the blue blog archives: just like magic

Back to knitting (at least for a day or two - sorry weasleys, I gotta knit sometime!) and back to katy.

I wasn't sure that I could get full-length sleeves out of the yarn that I had left (and it's a discontinued color, so there's no more to get), which is why I went with the straight sleeve style. My plan was to knit straight until I couldn't possibly imagine finishing the sleeve cap with the remaining yarn and then to start the sleeve cap (I've come to learn that I tend to underestimate how much yarn is left). So I knit and knit, cabled and knit, and after about 8 rows of chanting 'oh, I've gone too far - oh, I've gone too far', I worked the sleeve cap and bound off. Took exactly two of my four remaining balls, which means that I should be able to make the second sleeve the same length. Okay, I'm good on yarn, fine. But there was still really no way of knowing just how long that sleeve would look until I set it in the armhole.

And then tried it on. Would it be a good 3/4 length sleeve, as I suspected? Would it be some sort of too-long-for-3/4-length, too-short-for-full-length, did-your-arms-grow-or-something size? Or would it, when set in, magically become much longer and be full length? Suspense, drama, seaming. And....

Must be all the Harry Potter I've been reading. A little knitty felix felicis* maybe?

* (SPOILER ALERT - Don't click these if you don't want to know the end of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince) Felix Felicis defined and for those involved in our HBP discussions from Monday, check out this article at Mugglenet

posted by alison at 8:34 am | in katy

Comments

oh, I love Harry Potter... your sweater too! It looks great!

Posted by: susan at August 31, 2005 9:05 AM

oh, I love Harry Potter... your sweater too! It looks great!

Posted by: susan at August 31, 2005 9:05 AM

The sweater looks lovely! Nice job! And I like the sleeves a lot. Soon, it will be cool enough to wear!

Posted by: Kathode Ray Tube at August 31, 2005 10:07 AM

Oh how wonderful! Isn't it great when your amount of yarn purchased is just right for the job??

Posted by: patti at August 31, 2005 10:55 AM

That sweater is looking just fabulous! Really wonderful.

Posted by: Deb at August 31, 2005 10:57 AM

Perfect! I am loving that sweater and the color. Maybe when you're done, you'll post all your revisions for those of us who think it's a fabulous interpretation.

Posted by: Julia at August 31, 2005 11:15 AM

The sweater is beautiful. I love all those cables! Felix Felices is some great stuff and I am glad it works with knitting! Thanks for the link to that article. I agree 100 percent! I am still searching for the yarn to make my weasley.

Posted by: emmy at August 31, 2005 11:25 AM

I knew you had it when I saw the sweater lying flat - great job! Doesn't it feel good to get it just right?

Posted by: Julia at August 31, 2005 12:15 PM

Oh, wow, full length sleeves! Hooray! Don't you just love it when things turn out that way? :)

Posted by: Amanda at August 31, 2005 1:37 PM

I love the color of this sweater and the cabling looks so great in it. The cables are crisp looking.

Posted by: Pat at August 31, 2005 1:40 PM

Beautiful sweater! I'm liking the long sleeves, glad you had enough yarn to do both that way :)

Posted by: Sarah at August 31, 2005 1:57 PM

Such beautiful cables! (sigh) Will I ever be able to do anything like that?

Posted by: purlpower at August 31, 2005 3:20 PM

Thanks for providing that interesting link on Harry Potter. I have enjoyed reading all of the comments from Monday and some of the articles on the links. I love Harry Potter, and like you, I taught myself to read and knit recently and was able to employ it while reading HBP.

Posted by: Suzanne at August 31, 2005 3:58 PM

Alison, the sweater is beautiful. And I'm sure you know that orange is the new pink! More Felix Felicis at work. I too knit, on a POA scarf as a matter of fact, while I read the book. We listened to the book on CD as well. I love Jim Dale, the narrator, and the 17 CD set got us through severl 100 degree plus days here in St. Louis this summer.

Posted by: Ann at August 31, 2005 5:38 PM

Wow, send us those magic touches will you?
I need those when I am working with yarns that are short of what's needed :P

Posted by: emy at August 31, 2005 11:00 PM

Its beautiful! Thanks for putting that no-spoiler in there... I am on major HP catch up and am almost done with book 2. I hope to have least read 4 by the time the movie comes out :)

Posted by: Dani at September 1, 2005 7:10 AM

Yum...cables!!! I have so much fun making sweaters with cables and seeing the progress of Katy makes me want to make one of my own. She's beautiful.

Posted by: Deena at September 1, 2005 7:12 AM

Katy keeps looking better and better.

Posted by: Brooke at September 1, 2005 9:47 AM

loooooove the color and the cables are to die for - great job!

Posted by: jennifer at September 1, 2005 7:40 PM

Thank you for posting that link! How fortuitous that I was perusing your blog on the day you posted it... I am in 100% agreement with the article myself... have been trying to justify things in my head ever since I finished the book. It has led to some very interesting discussions with friends and family, in which we've come up with all the prevailing notions about book 7 without ever looking for them online. Wowwwww. Now THAT's some storytelling!

Great job on the sweater - nice color, and it's a very impressive-looking stitch pattern. I am going to be making a HiP scarf (or two or three, if my friends like it), then a full-size Gryffindor scarf, pretty soon here. Hoping to be done by the time Movie 4 comes out!

Posted by: Julie at September 2, 2005 2:59 PM