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It Ain't Heavy It's My Jacket

Surprisingly, the ASJ isn't that heavy; it's so cleverly engineered that it simply hangs perfectly with all its weight distributed in a beautifully balanced manner. I'll finish it up this weekend and show you a photo on Monday or so. While there have been requests for me to model it, I'm still a bit concerned about spontaneous combustion (mine!) here in Austin right now. We'll see, okay?

In the meantime, thank you for your joyful comments! The ASJ was the longest knitting I've ever done. Having a cheering section during what felt sometimes like a knitting marathon was very helpful. The jacket is going to be truly and lizard-ly gorgeous, and so every stitch was very worth it, but my! it was slow knitting!

The sleeves—wide or narrow? I think mine are just right, but then, my jacket was knit from the original recipe created by Elizabeth Zimmermann (Spun-Out No. 1). I want to add an afterthought pocket, as per the original design, so I'll have to study up on those this weekend. I'm glad the major portion of the knitting is through, and at this point, can only quote the delightful Carrie: "YAY Knitting!"

Nanette posted an entry detailing some trade items I had sent her; since she's posted, I now feel free to announce what I received in return: her ALREADY STARTED Dale Kasimir kit! Was I happy? Yes! Yay Kasimir and Yay Nanette!

And! by dint of prodigious groveling and persistent hinting on my part, our wonderfully generous Geane graciously granted me two of the "Knitting Mermaids" Cahoon note cards— how I love those things! (You can see them stitched on a pillow here, since I can't find a print.) They are almost too wonderful because they are so wonderfully evocative. I'm delighted to have them. I'm keeping one at my office to remind me of the salty-fishy scent of the ocean on the East coast, and one at home where I can see it every day and think about Geane and her boys and knitting mermaids. YAY Geane!

Glove Gallery

Melissa pointed Interweave Knits' Glove Gallery out to me the other day, and I've been drooling uncontrollably ever since. I was particularly smitten by the gloves of Carol Wassell, but all the gloves are inspiring. Mari has her Houndstooth and her Sanquhar gloves in the gallery; Yay Mari! (This isn't exactly Mari's website, but she sometimes posts her FOs here, and there are certainly lots more gloves to admire.)

Pups

The most helpful dogs ever can be seen here.

Here at the ranch, two out of three dachshunds wish you a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend! Enjoy! and YAY Knitters! (boy! that YAY-stuff is so contagious! I love it!)

Off the Needles

Not blocked, not buttoned, but a sneak preview of a coming attraction:

Happy Thursday!

The Long and Winding ASJ

As the sun fades away behind the majestic dachshunds and sets on another day spent knitting the Adult Surprise Jacket, we stop to consider our progress.

We finished the buttonband Tuesday, but before casting off purlwise we realized that we still had some knitting to do. One of the things that differentiates the ASJ from the Baby Surprise Jacket (both by Elizabeth Zimmermann and both available from Schoolhouse Press) are the sleeves. The Baby SJ is complete, all in one piece. The ASJ is also complete, all in one piece, but only if you like three-quarter length sleeves. So, you pick up on the wrong side, creating an invisible join in the garter stitch, and work down toward cuffs. I have that left to do, but that's okay, because it will be a few days before my groovy buttons arrive.

So. In this garment, I decided to use the aptly-named "The Definitive (I Think) Buttonhole. One Row. 3 Stitches." This buttonhole was another inspired unvention by our hero, EZ, and it is documented on page 80 of Knitter's Almanac (ISBN:0486241785). The thing that makes it inspiring is there is no yo-ing and dec'-ing on the one row, then coming back and casting on stitches on the next row. With this buttonhole, it's done all at once over three slipped stitches, and I must say I think it's quite elegant and easy.

Looks good, doesn't it! That woman was a genius. Oh, btw. EZ also notes in the pattern sheet for the ASJ that the buttonband rows are "endless." I felt validated when I read that, as it indicated to me that it's not just me whining about the time this has taken--those rows really are long! Oh, and another btw. I think I'm going to come in at exactly 20 skeins of the Noro Kureyon, and you'll recall that I'm knitting an ASJ large enough for layering. So Terri, for example, will have enough probably to knit the ASJ, a coordinating Booga Bag, and possibly even some Felted Fuzzy Feet , should she so desire. Which I really can't imagine. Her desiring a coordinating jacket, purse, and fuzzy feet, that is. But she could if she wanted.

While I ordered lizards and glass buttons by mail, I have strong feelings about shopping locally, so I stopped into Silk Road today to look at their excellent button collection. I found several I really liked, so if my mail-order buttons fail to please, I'll have these to consider. And if my mail-order buttons are simply fabulous, then I'll have these in my stash, and in my favorite colors.

The round ones are handmade, handpainted clay, and the green curved ones are glass. What a luscious color! Regarding those lizard buttons: they are four inches long! So I felt very lucky when I found this three-inch long critter button to practice with, so to speak:

Cool, right? Right!

We thank you for your FO vibes and button advice! Happy Wednesday, and we'll see you tomorrow.

High Hopes

We had hopes; indeed, high hopes, for finishing the Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann on Monday. But the best laid plans yaddayadda created some setbacks to our hopes. That plus the fact that the button band is apparently seven miles long.

Can you believe this is going to be a Jacket? I had to back away from it 20 feet to fit it into the frame. So, I got through the initial four ridges of the band (28 miles in dog-years) and now I have the buttonholes to work and then another four or five ridges and then, Then! it's done. I'd better go look for some buttons at The Button Drawer.

I rather like the idea of square ones, since the jacket itself will be forming squared lines.

But I'm not sure I will be able to resist having lizard buttons:

Dear me. Decisions! Well, really. If there are lizard buttons available, is there truly any decision to be made?

Pups

Too hot for hairy pups. Little Jack says if you want a taste of religion, bite a minister.

Surely tomorrow I'll be able to show you a finished ASJ—keep the faith, knit-babies!

WhaHappened?

Della is hunting for The Weekend. Where did it go? And how did it get away so quickly?

We're on the button band of the Adult Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmermann. Tune in tomorrow for a finished ASJ!

Cheers! And happy-not-weekend!