Needed: More Time

We're getting down to the wire on the Mister's sweater, and I am starting to panic. The party to which he will wear it is next Wednesday. I'm still working on the sleeves, and while I've finished the increases, I need to get to 18 inches before I start the shaping for the sleeve cap. Last night I was at 16 inches. I knit a few more rows, measured again, and was still at 16 inches. So clearly I have entered that black hole of knitting in which you keep working but never make any progress. I'm going to keep working on them every chance I get, but my knitting time will be limited over the next several days. Tonight I have a board meeting, and they usually run late, and Saturday we've got Rainbow's birthday party at home and then a holiday party that evening. Sunday morning is basically shot because I have Hebrew class with Rainbow first thing and then a meeting. So it's going to be down to the wire on this one. I've blocked the back and fronts already and will block the sleeves as soon as they're done. The last piece to knit is the collar, which is all in 1x1 rib, so it likely won't be too fast even though it is the smallest piece. The zipper should be here by Monday at the latest. I'm hoping that I can finish the sleeves and block them by sometime this weekend and have the sweater seamed up by the time the zipper comes so that all I'll have to do is sew in the zipper. (I say "all" like it's a little job, but the reality is that it will probably take me several hours to do that.)

In the meantime, I've been working on a new project that was intended to be a Christmas gift but might get put on hold until after the sweater is finally done. I am finally knitting a gnome -- well, more accurately, I am knitting two, but only one is currently on the needles. They are going to be for my brother and his fiancee (they just got engaged last weekend). Their alma maters have very similar colors, so the gnomes will be coordinating. I am nearly finished with the hat of the first one:

I really can't get over the cute. I think I could whip these out in no time if I could focus on them, but that time isn't there right now. Worst case scenario, I'll take them to Florida with me and give the completed gnomes to them when they join us a week later (and just call them New Year's Gnomes instead).

The one bit of good news is that I did finish the doll-sized sweater to give Rainbow for her birthday (I haven't had time to wrap it yet, but that's another story):

It fits the doll -- huge relief! -- and I found some reasonably matching buttons. I can't wait to see Rainbow in her sweater holding the doll in this wee one!

Finally, I did want to mention that after I posted my latest sock pattern earlier this week, I found out that two more had been published. These are both included in the December Sock Crush shipment, but they're also available through my Ravelry store. You can click on the links to see the pattern pages and read more about them.

Eternal Flame Socks

                                                                         Bookbinders Socks














Hope you have a great weekend! See you back here on Sunday, when we find out if I've managed to squeeze in some spinning time.