Jacqui Knits: Pushing Through

It's been more than two weeks since I've completed any of my knitting projects, and I am getting antsy. I like to have a steady stream of FOs to keep me motivated and interested in what I'm knitting. When a project takes too long, I often set it aside and it ends up hibernating for weeks, months, or even years. That is a bad habit I am trying to break. For the past few months I've been pretty good at not casting on more projects than I can finish, but during Malabrigo March I really went cast on crazy. I also attempted to knit two (2!) sweaters. One of them, my Silken Scabbard, is my first pullover with sleeves. Actually, it's my first full sized sweater, period. I've knit short sleeved cardigans and shrugs, but never a full sweater. It's been a bit of an undertaking. I cast on on March 1, and here I am six weeks later, still not done. Here it is.

Isn't she pretty? Please tell me she's pretty. After this lenth of time and knitting and cabling and broken harmony needle cables and split dpns I don't think I could handle it if she's not pretty. See how I've personified the darn thing? I may be losing my mind. In fact, I may be losing my mind because of this.

See that? It's a sleeve. Or more accurately, half of a sleeve. See that yarn there? Those two wimpy balls, all together less than 3/4 of a skein? That's not enough to finish knitting the sleeve. I've ordered another skein from Eat.Sleep.Knit, and I can only pray that the dye lot is not too too different. I know it will be differnent because dyelots for Malabrigo Silky Merino are quite small, but I've been alternating skeins throughout (at one point I was working with 5 balls of yarn at once! Yes, I am nuts. But I'll be nuts in a pretty sweater with no pooling.) so I think I can just blend the new one in. Sigh. So this sweater is on pause. Again. Maybe we'll have a really cold summer and I can wear it then.

At least I got to the lace on my Garter Ishbel. That project is turning out to be quite pretty. As long as I don't work on it while drinking. Or in a movie theater. Or at a staff meeting. Or while talking to anyone. No really, it's a pretty simple, quick lace pattern by the lovely Ysolda Teague, and I would recommend it to anyone.