Always Learning More

This past week has been very trying, but I have managed to keep up with my knitting, if anything for my sanity. Very old dog Theo (he's heading towards 16 years) had another stroke. Absolutely freaked me out as he was going through this episode. It was different from the one he had over a year ago. Needless to say, restless and sleepless nights the past few days.
I have immersed myself with work on The Printed Silk Cardigan. The pattern has a very addictive nature to it. First, written well and easy to follow without any sneaky upsets along the way. Second, new techniques that are going to stay in my knitting repertoire for future projects.
Take this sleeve for instance, the cast on edge is worked
in a tubular cast on. I have never, ever seen that before. Some of you may have, but not me. It makes a perfect edge for the ribbed sleeve.


Another new way to knit the shoulder edge, instead of the usual BO that creates that funny bumpy uneven edge (albeit hidden in the seam when you go to sew it up) this technique uses short rows to create a gradual and smooth edge. Love it!

Both these techniques are explained in the latest issue of Interweave Knits - Spring 2008.
I have finished the back section. When it was time to add a new ball of yarn - look what happened. It looks like I used different dye lots. It is only in this section at the center back a couple of inches from the BO...

The yarn has a subtle dye variegation to it and this is how the two of them lined up. I couldn't tell this was happening until I had about half an inch knit. I have decided to keep it because who knows what it would look like if I started farther into the ball of yarn! I usually won't settle for this kind of discrepancy, but I am this time.