.