Fiber Friday...

...and it's good one this week! After many years, yes years on and off with many attempts to get the right fit and it's finished! My first hand knit sweater for me, I'm very happy with it and it's the only reason I'm looking forward to winter...not really.
Anyway, I started July 26th 2009 and half way done (top down) with the body decided it was too big. I ripped it out and started over on December 16th, 2009. I finished it, or so I thought I finished it on August 10th, 2010. I blocked it. The neck was up too high, it's suppose to be a boat neck and well, it was almost choking me. I tried to take in the underarms. Not good. I put it aside for almost a year and this March 2011 ripped the neck out, what a pain in the a** that was! Since I started knitting at the top it was not easy to rip it out like you would at the bottom, where you ended your knitting. It would have taken me longer to rip it than knit it back up again! I wanted to reduce the size from the underarm to neck by almost 2 inches so I cut a stitch where I wanted to start knitting the ribbing and ripped from there and picked up the 100 and some stitches as I went along.

It was totally worth all the extra effort and I love it!

The pattern is wicked, I used Dream in Color Classy, oh and I learned a lesson with this one, it's one of the reasons I ripped it out the first time. You must alternate skeins with hand dyed yarn!!! The top was darker than the bottom, I had no idea. This was before I dyed yarn and the first hand dyed yarn I used, I learn something important with each and every project I make. It's a good thing, really. At least I try to convince myself of this.

I'm always warm, so I made short sleeves and I'd love to make fingerless mitts the length of my arm to go with it, it will feel better under my coat and when I go outside on cooler days. It's on my ever growing list of things to make...hmmm...maybe I'll have them done in 2 more years...

I almost forgot to post this gorgeous skein of yarn I spun this week, there is actually 2 skeins. It's BFL/Nylon.  One skein is 4.4 grams and 138 yards and the other is 4.9 grams and 154 yards. Worsted/Bulky 3 ply. The fiber was not dyed by me. They might go up in the shop, not sure yet.

Singles: 

Navajo 3 ply: