Sweater Progress

In an effort to make this blog more interesting, both to myself and others, I am going to start posting more pictures. So, without further ado, here are a few of a sweater I've been working on, from this pattern.

Sweater body 

I don't want to toot my own horn by putting these up. It is merely for the practical purpose of seeing my own progress and not getting discouraged by how much farther I have to go! And, yes, see above.

Since my waist is apparently not skinny enough for the
original sweater, I had to add lots of stitches.
I'm planning, a little late, on putting two 4 st cables
down the sides to match the sleeves. Don't ask how. 

Sleeve a week or so ago. My M1 increases are dismal at best,
but I actually kind of like how the little gaps look.
Which is good, because there are a lot of them. 

 I'm completely in TrudiB's (of Ravelry) debt regarding the wonderful pattern. It has worked very well. I've changed the chevrons to match John Watson's sweater a bit more, and made the under arm ribbing into chevrons and cables to match the rest of the pattern, but they weren't insanely difficult adjustments. And also thanks to my friend at Exsisto Vestri for finding the pattern in the first place. 
 Of course my first sweater had to be on size 5 needles. However, I regret nothing! The pattern is interesting enough to feel new all the time, and there are enough challenging little things to keep me busy. Someday I'll make a quick, easy cardigan, with no cables, on size 8 needles, but for now I'm happy. Every time I pick up the sweater, or try it on, it feels like someone's just been wearing it. When I first saw this Alpaca yarn I fell in love with it. I hear people saying these things and I'm like, "Ha, love at first sight. Buying the right yarn is the hardest thing in knitting." But I amend that. The only trouble was the price. A pound and a half of this stuff cost about 70 bucks. Luckily, my mum split the cost with me and will us the leftovers for something. Alpaca is hardly itchy at all.
It's kind of a fun challenge to see how many things you can do while you knit. I've been knitting in the car, during movies, walking around, and when we go to people's houses. This last always makes me wonder about the old days, when women would all get together and talk and drink tea and knit practical things like socks and jumpers and long underwear. The other day we went in town and my mum talked to her friends and it was great just sitting there listening. Sometimes it's remarkable how little you know about other people. Who they've known, the countries they've been to, their opinions on life.
It continues to amaze me that people can create a wearable, durable fabric out of one long piece of line.

Sleeve now. Sleeves are quite fast and  fun, especially when you get onto
 the tiny little circular needles. A fellow knitting colleague taught me
 how to knit on DPNs, and I stayed on those 'til the elbow.