Unexpected Hiatus and a Sweater

Lots of things have happened since I last blogged. Most things were good things and some things were not so good but are looking more optimistic by the day. Mostly, I have been dead tired with no inspiration or determination to blog.

Then something strangely curious happened: I started knitting. Not just talking about knitting but actually doing it on a fairly regular basis. It was soothing, comfortable, complex when necessary, and somehow I now have a body of a sweater.

Unfortunately, this baby soft sweater isn't for me. It is for my mom who picked up the cuddly alpaca yarn two years ago on an anniversary trip to Maine. Her hands have been acting up on her so she hasn't been able to knit in a long time and the actual knitting of the sweater has passed down to me. The pattern is from Interweave Knits Fall 2011 and is called the Flander's Bay Pullover. It is by Kate Gangon Osborn who is one of the authors of Vintage Modern Knits. So far, the pattern is just lovely and I am so glad to be knitting it!

There is a little bit of modification so far. I made the body longer because that is how mom wants it to fit on her, but it is fitting! We tried it on again last night after I did the three needle bind off on the top of the armholes. The stranded anchors are a little tight in some places, but I am hoping that the alpaca will relax when it is blocked and will stretch out just a little bit in those spots. I want to knit the sleeves first before I block the body so I can block the sleeve caps out at the same time and have an easier time sewing them in.