Gretchen Ronnevik

Yarn Along

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Well I finally buckled down in the knitting department, and got one sleeve of the Tsu Sweater done.  I was honesty expecting to have to do it a few times before it was right, but I tried it on with 1 sleeve done and it was just…perfect.  It’s like when you’re learning to draw and the picture in your brain finally starts matching the picture your hand can do.  I can’t draw, so I don’t exactly know that feeling, but if we’re talking about knitting, I think I’m almost there.

After the sleeve was done, I made myself finish up the pink sweater.  One of the sleeves needed a bit of reworking, and all the ends needed to be woven in, etc.  I love the sweater.  I hate finishing work.  I finished that all up in one day, and now it’s blocking in the living room.  Now all I need to do is find buttons that are right for it.  I’ve been on the lookout for just the right buttons for a month or two, with no perfect ones yet.  I think I might need to head to the city soon.

The pink sweater has gone by a few names.  It was inspired to be a summer version of the Clarity Cardigan.  So I called it “Summer Clarity.”  That morphed into “Minnesota Summer.”  I wasn’t content with that name, so when I was working on jelly last week, it hit me:

“Rhubarb”
So the “Rhubarb Sweater” it is.  It’s just so perfect.  A pink summery sweater?  How could I think otherwise.  I’m about 10% of the way through writing up the Rhubarb pattern.  Each time it’s getting a little bit more streamlined for me, and for that I am glad.
As far as reading, I should first explain that a month or two ago, I went yarn shopping at the yarn shop in the city.  I rarely get there, and they had 2 different yarns that I absolutely loved for a sweater design.  I debated for awhile in there, and then finally brought them both home.  I love that ability as a designer. If I didn’t design patterns, I would have had to pick.  I felt a little guilty that I had splurged in such a way, but to make it worse, my local yarn store in our small town announced it’s closing a few days later.  Everything in the store must go.
Seriously, right?  Already blown my yarn budget, here were some amazing yarns for 40% off.  In bulk.
To ease the blow, I went in 3 different times to spread out the blow that it did to my yarn budget.  Instead of saying I blew the budget, I like to think of it as just using my yarn budget for the next 6 months to buy yarn for the next 12 months.  (Who am I joking?  It will take me at least 18 months to get through this yarn.)  I have so much glorious yarn in the house right now it’s coming out my ears.  So I have my sketching notebook out, and some stitch dictionaries, and I’ve been spending some time when I’m holding Ingrid in my lap (she’s old enough to grab knitting projects now) to instead go through various stitch projects and plan out options for each yarn I got.  It’s been my way of organizing it all.  I’m hoping to start swatching a few projects this next week.  
My imagination is just reeling with ideas and I just love it!  What a great way to boost moral around here.  I need to stop now with the whole yarn buying thing.  This time I’m serious.  Sort of.

Comments

  1. What a great name, “rhubarb sweater”! I can hardly wait to see it. That rhubarb jelly looks good, too. 🙂

    Reply

  2. Love that jelly. Such a great pink. I don’t care for the smell of fresh rhubarb which holds me back. People say I’m crazy. My grandmother made rhubarb butter (just like apple butter) last year and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Rhubarb is the perfect name! It is homey and makes me think of when winter is just going out the door and the long awaited rhubarb makes its appearance! Good choice.

    And I hear ya about the yarn. I ordered a little yarn online a few months ago only to get the same email from my LYS a couple days later, and there was no extra room in the budget! I was so sad.

    I love the color of your Tsu sweater, it’s really gorgeous.

    Reply

  4. The clarity is so beautiful… can’t wait to see Rhubarb. I am imagining 40% off of everything at my favorite yarn store… I wouldn’t be able to come home… my husband would kill me… there wouldn’t be a home to come home to because the mortgage payment would take second priority!… 🙂

    Reply

  6. One can never have too much yarn. (At least, I like to think so.) The jelly looks fabulous. I have tons of rhubarb…I think I know what to do with some of it now! Happy knitting!

    Reply

  8. Hi Gretchen.
    This is a lovely amusing post. I can’t wait to see the rhubarb sweater too it sounds amazing. I’ve just checked out your pattern I love and will be buying the pattern.

    Great photo’s your jelly is so clear.

    I’m sure you already have, but have you thought of looking on Etsy for buttons I know there are lots of lovely handmade ones there, (some wierd ones too).

    Happy knitting.
    deb

    Reply

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