I loved you before I knew you!

Many months ago now, Berroco had sent a sample of this sweater (in this colour too) to my LYS along with the Ultra Silk that the sweater required. I loved the sweater then, but when my mind figured that the sweater would cost over $150.00 to knit, I thought for a moment and decided that we would have to love each other from afar! I would lovingly look at the sweater each time I was in my LYS - and touch her and the yarn required, but come home empty handed.

When I went in one day and the yarn was 50% off, I knew we were to become bosom buddies!! I quickly went past the beautiful pink and cream Ultra Silk and bought the blue that had won my heart from the beginning! I did not get the pattern that day - a girl's heart can only take so much at once!

Another time I went in and now the pattern was 50% off - so home it came with me! I read the pattern over a few times, felt the yarn and finally I cast on! Oh my, the Ultra Silk was such a dream to work with and behaved so well. I started the sweater on March 4th and finally seamed it up on April 1. I probably would have been done sooner, but there was a problem in the casting off of the sleeve. The loops that are carried up either side of the centre panel of the sleeve go right to the top and then when you start casting off for the sleeve, you also do the loop pattern. The problem was that at the top of the sleeve, the loops were getting too close together and the pattern was being lost! I took the sweater to the knitters' retreat and asked Shelley to help me. She did and agreed with me to continue the decreases on the sleeve cap, but to discontinue the loop pattern further back, before they started to cross over each other.

You know, sometimes we doubt ourselves in knitting patterns. I read this pattern on the sleeve cap several times, but I felt that I was doing something wrong!! Anyway, I am so pleased with the result. She is beautiful and Berroco calls her, "Cindy". I call her MINE! You know, if someone asked you to knit this sweater for them using the full priced Berroco, you would have to charge about $300. The yarn would have cost you $150.00 and the pattern $12.99. Your time has to be worth something, but that is where knitters sell themselves short! She is definitely not for sale!


Just a bit of a close up of the sleeve and you cannot really see it, but there is a similar pattern at the side seam and a bit of a side slit! I want to get a nice piece of fabric to make a summer weight skirt to wear with 'Cindy'. That is my earliest rhododendron I am standing in front of and it is called Rosamunde. My toes were cold, as my DH took this photo. Yesterday, being April Fool's Day, Mother Nature got in on the fun. From awakening to bright beautiful sunshine, before evening we had cloud, rain, snow, hail and variations on all of these. This morning I could not even really 'scrape' the car, as the final rain of the evening became frozen overnight and I would have needed a chisel - so I just sat in the car with the heater on and waited! She, Mother Nature, is supposed to be kinder to us as the week progresses, but I do not think it will be bare foot weather for me for several weeks. Blue/red feet do not go with any of my wardrobe!

I bought lots of extra yarn for Cindy - I ended up using one less than the pattern called for, but when you know your LYS is not getting any more of a yarn, I like to err on the side of having too much. I have 7.50 skeins left and I went to Knitty and found the pattern for Grace. It is a bit short, but I htink making it longer would not be a problem. The yarn has beautiful drape, as it is 20% Silk, 40% Rayon and 40% nylon. I have a few other sweaters in the queue, so Grace be patient and stand in line nicely!

Just now I am knitting with 100% cotton, which I can tell you after Ultra Silk is different, and that is putting it nicely!