I Just Couldn't Stop Myself
Last week, I told you about a sweater I was planning that would need to sit on the back burner for a while. Well, this project rebelled against its back-burner position and demanded to be cast on immediately. How could I resist?
Fortunately, the yarn I'm expecting for a new design commission has not yet arrived. (I say fortunately, but I'll probably wish I had that week or two back as the deadline nears.) That delay created just enough space in my schedule that I did a bit of math and began the sweater. The basket is still relegated to my office, so I only work on this project while reading the news in the morning or sitting in on-line meetings. My primary knitting project (the finishing touches on another design commission) resides in the living room and occupies my evenings.
Still, I've made progress. I'm more than halfway through the yoke increases. Of course, the rounds are getting longer now as I approach the full bust and upper arm circumference. We've entered the phase of a top-down sweater where an hour of knitting barely yields a quarter inch. I love the color, and I love the way these yarns feel in my hands.
Second Thoughts
The part of me that pays attention to technical details is wishing I hadn't jumped in quite so fast. Let me explain.
The yoke of this sweater is shaped in eight equal wedges. I am increasing every fourth round on each side of my eight increase markers, so sixteen stitches are added every four rounds. I'm using my default increase, a make 1 (M1). But I'm not sure it was the best choice for this pullover.
As you'll remember, the public side of this sweater will be reverse stockinette stitch, but I am knitting it inside out since I knit faster than I purl. On the purl side, those columns of double increases disrupt the fabric a bit. I'm wondering if a different increase would have been less noticeable. Had I not been so eager to get started, I could (should?) have swatched a variety of increases and made an informed choice about which one looked best on the purl side.
But I didn't. And I have no desire to rip it out and start again. I suspect those increases will smooth out a bit when the sweater is blocked. I'm also relying on the theory that anything done in a consistent manner and at regular intervals becomes a pattern, and the human brain likes pattern. Even if the increase I'm using was not the best possible choice, the sweater will be warm, wearable, and functional.
If you read and enjoyed Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon, I know you'll love The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jennoff.
This novel gives us three perspectives on the network of female agents deployed by the British Special Operations Executive to France in the second World War to aid the French resistance.
Eleanor is the woman who created and ran the female agent program. Marie is a young single mother who became one of the deployed agents. Grace is a war widow in 1946 New York who found Eleanor's suitcase abandoned in Grand Central Station and set out to solve the mystery of a packet of twelve photographs she found inside.
The narrative switches back and forth between these three women, with each read by a different narrator in the audiobook version. These women carry equal weight in the book. Each is a character drawn in vivid detail, with a compelling backstory.
Jennoff's novel pulled me in with suspense, mystery, romance, and a deeply satisfying ending. This is a story of courage, sisterhood, and the strength of women who survive against the odds.
The Lost Girls of Paris was recommended to me by subscriber Marie Bailey. Thanks, Marie! It was wonderful.
Note: Book titles are linked to Bookshop.org, a non-profit that supports independent bookstores. These are affiliate links. If you make a purchase using these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Some things that caught my eye…
Once a month, the New York Times Book Review Podcast is turned over to their Book Club. The December Book Club assignment was a book I recommended last month, Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. It was a pleasure to listen to this episode of the podcast and hear NYT Book Review editors discuss a book I loved in a far more coherent way than I ever could.
If you haven't yet read/listened to Small Things Like These, I need to warn you that the discussion is full of spoilers. If you have already had the pleasure of reading Keegan's novella, pour yourself a cup of tea and pull up a chair.I've been enjoying the fourth season of Vienna Blood on PBS. You can stream all four seasons via PBS Passport if you are a member of your local public television station.
The show takes place in 1900's Vienna and follows a young Jewish psychiatrist and a hard-boiled Detective Inspector as they investigate murders in the city. The stories are colored by the antisemitism of the city's elite and the distrust of Freudian theory in the police department. The art direction of the show is glorious, with the costumes and interiors showcasing the best of turn of the century Vienna.
Once again, I'm grateful for the time you choose to spend with me each week. And I love the conversations that develop in the comments.
What do you think of my decision to keep going with the sweater, despite my reservations about the chosen increases? Would you keep going, or would you have ripped it out? Let me know in the comments.
If it was me, I would probably swatch some other increases before ripping anything, see how MUCH better I prefer something else. I do think it will look good if you keep going, but if you won’t be happy it’s worth the extra effort
I actually noticed the increases in your top picture and wondered what they were, so to my eye it is noticeable. I think you should rip it, mostly because I know you and I know in the long run it will bother you. You won't be a slacker if you keep going, but I think you will always question it. A couple of extra hours now will save you in the long run.
Your color choice is so amazing I am considering stealing it.
I read "The Lost Girls of Paris" and loved it.
Lastly, thanks for the recommendation of "Vienna Blood", I wasn't aware of the show and I have PBS Passport.