Even before attending Saturday's all-day photography workshop, I knew that I wouldn't meet all of my lofty finishing goals for the Knitting Olympics.

Let's take it from the top:

My Habu Sweater

At Opening Ceremonies:  I had a completely knitted back and needed to knit the two fronts before sewing up.

At Closing Ceremonies:  I had two completely knitted fronts and am reknitting the back due to gauge issues.  Yeah.  One step forward, two steps back.  Something like that.  In the long run, I'll be much happier.  As of this evening, this will be the only thing on my needles 'til it's finished.  I've already purchased the buttons!

Mom's Habu Vest

At Opening Ceremonies:  I had all of the pieces knit and a huge mental block about blocking and sewing them up.  They looked so small, I didn't think they'd ever become an adult-sized garment.

At Closing Ceremonies:  Done and delivered!  The Habu fibers are extraordinary and the finished garment is simply amazing.  It suits my mother to a T and she loves it.  Things don't get much better than that.

Fiddlehead Pullover

At Opening Ceremonies:  I had all of the pieces knit and blocked.  The sweater needed sewing up, a little bit of finish crocheting, and buttons.

At Closing Ceremonies:  Finished!  And completely fabulous.

Oblique

At Opening Ceremonies:  All of the pieces were knit and blocked.  I needed to sew them up, knit the collar, attach buttons.

At Closing Ceremonies:  Sleeves are sewn in and collar is underway.  I've had several false starts on that collar, and some difficulty determining Right from Wrong — I'm pretty sure I'd have made it if I'd been thinking more clearly.  Three-quarters of the way, I tore it out completely and started over last night.  I'll be casting off tonight and all that will remain are side and sleeve seams and the sewing on of three buttons.  I cannot wait.  I love this thing.

Maddy's Sweater

At Opening Ceremonies:  I had all of the pieces knit.  They needed to be blocked, sewn up, collar and buttonband knit, and buttons attached.

At Closing Ceremonies:  So very, very close.  I am down to sewing on buttons.  The buttonholes turned out too big, so I'm crocheting around each one (which is killing my wrist, so slow going).  It is gorgeous and fits Maddy like a dream.  It's a cotton sweater, so perfect for spring.  So timely.

Coup d'Etat

At Opening Ceremonies:  I had a sewn up sweater in need of button band, buttons, and collar.  It was just a wee bit snug.  And a tad short.  I tried it on several times while pondering my (very few) options (at least in my mind).

At Closing Ceremonies:  The sleeves have been detached.  The rest of it needs to be pulled apart for an inevitable frogging and re-knitting.  (Yeah, it was sort of a foregone conclusion.)  It's sad, but not as sad as a too-tight, too-short finished sweater that I never wear — and I want to wear it.  I will make it so.  Eventually.

I missed the gold medal, but I did my best and I am quite satisfied with my performance — and momentum.  Thanks for all the encouragement along the way!!

 

I'll be weaving in ends as time allows today. Buttons will be sewn on this evening.  Maddy will be able to model for an FO shot on Sunday!  If I can nab her on the way through, that is.  (The color, above, is quite a bit more true, by the way.)

I re-sewed the too-tight raglan seams on Oblique last night and I'm much happier – much, much happier!!  I also picked up all the stitches for the collar.  I picked up too many stitches for the collar, but equal on both sides, so I just need to figure out the math and how to make it work.  I didn't have the head for it last night and wouldn't have been able to make out my calculations through the tears, anyway.  Lordy.  I've never cried so much during performances and medal ceremonies as I have for women's figure skating — so happy for Joannie Rochette, so relieved for Kim Yu-Na, so sorry for Mao Asada, so sad for all of them for so many different reasons.  Wow.  They're all amazing young women.

I was prepared to spend some money on buttons for My Habu Sweater last night — it proved quite difficult, both to find buttons and to spend money.  The weight of the buttons is as important as color and size — the sweater is very light, if not delicate.  It took a while, but I think I found the perfect thing!  Yes, this is the cliff-hanger…

Happy weekend!

I bought buttons yesterday.  I didn't go far — just to the Five-and-Dime in the next little 'burg — so my selection was limited, but I found suitable buttons for three of the four sweaters I dragged along.  Sweet little off-white shank buttons for Fiddlehead Pullover; some plain black shank buttons for Oblique; and these for Maddy's sweater.

She requested wooden buttons, which these are not, but I think they're okay.  What do you think?

I love the "grain" and the little hint of blue."

Yeah.  They had some nice wooden buttons, but not enough of any of the correct sizes in any of the designs (one or two) that I liked.

Tonight, I'll be stopping by Iris Fine Yarns to find something SPECTACULAR for My Habu Sweater.  I'm not even to the first elbow in the reknitting of the back, but I'm continuing to steam ahead.

I ran errands galore for most of the morning yesterday and ran into Mom at the coffee shop.  She came by afterwards to pick up her new vest, and called me later (after shoveling) to tell me that she put it on, she LOVES it, it fits perfectly, and she'd forgotten how beautiful it was.

I started to sew Oblique together and I am LOVING that sweater, but will have to redo a couple of seams — I struggle with sewing TOO TIGHTLY, limiting ease and movement, and even pulling things out of shape.  Sewing a sweater together is NOT like sewing a skirt (unless it's knit) (which never will be a skirt o' mine).  Ugh.  So then I kind of hit the wall.  I sat there for a bit, but nothing was knitting itself…  So I figured out the spacing for buttonholes on Maddy's sweater and finished that off so I could start the collar.  Soldiering on… You know.