I can’t get the Cheap Trick song out of my head. Ever since I told G about my dream this morning – it’s been going round and round. So, in my dream, I’m in a play. I’m Tevye’s wife. And people are coming from everywhere to see this play. It’s at camp. Maybe. But it’s outside and there are lots of cars and people are walking up a hill and it seems like camp and my sister’s there and G maybe and this guy from high school who always shows up in my dreams. Anyway. I’m Tevye’s wife in the play except no one gave me a script. And we’re about to go on. And I keep trying to tell everyone that NO ONE GAVE ME A SCRIPT. And I think that maybe my character only has like one line (where she screams Tevye! Tevye! over and over) but no, she’s got lots of lines and NO ONE GAVE ME A SCRIPT. So I’m going to fudge it, and it seems that my character sits down a lot so maybe she can be sitting at the table sewing (knitting?) and read the lines like that? The guy from high school hands me a script only it’s been copied and reduced like a million times and I can barely read it and I’m running around looking for a highlighter because maybe if I highlight my lines I’ll be able to read them. And then I woke up.
What do you think? Maybe I’m feeling a bit unprepared for class tonight? 😉
(Hmmm. Interesting. I think I might have the connections here – I dreamed about Fiddler because it’s the holidays and I thought I was Tevye’s wife because on Gilmore Girls last night they kept playing the whole Rosie O’Donnell mentally challenged getting on the bus thing. Uck. I need to shut the TV off.)
My walk yesterday was very cathartic. I cried and cried but threw my regrets in the water with the crumbs. It’s been a tough year, but I’m moving past things and hopefully becoming more emotionally prepared to make some tough decisions. Cryptic, no? Can’t give away all my secrets! I got some good work done too so after a mid-morning panic I was feeling a bit better.
I did something to my left hand/wrist. I don’t really think it’s my wrist, well, mainly because my wrist doesn’t hurt. My hand hurts, in the middle, but only when I drop my hand down – like if I keep my wrist straight and my hand is at a right angle. G thinks I might have strained a tendon or something. Which is weird because I’m very right dominant. And I’m a thrower. So maybe I was holding the needles too tight? Also, I do this weird thing (well, maybe not so weird, but Jen‘s pointed it out to me so maybe a little weird) where I push the left needle down with my first finger on my left hand when moving the stitch off. I don’t know why I do it, but that’s how I knit. Not every stitch, but most stitches. So yesterday I didn’t knit at all (I’m not counting the 24 stitch shoulder bind offs) and the day before I barely knit. Today I probably won’t knit. I’m going to go out and buy one of those wrist wraps because I need to knit. I need to knit now because I’m very, very anxious to finish….
The sleeve fits! And the body fits! And it FITS! (Excuse the cut off heads and the pajamas. I was going to show myself all fresh faced just out of bed but I don’t have time for that much photoshopping right now. I’m vain. Sue me.) The sweater with only one arm even got the patented “that’s your best yet!” from G-Love. (I swear he’s worse than the mother of a teenage girl – “You look lovely honey! No one will notice that pimple and your butt does not look fat! You’re beautiful!”)
Here are some more detail pictures:
The sleeve join – you can see that it’s a bit wonky at the armscye, but that’s what you get with weird increases and a modified drop shoulder. (Read Cassie’s entry today on why it’s better to finish than be perfect.)
And the shoulder seams (thanks Margene! It looks good, no?)
And last but not least, the sleeve seam:
Overall, I’m VERY happy. But there’s still a lot to do if I’m going to wear it next week. I told G is was going to be my Rhinebeck uniform so this way everyone would know me because they’d seen it on my blog. I think he actually thought that was cool, but again, he could be using the MOM trick. You never know with him. I think I need more yarn. And I need to finish an arm. And I need buttons. I’ve never done a button band before. I’ve also got a SHITLOAD of work to do. I have to go out of town next week. And I have to CLEAN my house (I mean clean in the sense of fumigate) for Vicki. Will I get it done?!?! I’m betting I will.
I’ve had dreams like that too, with the lines and wanting a highlighter so you can find yours.
Look at you! You can knit a kick-ass sweater with one sleeve that FITS! It fits!! (Insert happy dance on your behalf.) And, OH, it looks FABULOUS! I love, love, love it! Will I sound like a MOM if I say that I totally agree with G-man that AEC would make a great Rhinebeck uniform? Well, I am a mom, so of course I will. But I do and it would.
You can fumigate if you wish, but I won’t be bringing my white gloves…
Cara, I want to let you know that I am here, reading every.single.word. The sweater looks great and I really don’t see what in the world you are talking about with the wonky increases!
It is looking so good!! And so comfy too!! I went last night and bought my yarn and needles for a cardi too. Thanks for inspiriring me.
The dream – weird but okay because you “get” why you had it. I hate having a weird dream and not knowing where the hell it all came from!
The sweater – gorgeous and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the color.
The plan – you’ll get it all done because you are extremely motivated by Rhinebeck!
The sleeve and seaming both look great. I don’t know what you’re talking about.
The hand: rest it! Do not knit. Be careful how you hold and lift things for the next couple of weeks. Nip this thing in the bud, trust me.
I can’t tell if it’s perfect or not, but it does look good!
The sweater is looking gorgeous – I’ll definitely be on the lookout for it at Rhinebeck! I do the same weird thing with my left pointer finger, and I’ve had similar pain when I’m knitting small gauge or too tightly. You should definitely rest it – hope it’s feeling better soon!
It looks great!! I love the color and your knitting is, OK…not perfect but dang close! The seam looks fabulous.
Here is a link to a site that helps my hands stay ‘in shape’.
Stretching is good for knitting!
http://ergocise.com/stretch.html
The sweater is looking marvelous! And if anyone gets close enough to tell you that something isn’t quite perfect you just whip out one of your needles and jab them with it. =)
Your hand pain sounds exactly like what I went through last winter–take it easy and make sure you’re not gripping the needles too tightly. Same as you, my pain was in my left hand even though I’m a thrower and a righty. Take frequent breaks and shake that hand out. Buy a wrap for it–Target has several good items made by Nexcare. And coddle it. I pushed my luck and ended up unable to knit for two months, plus trying drugs that knocked me out, plus acupuncture, and finally, extremely painful deep tissue massage that left me bruised and battered–but finally healed. Don’t let it get that bad!!!
Yay you! It looks great!
I love love your sweater! The yarn is gorgeous! It’s inspiring me to try a cardigan soon. I’m a semi-newbie knitter and I definitely do that same left hand first finger move, I guess I feel like it prevents the loops from flying off… I hope your hand feels better!
And it’s about F’in time that these reality TV shows kicked the bucket.
Wow, great job! Nice colours too…
Rhinebeck. Sniff…
I am wishing for a great, happy, successful year for you, difficult decisions or not.
With a sweater THAT great in the wings, it’s got a good start, the year!
🙂
Happy cleaning!
I-Love-that-Movie. For real. If it was me…I wouldn’t have even NEEDED the script!
😉
I think it is highly amusing to visualize your regrets swimming with the fishes. Is that wrong? Survival of the fittest, mafia style.
Your Rhinebeck uniform is going to be great–it already looks wonderful! Wish I could head up to NY too–our time at MdS&W was way too short.
What Colleen said? Ditto! I had the exact same injury this summer. I kept knitting. Then my wrist hurt. Then I had to NOT KNIT for several weeks. Not knitting for several weeks = B.A.D. Bud nipping = G.O.O.D
Your sweater, however, is unbelievably gorgeous. I can see why it’s tempting you to keep knitting. Do not listen to the beautifully evil sweater.
Another alien knitter! I didn’t think anyone else pushed the tip of the needle with her left pointer finger. I feel better now.