What do people without blogs do when they need cheering up? Y’all helped me so much and gave me some giggles which were wildly needed. I couldn’t even watch the debacle on TV last night, preferring to catch the headline on internet news at one in the morning. I think it just hurts so much because I adore California. I love it here, I really do, and I just feel so let down. If EVERYONE had gone to the polls, and I just happened to be in the minority who didn’t want the recall to occur, then well and good. I’d accept that. What I can’t accept is the apathy, and the subsequent grumblings from said apathetics. I know that's not a word. But it should be, goddammit.
In Canada it seems like people think a little more. Is that true? I’m gonna pull an Amy, fall in love with some fabulous Canadian girl and open a little yarn store while writing stunning novels from a tiny carriage house.
Whatcha think?
Well, all right then. Whatcha think of the Noro? Let me tell you first how I screwed it up. Not unbearably, but there’s definitely a Design Detail or two.
First of all, when Stef says kitchener the sleeves to the body, she means it. Don’t get all clever and happy with your dang self and think that means a three-needle bind off just because you happen to LURVE doing three-needle bind offs. When you do that: You end up with a raglan join on a slant AND a seam on the straightaway.
Dur. Why didn’t I think of that? I held it up, ready to be oh-so-proud of myself, then let out a banshee scream and met a friend for two beers and big steak fries. I couldn’t bear it.
Went home grudgingly, kitchenered the other sleeve and realized, hell, it’s Noro yarn. Ain’t nothing as forgiving as that. And if it won’t be noticed from a trotting horse, I can usually live with it, so it stays. No one (but you) will ever know.
I went with three-quarter sleeves, because I’m fussy about that (and impatient). Here she is all in one piece.
I did crocheted steeks! Great thanks are due the fabulous Lisa and Schoolhouse Press for making it comprehensible. I adore crocheted steeks – they’re elegant and neat and they mean I don’t have to haul out the Sewing Machine From Hell. They’re cute, too! Look:
Before cutting
During cutting
And here she is, cut apart with button bands (will buy buttons today – I never buy them ahead of time – I have to meet the sweater first).
What next? Dunno. Knitted political banners? Oh, yeah, that’s what this blog is! Cheers, all.
oh! I love how your sweater turned out. I have a pack of Kureyon and the raglan pattern all ready, but I have been afraid of steeking! I need to get over it!
. . . and speaking of getting over stuff, I'm from CA too, and I must say that I am alarmed by this governator business. ugh.
Posted by: Sharon | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 12:14
ze Noro, eet is va-va-voom! LOVE the button bands. Did you make the socks, too?
Posted by: Em | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 13:46
Oh GOD. Don't move yet. If you do fall in love and open the yarn shop and write from the carriage house, I'll be your little old lady gardener and best customer, 'K?
Posted by: greta | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 14:33
oooops, here's what I think...WOWOWOW!
The Noro is fabulously gorgeous...love the sequential photos, you are so BRAVE...I mean cliff diving is just baby stuff next to STEEKING for crying out loud (which I am, for my former State...sob)!
Posted by: greta | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 14:35
I love how the button bands don't match; it adds that little touch of the unexpected. I also think you made a good call on the three-quarter sleeves. Very nice.
Posted by: michelle | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 15:43
Your sweater looks absolutely beautiful. Perfect for a cool Canadian day. ;)
Posted by: Pioneer Melissa | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 16:18
Your Noro is beautiful!!! I love the 3/4 length sleeves, too. It's definitely my next project. By the way, how many skeins of Noro did it take? I'm making the Knitting Pure and Simple top down cardigan right now but it's not in the round so it's purled every other row. Ughh! I'd much prefer to knit around and then cut. You did a great job!
Posted by: Janet | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 16:41
Cute Rachel! Very cute!
Oh and the sweater's cute too ;)
Posted by: Teresa | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 16:57
Stef's raglans are addictive aren't they? I made one a few months ago and after seeing yours, I want another. Ahh, Noro how I love thee!
Posted by: Sharlyn | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 17:03
Oh Canada... blah blah blah blah blah blah... *grin*
You know you wanna!
Anyhow, the noro cardi is just stunning, my dear. Way to go!
Posted by: indigirl | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 17:51
Do you have a picture of the horse?
Posted by: Marcia | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 18:08
GASP! I love! This! Sweater! Way to go, Rachael -- what an awesome job! I want one too! So, tell us how this cardie feeeeels. Fab, I bet.
YES! Move to Canada! But not Vancouver. Southern Ontario! Wheee! Seriously, sorry to hear about the whole Arnold thing. We watched a bit on CNN last night, shaking our heads. Why? Why? WHY?
Posted by: alison | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 18:19
Oh my, that is absolutely gorgeous! Covet covet covet. You are my steeking hero.
Posted by: Cari | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 18:20
The sweater looks great! I'm going to have to look into the crocheted steek thing, that sounds interesting.
You'd love Canada, but I think that the West Coast (British Columbia where I am) rocks!!!!
Posted by: Brenda | Wednesday, October 08, 2003 at 21:51
That cardi is gorgeous and you are adorable in it! (Cute socks, too.)
[Wearing that cardi should cheer you up somewhat from the freak show that is Ah-nuld as governor. Still twitching over here. Think I need to knit myself a cute cardi like the one you're wearing.]
Posted by: Becky | Thursday, October 09, 2003 at 01:31
The sweater looks great! I usually end up just picking up the sleeve stitches and knitting the sleeve down from the opening. It's not according to the pattern, of course, but it saves me the trouble of trying to get things to kitchener together, since I'm awful at that kind of thing, and it also helps with figuring out the width of the sleeve, and how long it should be (just put on the sweater!) But it really looks great, congrats!
Posted by: Amber | Thursday, October 09, 2003 at 06:54
What a great looking sweater !!!!
I't looks really cozy and soft.
Posted by: Ruth in Houston | Thursday, October 09, 2003 at 07:29
You are such a dear! I love the Noro sweater! Aren't crochet steeks the coolest thing? So tidy!
Posted by: Lisa | Thursday, October 09, 2003 at 16:05
Hey, that's Kureyon #91, isn't it? I've been obsessed with it ever since I saw the Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton pattern book Noro put out. (She used it for this really cute kid's sweater that I like so much I keep trying to find a way to make it in my size.) I was thinking of making a raglan from it using that pattern myself, and when I checked your blog (having not looked at it in a little while) and saw yours, I was like, dang! she beat me to it. But since you "cardiganized" it I feel less dopey making mine now...if I ever get around to it after the two presents I need to knit and redoing a cardigan I had to frog because of gauge problems.
In the meantime, I know a girl who makes these really nice quilted knitting bags and I asked her to make one for me (for money, of course). She asked about colors and I didn't have any good ideas until I remembered about Kureyon #91, and now she's using it as the inspiration for my bag. I was managing the anticipation pretty well til I looked at your blog today and remembered what a nice colorway it is and now I'm all antsy about getting my bag.
Posted by: susan | Friday, October 10, 2003 at 06:51
I love your colorway..I'm also doing glampyre's top down raglan..I'm using silk garden..just not crazy(so far) about the colorway,lol..your sweater looks great!
Posted by: Denise | Saturday, October 11, 2003 at 18:31
wow, your sweater is beautiful!! and I just perused your past posts (alliteration, what?) and your stuff is awesome!! I am so dying to make one of the Chickamis with the wide straps. And a lo-tech. I might just have to go get me some kitchen cotton. How do you knit so fast?
P.S. I surfed in from Glampyre Knits. :)
Posted by: Carrie | Monday, October 13, 2003 at 05:43