Almost Finished

Cinnie is speeding towards the finish line.  With Cinnie, once the lace pattern is complete, it is just a matter of ribbing for the bands - in my case both the sleeves and the fronts.  The sleeves, usually completed earlier on, I left untrimmed.  Just in case I wanted longer sleeves - and had yarn left to do that with.

Turns out there was enough yarn.  Last night, after finishing the front trim, I lengthened one sleeve by a four-row pattern repeat then trimmed it with 2x2 ribbing.  That gives the sleeve approximately another inch in length.  Perfect. 

The front trim, I knit  more 'full bodied'  and loose.  Last year, with my first Cinnie - my green version -  I had to re-knit the front bands, because the lace panel pulled 'up' so drastically over the bust. Scroll through  some of the Cinnie projects on ravelry and you will see what I mean.  This year, with my white version, I purposely picked up way more stitches than recommended as I passed through the lace section.  As I cast off, through that same lace portion,  I threw in an extra stitch in every K2 section of the K2, P2 ribbing.  That gave one extra stitch to cast off for every 4 stitches!  Laid flat, here on the bed you can see that through the lace portion, it looks a bit 'frilly'.

 But when worn, it is perfect.  Since I am not yet dressed this morning,  I will save you that photo, but by week's end, with both sleeves completed and ends woven in, I will show you a modelled shot.

Also, you can see the back neck is turned under.

 In both versions of Cinnie that I have knit, I have found the back neck, in it's natural state,  to be very high.  My easy peasy solution is to fold it under, creating a back-neck facing so to speak.  Works well.

Nearing the fnish line with Cinnie has me excited.  A lovely, white, lace sweater.  What says summer more than that?

Look Who I Met While Shopping

On a weekend trip to the mall, I came across an old friend.  In that stupor that often seems to accompany me on mall trips, I was surprised to look up and see this.

A new store, filled with trinkets and 'home dec' items.  The staff,  I'm sure, knew not who they referenced  when they hung those initials.

And me, my first thought - "Oh, I wish I had my camera."   Then, I remembered that I had recently de-fossilized myself and purchased a cell phone so indeed, did have a camera. 

It made my day to see Elizabeth Zimmermann's initials on that shop wall.  

Progress Report

If a progress report must only show progress, then this post will disappoint.  There is some progess - but not on all  fronts.

Cinnie is nearing completion.

 

All sections are complete.  Yet to be done are the front bands and sleeve trim.  The pattern would have had me knit the sleeve trim earlier but I decided to leave it until the end when I could have  a proper trying on.  I am thinking that I might want the sleeves a bit longer and the best way to know that for sure is to try on  the sweater once it is done and blocked.

And speaking of blocking, I have decided to do that at this stage and knit the front bands post blocking.  The yarn , Raffaella by Sirdar, has a bit of a boucle-like bump to it and really needs a blocking to get a true picture of the finished garment.  So onto the blocking board for Cinnie.

Tink's Twirly skirt is moving along.

 In this last tier, there are so many stitches that the rounds grow slowly. Needing nine inches to finish this final tier, I have about three shown here. Easy, mindless knitting, but it will still take awhile, with all those stitches.

And Contrasts.  Well, what can I say - it is still where I left it a few days ago.

 

 Not something that I can pick up and work on in stolen minutes, I need blocks of time to get started on  the machine.  Maybe this week.

With progress, there should be a FO in a few days.  That is my goal for the week.  Get something finished.