I’m Still Big Red!

If you get the reference in this blog title at all, I think we are possibly very similar people with similar tastes in movies. God help us both.

So I started this…a while ago? And finished it sometime at the beginning of last week because I wore it EVERY DAY. It was perfect sweater weather.

I promise I didn’t do it on purpose! It was just…I wanted to wear it so badly and the day I sewed on the buttons, it was 80 degrees outside and the next day I woke up in J’s bed and the windows were open because it had still been searing hot when we went to sleep and do you know what I heard that morning?

The Rain.

It wasn’t intentional! But I’m glad it happened anyway. What you can’t really see in the photos is the fantastic ribbing up the sides of the cardigan. But here is a little taste of what went up the sleeves and across the saddles.

Isn’t it just smashing? I love Elizabeth Zimmermann for designing seamless saddle shoulders. They make me SO happy and they fit me SO well.

I feel rather coy wearing it, this bright red sweater.

I used a US 6 needle and made it all up based off of Brooklyntweed’s Big Blue sweater that he finished back in December. This yarn is the McTaggard Tweed from Beaverslide Dry Goods a lovely family company in Montana with FABULOUS wool.
It’s spun on old equipment from Rambouillet sheep fleece, which

may be my new favourite breed as far as wool goes. This yarn is as soft as merino, with MUCH more character. It’s Merino’s classy country cousin, who knows EXACTLY which fork to use thankyouverymuch.

Slightly Off

These past few weeks I have been knitting fervently, especially since J’s back problems prevent much cuddling and allows me to knit more freely when we spend time together.  And I am, strangely, rushing towards the finish on several things.

I bought a zipper for my Baltic Sea Cardigan, and have spent many hours researching proper zipper-setting techniques. I will be following this tutorial.

I also bought buttons for Big Red, which is my take on Brooklyntweed’s Big Blue which inspired me to actually buy the same yarn and everything. Except that I changed the sleeves to have ribbing up the sides like the stripes on track jackets, sort of. I did have to extend the saddles on the shoulders a bit, and now I’m just dithering on the collar before starting the button bands.

The vest out of Imperial Stock Ranch’s Lopi style yarn needs only to have its shoulders tacked down. I may take that to work this evening and do that on break.

And yet, I feel off balance. I feel slightly off about everything. I hope it’s nothing serious.

Oh, and I tried to bake some bread. It did not turn out. I have always had a tenuous with this most base of baking skills, but now I seem to have actually regressed. I suppose I’m out of practice. Also, I’ve never done sourdough before. Alas. At any rate, I believe I know what to do to improve. Wish me luck