Wow, Some Finished Projects!

Since the last time I wrote, I have finished THREE sweaters!!! One crocheted, and two on the standard gauge machine. I'm almost finished another top I started a long time ago too!

I'm going to spread these projects out though, LOL. Got to get some mileage out of them. I'll start with the oldest of the projects.

Last year, the Orangeville Community Band was scheduled to play an outside concert during the Blues and Jazz Festival. Knowing that it would be dark by the time we finished, I decided I needed a white cardigan. I searched Ravelry and found a crocheted cardigan that everyone said was easy and quick. I believe I did that on Friday, May 29. I swatched all weekend, and got started, but things just weren't going right. According to the date printed on the pattern page, I printed out another option on Monday, June 1. Somehow, this:

turned into this:

Yeah, not exactly a white cardigan. The really strange this is, I remember starting it/swatching while at my parents...and we were not there in June. We were there in March and April, and maybe May....or perhaps it was the August long weekend (it was a very busy summer, LOL). Or, perhaps I'm thinking of an earlier attempt with this yarn. Doesn't matter.

I had some serious issues with the white cardigan, and gauge, and it just not going as quickly as the pattern said it should. The concert turned out to be a hot, humid, day and I certainly did not need a cardigan after all.

I struggled with this pattern a bit too. Gauge. Argh. I have such a hard time with crochet gauge! It didn't seem to be fitting as I was going along (I might have forgotten there was a wide button band), and I switched up hook sizes. Then, it seemed to be getting too big, so I went down again. I finally decided it was long enough, and had to go back to the sleeves.

Well. It sat, and waited. I looked at it once, but couldn't really figure out where to pick up for the sleeves. Then, I couldn't remember exactly which hook size I had been using at that point in the sweater (it's a top down design). There were always other projects 'more urgent' especially once the weather turned cold and a hole-filled cardigan seemed a little impractical.

Finally, I decided to just give it a go. I knew I had been using the green crochet hook near the beginning, so I started with that one. I couldn't even remember what size it was supposed to be to know how many st repeats there should be. I just did my best. As I went down the sleeve, I went down in hook sizes too, but this time, I used a marker, and then switched to the other sleeve to get them back at the same point. A funny thing happened as I got near the wrist and was at a fairly small hook.

The yarn started to pattern in almost perfect vertical lines. I was surprised at HOW much smaller the sts were, but the vertical lines also add a neat touch. I never bothered with the button band, or the tie. I have a short, dark wood shawl stick to keep it closed if I need to. Lucy wanted to know what the point of a holey sweater is. LOL. I have a couple t-shirts and tanks that will look good under this, and maybe I'll make a new sundress in plain brown. It does have a bit of a strange feel to it, I don't know if it's the crochet-ness, or something about the fit, or the pattern. The next time I'm wearing something suitable, I'll put it on and take a picture!

The yarn is Cool Crochet by Bernat, an interesting cabled yarn of cotton and nylon. Discontinued, but I have some more in other colours in my stash. Although I don't think there's enough for a cardigan--this took 266grams, or 5 1/3 balls. Perhaps I should use up the last ball and make it just a few rows longer....but what hook size did I end with.....