Monday, January 29, 2007

On Schedule

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And here we have Installment #1: the saddle shoulders and the completed upper back. You see, Celtic Dreams is a top-down Aran. In fact, to quote from the pattern in Interweave Knits, Fall, 1997, "This sweater ... is worked from the top down and features saddle shoulders, square armholes, Aran motifs, and a deep skirt (as the traditional Aran ribbing is called)." Two of the features of this sweater are new to me: saddle shoulders and twist stitches (seen along the sides of the saddles). I've enjoyed both!

In fact, aside from a certain problem in getting the upper back going (you'd think there would only be one topology in which the saddles are right-side-up and one is picking up stitches along the long side, but you'd be wrong), I've really enjoyed this so far.

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I have already made a few mistakes in the cables, as may be evident in this close-up. I like to think of them as the requisite biological diversity needed for further random evolution of the Aran style, and I'm going to leave them. In fact, I kind of like them. Makes this look as though a human made (is making) this, although, of course, in reality I'm a demi-god, but you already knew that.

Knitting these cables is making my hands hurt a bit, but interestingly, after a few hours, my hands stop hurting. It's as if my tendons finally get really warmed up and settle down to the task. I'm hoping my hands stay equal to this task, because I'm already thinking I ought to sub in different cable patterns to this general shape and knit up another Aran sweater from the other bag of Tahki Donegal. We'll see how I feel once I try this on and see how it fits.

Well, I suppose I better shut up and get tonight's assigned knitting completed. I believe I only have half the upper front scheduled for tonight - that's only 30 rows or so.

I am a dreamer.

5 comments :

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize that Aran sweaters required biological diversity.

Elizabeth said...

Lookin' good!

vanessa said...

celtic dreams is a lovely pattern!

you'll have to stand in line for my queen anne's lace ;-)

have fun at spa!

Anonymous said...

i love the cable pattern.

Anonymous said...

Those are amazing cables you've got going, its going to be gorgeous!

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