I'm done! I'm done!

Or almost, at least. I think I'm going to take out the neck facing and do a couple more decreases so the neckline is smaller and more practical. The sweater's so soft and warm, but not too hot for Oklahoma winters. Too hot for this week, but we're getting close.
This knit up so quickly, I was amazed. It took me just over a week of the boys' naptimes, trips in the car across town when Brad was driving, a few nights in front of the TV while we watched something together after the boys went to bed... No real knitting marathon times or anything. No ignored housework, other than what's always ignored. :-)
This sweater is SO thick! The yarn's a pretty heavy worsted merino, so I think I might make a lighter weight, dressier one for warmer days, maybe out of Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool. I love that yarn! But with a cozier neckline, this one is great for fall and winter with my jeans, my Danskos, and maybe a tank top underneath. So glad I found the pattern and made it! And so glad you taught me to knit, Lib! :-)

So close I can taste it!

I'm almost done! Finally! After knitting the body twice, I'm ready to be done. Although, it's supposed to be 89 degrees today, so I guess I can't wear the sweater anyway. Boo hoo. But the rain's supposed to come tonight and cool the temperatures down to the 60s for the weekend, so maybe I can wear this one evening or to church, where it's always cold in the A/C.
I'm done with three of the 15 decreases, so I'm going to work like crazy when the boys go down for a nap this afternoon. It's "Mom's time" when they do; no housework, no bills, nada. My version of sleeping when the baby sleeps. LOL That and a sanity saver.
I'll post pictures of the sweater this evening. Here's hoping it will be on me for the pictures!

Back to the starting block...

Well, I'm two weeks into my hourglass sweater and I've been fooling myself about the yarn. I can clearly see where the first ball ran out and the second started. The yarn, a super soft merino from Uruguay--from the same mill as Malabrigo's yarn, only cheaper and from a different seller-- is like most hand-dyed yarns. It's not a solid shade all the way through, so I should have used two balls at once and alternated them every couple of rows. Nah, too much tedium, I thought. Yeah, well, it's better than starting over! Hindsight is 20/20.

So I think I'm going to set this part aside and start a new one with the other balls of yarn for now. It's too traumatic a thought at the moment to rip out all my hard work! I'll wait until I'm zooming along with the new version.

The color of the yarn is nothing like the picture. I wish someone would come up with a way to make cameras and monitors consistent with real life colors. The yarn is a rusty terra cotta orange, not the pinky peach it looks like in this picture. Think fall, not spring.

Well, off to the new sweater. Nothing like a do-over. I was already thinking about my next challenge, but I guess it'll have to wait.