A Ball And A Bit

The blog will be hit and miss for most of the next month and when I do post, it'll mostly be about moving, painting, or knitting because there's not much else happening here. We've signed the papers at the bank. We've signed the papers at the lawyer. We've arranged to meet with contractors at the house on Saturday when we get possession. Our realtor has the key lined up and ready. We've ordered and picked up paint and have a plan. And now we wait. I'm knitting. My concentration isn't there for sewing and - quite possibly - it's not there for knitting either but it is keeping me occupied. More about that in a minute.

Speaking of paint. We've had the same shade of blue/green in the living room for several houses. This time, I wanted something different not only in the living room but everywhere - all over the house - only paint is expensive so we're using what we have by shuffling colors to new spaces. There's not enough for larger spaces - YEAH - so we've picked a color called Pasture Green for the main area upstairs and one called Stratford Blue for downstairs. The blue is a shade of denim.

When I was sorting out the paint cans the other day, I came across the remainder of a quart of CC830 and couldn't remember the number or what it was for. When I picked up the Stratford Blue yesterday, the number on the can was CC830. That prompted my memory. It was the blue I painted my kitchen cupboards before streaking them with cream and green in my last house. Apparently even when I chose "new" colors, I end up with "old" ones - LOL. At least I know I like it. 

This gorgeous design from Drops is called Checco's Dream. The pattern is free. It's knit in one piece. You start both the fronts, add on for the sleeves, and knit over the back and down to the hem. There are only two continuous seams under the arm and down each side. The stitch is a version of seed stitch using two stitches and two rows alternately. VERY easy.

Glancing at the instructions, I saw that the largest size called for 350 and since I had 440 meters, I started. And then I realized I had 440 METERS and they were asking for 350 GRAMS. Half way up the back I quit knitting. And that seems to be the pattern. I've been starting and stopping a white baby cardigan for two days now. It started with the pattern below.

This is the Garter Ridge Baby Cardigan from Lions Brand Yarns, another free pattern. It's also knit in one piece starting at the bottom, splitting for the armholes, and joining at the shoulders. In this case, the sleeves are added separately. I started it in a small size and then realized I had more yarn then that so started it again in a larger size and then decided I didn't like the strain on the armhole splits so took it out and started the Drops pattern and then realized I didn't have enough yarn so started the Garter Ridge one again in the middle size only this time I...

... divided the pattern into five pieces - the back, two fronts, and two sleeves - only part way through I realized that my gauge wasn't what I thought it was and that I'm actually knitting the largest size. I don't think I have enough yarn for that. If I do, it's just. The back took a ball and a bit. If the fronts take a ball and a bit as well, then there's a ball and a bit left for the sleeves. I started knitting one sleeve at knit night last night to see what happened and was most of the way through when I realized I'd forgotten the ridges and pulled back to the first ridge. I should finish that sleeve today and have an idea about the yarn IF... my mind can stay on the same page long enough to figure things out - LOL. I am at least quite occupied.

Talk soon - Myrna

Grateful - three more sleeps