Not October 13

OK, I admit it.  I missed my deadline.  But only by an inch or so.

My goal was to have this finished by Sunday, October 13.  Today is Monday and I still have about 8 rows to go.  I could have stayed up last night and finished it.  But I was tired and I knew I had today to work on it.  See, I'm off work today because of a state holiday.  This will be done, washed and blocked by noon.  I promise.

Wondering why I was tired last night?  It is because I did this all day

and then came home and made a pot of this.

My LYS hosted Beth Brown-Reinsel this weekend.  If you are not familiar with her, she has studied traditional northern European knitting techniques and has authored several books on the subject.  She was in town to teach a series of classes.  I took her Gansey (aka Guernsey) class.  It was outstanding!!  She teaches the various components of a Gansey sweater by having the students knit a small sample.  It is a very clever way to teach - kind of like a wine tasting - so you can try it out to see if you like it before tackling a large project.  

I can see where knitting a Gansey wouldn't be for everyone.  There are a lot of yarn ends to weave in.  The sweaters are knit with a tight gauge so the result is a sturdy, warm fabric.  If you like soft, snugly sweaters, this isn't for you.  But if you like an adventure and want a sweater that can easily substitute for a jacket on a cold day, here's a sweater to try.  

Ganseys traditionally have a lot of texture to the fabric so the knitting stays interesting.  The construction provides its own level of interest, from the Channel Island cast on to the front and back welts to the underarm gussets to the shoulder straps.  I can see myself making one of these in the future.  I asked Ed if he would like one.  His reaction was a bit lukewarm because he isn't a sweater guy.  But I'll work on him.

After I came home I made a pot of chicken noodle soup.  It was delicious and perfect because the weather has finally turned cooler.  After cleaning up the dishes I sat down to knit for a while but quickly felt my eyes droop.

Today I have the house to myself and have a small To Do list besides the knitting.  Time now to grab my needles and finish my Hamilton!