Marathon Knits

I realize that I am on the fourth "long" knit project in the past year. Yes, I did interrupt for some hats, and vests, which compared to these are "short" knits. And, since January, my rug hooking has taken a back seat.

My younger sister has been staying with us since January, for health reasons. And, rather than hide away in the studio hooking, I have been knitting while sitting with her watching TV. (I have always been a TV knitter, but have not been a daytime TV watcher, so this has upped my knitting time.)

The first "marathon knit" aka "extra long" knit was a plain, raglan sleeved sweater for my husband. It was Petite Knits https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/hanstholm-sweater  We picked a wonderfully soft yarn called Ulysse, in a dark blue with flecks. What made it a marathon is that I knit the body nearly three times, trying to get the size comfortable.

He LOVES that sweater - so much that I knit him another one - in the same yarn, but this time in a grey called Granit. Since I had the navy one for measurements, this was not a "marathon", just a "long".

These two sweaters get worn on rotation, and I am so happy he loves them. Worth the time - however long - and the money. 

In between those two, I knit another Petite Knit for myself. The Lulu Slipover https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lulu-slipover in a bright orange red. Not a usual colour choice for me, but I do love it.

I must confess that I didn't enjoy knitting this garment. I have realized I don't enjoy knitting with two yarns held together. Also I found the construction confusing and ended up opting out of the button holes and just sewed the "double knit plackets" closed with single buttons. And the garment is too warm. It's like being hugged by a bear!!! Luckily the fit is loose and open, so I don't melt. (BTW, I do like the way it looks, and that counts for a lot.)

And a couple of cardigans, one done, and one on the needles complete the inventory of "long" knits. Today, I am wearing my Winter's Beach Cardi https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/winters-beach-cardi which I knit in a flecked denim yarn called Arronmore Light in the colourway Evlin. It gets worn a lot, and I did enjoy this knit. I found the cables interesting and must confess to having to do a little after-knit intervention on a few of them. I did my first ever "afterthought" pockets. Here's an image I shared on Instagram at the time.

Like a good pair of jeans, this cardigan is a workhorse and looks good with a graphic tee and jeans, or over a dressier top. I love things that are this versatile.

On the needles now is Pressed Flower Cardigan. https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pressed-flowers-cardigan-2  It got put away about 18 months ago, to make way for something that was more time sensitive and I just got it back out within the last few weeks. Luckily, I was able to figure out where I was in the pattern, and move along without tearing my hair out. 

I did realize that I had chosen a second colour changing wool for the flowers. And it was a horrible choice!! So, I managed to track down a few balls of the original and will do the whole sweater with that "A Day in the Garden" colourway. (The abandoned balls of  "Ipanema Peach" will become socks - and very happy ones indeed.)

This cardigan is definitely in the "marathon" sweater category; partly because I put it aside for a long time, but also because it is a very long, very slow knit. (Many knitters on Ravelry commented on the marathon-ness of this sweater, and quite a few gave up on the journey.) Personally, because of the flowers, I am finding it quite relaxing, and am not in a hurry to finish it. Which is great - no pressure.

I feel quite certain that other projects may jump the queue again before this one is done. Perhaps those Ipanema socks - at least one pair for my sister before she goes back home. And I am ok with that!