Healing Sweater: Finished

I had a great time last weekend at Vogue Knitting Live! here in NYC.  It's always such an honor to be one of the keepers of the craft, as we move from one generation to the next.  There are so many cool things happening these days in knitting, crocheting, dyeing, spinning and designing.

At the event, I had the pleasure of a little inspirational moment with one of my students, who I now lovingly refer to as one of my groupies.  Before one of my classes, we had a minute to catch up and shoot the breeze and she told me about a relationship with her sister that was less-than-perfect (don't we all have those?), but more importantly how they were able to be in Chicago for October, 2012's Vogue Knitting Live! together, knitting, and the yarn and needles seemed to be just what they needed to bond with each other more than ever.  She said that knitting was just that one thing they couldn't ever fight about.

I, too, believe there is healing power in knitting.  Whether you knit prayer shawls or not, there is a centering focus that boils all my anxieties about my own imperfect relationships down to a single moment:

Buttonless Healing Sweater

This sweater has been a few years in the making, but it is finally finished.  I've imagined the whole time what she'll look like in it, what experiences she'll have with it, etc.  I've also been worried sick it won't fit.  Oh yeah, there's the whole "it should fit" thing.  So once again, leap of faith.  Now I have to write a letter.

I'm leaving the 7 small buttons off - she'll probably want to choose them.  And as cool as I think buttons made from whale bone or rare bugs found along the coast of Indonesia are, they probably wouldn't be her first choice.

Stitch details:

Now on the needles - a lace-weight alpaca scarf for the niece.....more to come on that one.

Important future info:

Keep your eyes open for my radio show interview I did for Black Sheep Yarns in Kent, CT:  Fiber Arts with Nancy.  I'm not sure what the air date will be, but I'll keep it posted here.

Upcoming dates:

Feb 21st: The Boston Knitting Guild
March 9th: A Good Yarn, Sarasota
April 5-7th: Vogue Knitting Live! Seattle, WA

Healing Sweater v.2

Just a quick check in to report Healing Sweater progress:

Maddy Laine's Garden Paths a.k.a The Healing Sweater

The only things I have left to do are seam the right side body, both under sleeve seams, and finish the button bands, which the stitches for those are being held on stitch markers.  One is actually a bona fide stitch marker, complete with bright blue plating, but the other, sadly, is a safety pin.

I teach seaming.  I love seaming.  I know, call me all kinds of names.  But I've actually learned something about my own seaming process while doing this sweater.  I've taken my time while doing it (novel concept, right?), and it has been much more tidy, enjoyable, and clear.  It might have something to do with the fact this sweater is going to a family member, but..um..I guess I want it to be perfect.  I want it to show that things can actually be put together pretty well, despite what they may behave like.

In the upper left corner of the photo is the scant quantity of yarn I have remaining.  But, like this sweater exercise as a whole, I'm going to have faith it will get me where I need to go.

Happy New Year and Happy Knitting!