Category: Blog

But the hardest part is done.

Only straight seams left- one sleeve and the two sides.

I feel pretty good about having tried something new. Something that was a little outside my comfort zone.
And I also feel pretty good about how it’s turning out.

Here’s a side shot-

It’s nice to know that I can actually follow a pattern if I have a mind to 🙂

Might not make my self-imposed Thanksgiving deadline, but it will be close.

It’s really seeming like winter here recently. Got down to 20F last night (which is pretty dang cold for us)
So right now everything is frosty and crunchy.
And while it’s kind of a pain that the chicken and sheeps’ water is icing over, it’s kind of nice that the yard isn’t squishy.

I guess freezing weather does hold some advantages.

And it makes for nice crisp, wintery photos-

Three Sisters, on the way up Hwy 9

Lyman Ridge (behind our little orchard)

Frosty sheeps munch munch munching

Sadie going long for a frozen apple

And Walla inexplicibly zoomin’ round and round the garden beds

Guess the chill and the crunchiness really gets the pups charged up!

It’s knitted.

And blocked.

And ready to rock 🙂

So this morning I started in on sewing it up.

First I did a little research online on preferred techniques.

Then I worked up some courage and set out to sew the first shoulder seam.

I think it turned out pretty well. But it wasn’t as straightforward as expected.
I mean, I get the grafting idea.
But somehow the purls really threw me.
The shoulder edge stitches were purls.

Yeah, tricky.

Once I finally got it figured out, I probably should have gone on and done the other shoulder seam, but I was anxious to give the sleeve a try.

Here’s the setup-

Now the sleeve is an interesting challenge.
It’s part graft, part mattress stitch, sometimes at the same time.
Each stitch is a judgement call, because you’re working on a curve.

Whew.

Then I found that taking a picture of a should seam is almost as hard as sewing it.

But I guess if you can’t really see it, then it’s good, right?

Shadow is now half-sleeved!

That’s where I left it today.

So far so good.