Top-down one-piece sweater

After I finished the moebius cowl, I decided to try out a new idea I had run across: making a sweater top-down in one piece. I combined that idea with another one: making your own sweater pattern based on a formula of proportions. But I didn't want to make an adult-sized sweater as an experiment, or even a child-sized one. So I made a sweater for my son's teddy bear.

I made a guage swatch, measured the teddy bear's neck, waist and arm circumferences, and did a little math. The whole thing took me less than a week. And since I used leftover yarn from another project, it didn't cost me anything either.

I think I'm ready to try this method on a sweater for my son now.

Moebius cowl progresses

This is the first time I have tried making anything in a moebius loop, and it's certainly an adventure. I have seen many patterns for knit moebius scarves, shawls or cowls. But to me, the real fun of making something in a moebius loop is following the edges around and around, which means it should be crocheted, not knit. (A moebius loop is a loop formed by twisting the edge one half turn before joining, which results in an interesting phenomenon: a three dimensional object that only has one side.)

I started making the cowl to use up some chenille yarn that I bought years ago and never made into the original planned project. I discovered that the reason I hadn't made the original project is that there wasn't enough yarn to make, well, much of anything. So my free project to use leftover yarn turned into a $33 project when I had to buy more yarn. I hate when that happens.

But the cowl is going well. I will probably finish it with a scalloped edge today. Which means I can start a new project! Yay!

Sock Innovations excitement!

I just got the new book Sock Innovations by Cookie A, and have already read halfway through it. I am really excited to try out some ideas it stirred...

...But first, I have five projects in line to complete. sigh

I try to maintain some self-discipline by working on no more than two projects at a time. I tell myself that I can't start a new project until I finish one of the two I am working on, so that way I have an incentive to keep working after the initial excitement of experimenting with a new project has passed. Why two at a time? Because if I get bored or frustrated with one, then I can move to the other for a while! It makes sense to me, anyway.

This whole self-discipline idea would be more convincing if I also had a limit on the number of projects I let myself buy supplies for. But that would take more self-control than I possess. I cannot go in a yarn shop and leave without buying something. That would be rude, right? Well, technically, I suppose I am capable of leaving without buying anything, it just hasn't ever happened that I can recall.