Because I needed a project that would be easy, especially after I screwed up on my lace project (!), I’ve decided to cast on something completely mindless.

I’ve been spending the evenings after work, tinking back at least one row on my lace project and grumbling the whole time (I’ve got 4 rows to correct, which = 2000+ stitches. Oh, the monotony!) and then I pick up this project and start to smile.

It’s knit in a bulky yarn, so I make a lot of headway on it every night without too much effort, and it actually feels like I’m accomplishing something. You’d be surprised how important this is when you have to undo lace in the same evening!!

I’m knitting the sleeves two-at-a-time on one long needle. After four pairs of two-at-a-time socks, the magic loop method is much easier than working on DPNs and I don’t have to worry so much about the sleeves potentially being mismatched.

Instead of binding off under the arms, I’ve just placed the stitches on holders. I plan to do a kitchener seam them when the piece is finished.

January 29th Well, that went fast!

For the collar, I picked up 60 stitches in the size 10.5 then did eight rows, changed to size 11 for another eight, then size 13 for ten (the remainder of my yarn) and bound off loosely with a size 15. It still could use a blocking to set the stitches and even it out, but it’s done.

It’s just what I was looking for: an oversized sweater that’s comfy and super warm for those cold Minnesota days when I just want to throw something on with a pair of jeans and go… and the fact that it only took four days to do isn’t bad either!