Ma Knows Best (but nobody tell her)

I think I've mentioned before that my parents live in a house that the Internet forgot.  No broadband, no dial up, not even occasional internet access by mobile phone.  As a result my mother has never seen my blog - but she does get updates on it from my sisters.  When I spoke to her just after I posted about deciding  which sweater to make for gorgeous goddaughter Gen's birthday she asked if I had decided yet -- and then laughed and said "knowing you, you won't start it until the last minute anyway".

(It seems that my having to seam up her cardigan on Christmas day didn't go entirely unnoticed!)

Of course, my mom is right - I can be a terrible procrastinator -- and that little nudge encouraged me to cast on the sweater (I'd selected Arielle) sooner rather than later.  I was stalled temporarily by a search for 2.25 mm needles.  I have a gazillion (truly, a gazillion) sets of needles - but it seems that somehow 2.25 mm circular needles have never been acquired.  I had 6 sets (different lengths) of 2 mm circular needles, 5 sets of 2.5 mm needles but the only 2.25mm needles I could find were some 5 inch double pointed needles.  Hardly useful for a sweater.

After much cursing and muttering I took a look at the pattern (novel idea) and discovered that actually my short double pointed needles would be fine -- as the sweater starts with the lower edging which is knit on 23 stitches.

When the edging is done, you cast off all but one stitch and then pick up along the top of the edging to begin the back. (The body is knit on far more sensible 2.75mm needles -- which are easily found in the Soo needle stash.)

It's been a pleasant knit so far.  I like the Rowan Fine Milk Cotton - it's quite soft and easy to knit with. (Milk cotton  you ask?  Apparently it contains milk proteins -- weird!)

I'm glad I've started early -- the small-ish needles and fine yarn means this is going to take a little longer than my original optimistic 'no time at all' estimate.

In other news the Wedding Ring Shawl is growing - but slowly.  Each round is now so long that if I'm able to complete one in a session I'm pleased.  I'm still enjoying it, but motivation can be tricky.  It is in that middle distance stage -- too far from the beginning to be novel, and way too far from the end to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Here it is - I've dubbed it the cloud.