Hello Gentle Readers. I write on a morning of sunshine and blue skies. January is unseasonably warm and dry in southeast Nebraska though there is rain forecast for later this week. I continue to enjoy a flock of robins that travel around the neighborhood feeding on fruit from ornamental trees. Sunday the temperature was near fifty degrees, the wind blew a gale and the robins were twittering away in the trees. Honestly, it felt like March.
Today is the day to link with Kat and the Unravelers. Sunday evening I finished the ribbing and bound off the body of the cardigan. The pattern calls for knitting the buttonband and neck finishing before knitting the sleeves. I've not encountered this previously but Isabel Kraemer is an experienced designer so she must have a reason. I will block the sweater before picking up stitches for the buttonband. I also need to decide on buttons so I know what size to make the buttonholes. For now, I'm following the pattern as written.
As for the sock, I ripped out a good three inches plus the heel. As I knit the foot, I kept tugging on the heel thinking it looked cattywampus. Don't ask me what happened except that I knit a shadow wrap short row heel that I've only knit one or twice. Somehow it skewed to one side. Thinking I could live with the mistake, I tried it on but it wasn't comfortable. In future, I will stick with the heel flap, turn, and gusset that I could knit in my sleep and fits. I'm sure you are as tired of these socks as I am.
This week I read Fifteen Wild Decembers by Karen Powell. This historical fiction is the reimagining of the lives of the Brontë siblings. In this account, the first person narrator is Emily. The physical description of the landscape is well done. I also enjoyed the interactions between Charlotte, Emily, and Anne. Occasionally there is a reference to a storyline from one of their novels. Some felt contrived but were fun to come upon while reading. There is nothing new in this novel but I enjoyed thinking once again of the way in which these young writers challenged rigid expectations for women in their time and place.
As we ease into January 2026, I wish you time to unwrap a winter sunset.
Your cardigan is coming along nicely and I'm certainly not tired of your socks. I even looked at the WYS yarn and saw that it was called Fairy Lights (or something like that). I think the way you're using it with white is really lovely, as is that winter sunset. Wishing you more robins and sunsets this January.
ReplyDeleteOh what a beautiful sunset! Our temps are warm today - closing in on 50, but there is a strong wind chill factor which makes me cold. Your cardigan looks great (love the color) and I'm not tired of your sock - so colorful and fun (especially in January). I am practicing easing into 2026 in a gentle fashion, and I wish the same for you.
ReplyDeleteWhat a stunning sunset! After cold and snow last week, we've had some mild days here and it really does feel like March! We've gotten some rain in the past day and it's helped to melt nearly all of the snow -- but also left behind mud.
ReplyDeleteIf I had to guess, I would say the sweater designer finds it easier to knit button bands before adding the weight of the sleeves. I know my wrists would appreciate that!
What a beautiful sunset! I just finished a cardigan by Isabel Kraemer. I wanted to work on the sleeves before I finished the body so I didn’t remember the order she did things in the pattern, but, they are as you said. It’s interesting to see all the different ways designers approach things. I’m with you on the heel flap; it’s my favorite.
ReplyDeleteThe sky was really putting on a show for you! That sock might be misbehaving but it sure is pretty. I''m thinking that doing the button bands before the sleeves might be a good idea as you have less to deal with while you're picking up the stitches.
ReplyDeleteThat sunset is amazing. Beautiful inspiration for a slow stitch project.
ReplyDeleteWe have the spate of spring-like weather here as well... sigh. We are in the 50-60's for the remainder of the week. Your sweater is coming right along! Sleeve Island seems like an appropriate January destination!
ReplyDelete