Knitting-in-Progress Update

And another recommendation of a book worth reading

Happy Juneteenth in the US, and Happy Solstice to all! I hope you find time to celebrate in whatever way brings you joy.

I am past the half-way mark on the yoke of my Waffle Pullover. Of course, calling it the half-way mark is a bit of self-deception. It is more than half as long as it needs to be before I divide the body and the sleeves. But since this is a top-down pullover knit in the round, the rounds are getting longer as I go. The current round is 340 stitches. When I reach armhole level, that number will be 528. I have a lot of knitting still to do. But it really is pure pleasure. I love the feel of this yarn in my hands. The stitch pattern is interesting but not so demanding that it requires constant focus.

I’m knitting this pullover at a significantly smaller gauge than the pattern specifies, which means I’m recalculating all the stitch and row counts in the pattern. I’ve had a couple of requests for details about how to do this sort of gauge recalculation. I’m happy to share my process, but I have decided to do something a little different. I’ll put those detailed notes on a separate page which will be available to paid subscribers only.

A New Resource for Sweater Knitters

This new page will take the form of a week-by-week report of my progress on the Waffle Pullover with an explanation of the calculations I’ve done to come up with my stitch counts and shaping. It is my hope that this will become a resource you can return to when you want to modify a knitting pattern to make it work with whatever yarn you want to use, even if the gauge is quite different. You can ask questions about the how-to via comments on that page. I promise to answer.

I will not be giving you details of the Waffle Pullover pattern. It is not mine to give. This wonderful sweater was designed by Amy Christoffers for my friends at Modern Daily Knitting. If you want to knit your own Waffle Pullover, you’ll need to purchase a copy of MDK Field Guide No. 29.

I know not everyone is interested in this sort of detailed, technical knitting content. It is very math-y. Not all of us want to be reminded of middle-school algebra. But for those who are into it, I think this page will become a valuable resource. Paid subscribers can access the page at any time via the tab at the top of the Home page. If you want to take a deep dive into modifying a sweater pattern (or if you want to knit along on your own Waffle Pullover), and you’re not already a paid subscriber, you can upgrade your subscription at any time.

I’ll continue to post progress reports on my Waffle Pullover in the weekly newsletter for all subscribers. But the nitty-gritty details will live on the new page for paid subscribers only.

Oh, and I Started Another Sweater

As much as I’m loving the Waffle Pullover, I needed a second project, a mindless project, one that can live in a basket next to my desk. I am an early morning person. I spend a good two hours each morning reading the news and working through emails before my workday begins. I like to knit while I’m reading, and row after row of stockinette stitch is just the thing.

This will be an adaptation of a not-yet released pattern I designed for Green Mountain Spinnery. I’ll be sure to show you photos and give you a link when the pattern is published. I’m knitting mine with Modern Daily Knitting Atlas, a worsted-wight, all-American, 100% Rambouillet wool. It’s round and bouncy and easy to knit, even in this very dark navy blue before sunrise.

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I made good progress on the Waffle Pullover last week because I was compelled to keep listening to The Measure by Nikki Erlick.

How would your life be different if you knew exactly how long you had to live?

That is the question at the center of this amazing novel. The set-up is simple: One spring morning, every adult in the world wakes up to find a box at their front door. Inside is a string, the length of which corresponds to the length of your life. No one knows the source of these boxes. Through crowd sourcing and modern data collection methods, a website is soon developed that can tell you, based on the length of your string, the exact age at which your life will end.

If you remember your Greek mythology, you’ll find echoes of Pandora’s Box, along with The Three Fates (Clotho, who spins the thread of life, Lachesis, who measures its length, and Atropos, who cuts the thread).

The story follows an intertwined group of characters as they deal with the big questions: Do you open your box, or would you rather not know? If your string is short, it is ethical to have children? If your string is long, are you willing to be in a relationship with a short-stringer?

We also see society dealing with the impact of this new information. Can employers require employees to divulge the length of their string? What about candidates for the Presidency? Can the military select only long-stringers for combat duty in order to limit casualties?

This deeply affecting novel takes you on a wild ride, but, like the glimmer remaining at the bottom of Pandora’s box, leaves you with hope.

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Things that caught my eye…

• Beth Bentley
  illuminates why/how capitalism breeds discontent and feelings of inadequacy in her brilliant newsletter, Pattern Recognition.

• Articles of Interest is back! Avery Truffleman’s brilliant podcast about why we wear what we wear has been on a break while she works on a book, and I’ve missed her. But she’s back this week with a great episode on the history and significance of school uniforms.

• This lovely post from

  Louise Tilbrook ✨
  of The Everyday Knitter spoke directly to my heart. At 66, I am so aware of the spots, scars and wrinkles that mark my hands. Whenever I need to show my hands in how-to photos (especially close-ups), I have to stop myself from going crazy with Photoshop, trying to make these well-worn hands look less experienced than they are.

• The New Yorker featured a terrific story by Benjamin Wallace-Wells about what Elon Musk and DOGE did and did not accomplish before the recent bromance break-up.

• In memory of Sly Stone (who really loved a big, bold hat), enjoy this classic by Sly and the Family Stone, one of the first bands to have black and white musicians share a stage.

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As always, thank you for inviting me to share my world with you. I’m grateful for your time and attention. And reading your comments each week is a delight! Continue the conversation: If you could find out how long you were going to live, would you want to know? Tell me about it in the comments. And then go read The Measure and see if your answer remains the same.