SIze 7s!!!

11:26 pm: Samurai, stop watching The Office, I know you love it but it’s a school night.

12:04 am: Really, dozing? Come on body, help me out. I’ve got to work tomorrow.

4:10 am: Oh I guess I’m awake. But maybe if I lay really still I’ll fall back to sleep.

4:48 am: This has been less than successful. I’ll give it another ten minutes.

5:01 am: That’s it. I give up, I’m up!

And then I spent the next 90 minutes doing the leg work for my next Fair Isle, which has really spent 5 years on the draft table already but this morning was the time to begin. I bought the book Loop D Loop by Teva Durham when I returned to knitting. OK, not when I first returned, but when I began to spend a bit more money on yarn and tools than the items sold in the chain craft stores. From the moment I saw the Bias Fair Isle, in all of it’s red and blue empire waist long sleeve mock turtle neck sweater loveliness, I had to have it. To say I liked it is an understatement. I NEEDED to own it. In early 2005 when I stumbled across the pattern I wasn’t up to color work. I could do it on a small bag but the thought of the entire sweater, with carts and tricky instructions to make the fabric bias (diagonal) was beyond me. I accepted this fact and knit the loopy scarf instead. And then I put the book away, on the shelf in the back of the knitting closet.

Occasionally over the years I’ve pulled it out and flipped through the book. Seeing the sweater and knowing my skills weren’t ready yet. I’d put the book away and pull it out the next time I was looking for knitting inspiration. Eventually I looked at the book less and less frequently, substituting the internet for the shelves of books and magazines, until I all but forgot about the beloved sweater. At long last yesterday morning arrived and I pulled the book off the shelf in my search for books to bring to the book swap at knitting that night. I flipped through quickly double checking that I wasn’t interested in any of it. You know the feeling when you find your favorite pair of socks that have fallen behind the dresser for who knows how long? Well that’s similar to how I felt seeing the sweater. Thankful. Rejoicing. Thrilled to see an old friend.

I kept the book. And went about my day. Enter the night of no sleep and my whirling brain. It landed on the image of the sweater. I had to get up and go read the pattern. I could definitely knit it. Needle size would determine if I would or not. A 48” Fair Isle long sleeve sweater on size 4 needles would not be my idea of fun. I’d made it through the IVL but only by the skin of my teeth, adding the work of sleeves would be a deal breaker at this point and the sweater would have to sit on the shelf for a few more years until I’d developed more patience and perseverance.

5:03 am: Turn on the water for coffee and go find the book.

Size 7s! no wait, I must’ve read that wrong. Check the yarn weight. Worsted! Worsted and SIZE 7s. The angels began to sing. That would fly! I’d have to loose the mock turtle neck and change the color of course, but this could be seriously viable now. And so began my 90 minutes of Ravelry research on yarns and colors and review of other color work patterns for ideas of alternate color schemes. I ended up going with the color theme of IndigoMouse's Aqua Rose (making it color work instead of Fair Isle as these are anything but traditional color choices). And I substituted Cascade 220 Superwash for the yarn in the pattern. I wanted to use something softer than 100% wool but if I’m taking the time to do the color work I want to be sure it will last. Oh and I did end up choosing one color that I already had in my stash which saved me a little.

Now if only I had the yarn here to cast on tonight!