A Happy Birthday

By working diligently, I was able to make up time on the second sleeve, and my second ugly sweater was completed in time for my birthday. Contrarily, the weather was warm that day, without even a hint of an autumn chill in the air that might have made a thick handknit an appropriate wardrobe choice. I wouldn't have cared if the sidewalks were melting; I wore my sweater proudly and cheerfully. It didn't garner any compliments (except from my parents, the most biased of reviewers); nor did anyone noticeably snicker at my poor taste in tops. All in all, not bad.
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W.I.P.
In a long knitting session this morning as I listened to the steady drizzle on the pavement outside my window, I finished the front of my sweater. As soon as it was off the needles I retrieved the back section from the closet and pinned the shoulders together. Happily, the color transition matches perfectly, and the sections are the same length. Tomorrow I will sew the right shoulder seam and pick up the neckband stitches. Although I do not intend to knit it in the round, I may use a circular needle to knit it back and forth. Then, I will plan the positioning of the traveling cable pattern so that it is centered around the neck. I think using the circular needle will make this easier. I'll mark the center 2 stitches of the neckband bind-off with a safety pin to help as well.

Purls of Wisdom
From Maggie Rightetti's Knitting in Plain English: "Stop frequently and admire your work and yourself. You are making something out of nothing and you should be proud of what you are doing and proud of yourself for doing it!"

Tomorrow:

• Lessons learned from my second ugly sweater.
• W.I.P.: How's the neckband coming along?