FO Report: Amelia's Shrug

Amelia's Shrug

Yarn: Riverwinds Farm Cormo Wool 2ply DK
Pattern: "Babies Neck Down Cardigan #982" from Knitting Pure & Simple (modified)
Gauge: 6 sts/in
Needles: US5 24" circular, dpns; US3 dpns
Size: 22" around
Started: 11/22/08
Finished: 11/27/08

Amelia received a hand-me-down shrug sweater from a friend that was just about the cutest thing in the world, but she was in danger of outgrowing it too quickly for my liking. I instantly knew that I must knit her a new one with this wonderful "earthy" pink yarn that I picked up at Shepherd's Harvest last spring. This is wonderful hand-dyed yarn - such beautiful colors going on from pinks to grays to browns. Totally "my" kind of pink.
I followed the top-down pattern until the point at which the sleeves were divided, then I started decreasing at the edges every other row all the way down to create the cutaway look over her belly. It's all one piece of yarn from the very top right down to the continuous button band that runs all around. (The sleeves were left on hold and knit at the end and the neckline was picked up with new yarn.) I knit down to 3" from the underarms, then picked up stitches going all the way up one side, proceeded back the other way in K1P1, picked up more stitches on the opposite side and finished off in ribbing ("bushwhacking it" was awesome, as I didn't really care how many stitches I picked up, just that they were even). When binding off, I gave a little more ribbing to the second side of picked-up stitches so as to make both sides even, then bound off back down to the bottom "corner" on the right front side. It's a little strange if you're looking for it, but most people won't ever notice that the bound off "V's" are facing different directions and meet at that point.

I don't know why I got it into my head that this sweater had to be finished for Thanksgiving dinner, but when I set a leave-it-to-the-last-minute-and-GO! goal, I rarely think of anything else until it's accomplished. I was literally doing the ribbing on the cuffs while waiting for my onions to caramelize in the kitchen. I bound off my last stitches while Dan was dressing Amelia in her little tights. I scrambled to find a stitch marker to act as a button at the neck as we were putting coats on and heading out the door.
Silly, really. Since Baby A. slept through dinner and was in PJs at Grama's in no time. But that's a Knitting Mommy for you, I guess. It's since been blocked and had a proper button added. I'm sure she'll wear it for upcoming celebrations and holidays this month, but I'm equally sure that it will be a super around-the-house-sweater, since the December chill is moving in quickly.
Off to work on Jackson's Santa hat now, at his request. I can't wait to get past this horrible fluff that I'm using for the white "fur" trim and on to the good red wool. He's so excited for his hat though; it's fun to knit it for him even if the "furry" yarn is totally irritating!