This is one of those projects in which more things go wrong than right. In fact I would swear that I've ripped this project out more times than I've knitted it but that's sort of impossible so I'll just say I've ripped it out enough times to have made another sweater. Or two. Here is a great example of how well I have been knitting since I start this project. I finished the top of the front and then decided to rip it out (again) since the neck hole seemed a bit to small. I was redoing the bits on the shoulders after having cast off for the center neck when I suddenly realized that I was knitting with two ends of the same piece of yarn. How do these things happen??

Anyway, I'm finally finished with this sweater. The arms are a bit to big towards the top but I don't have it in me to re-knit them so I'm leaving it finished. It really is quite warm and soft and I'm happier with the cables in the end than I thought I'd be. The photos I've taken really don't do the color of the yarn justice. It is a dark sort of wine color (hence the name) that is rather difficult to capture on film but if I ever do get a better photo I'll be sure to post it.

I'm still working on this sweater. I have ripped it out and redone it more times than I care to remember. Just a few days ago I had a glass of wine and then finally worked up the courage to rip out the top 8 or so inches of both the front and the back. I didn't like the extra cables I added to the top half and I didn't like how it was turning out as a drop sleeve sweater so I've redone both the back and the front without the extra cables and with cap sleeves. I've finished the front and the back now (I hope) and although it is much closer fitting than I had originally started with I'm not sure I could drink enough wine to make me start all over again (again). I did decided that the sleeve I finished is too short so I've ripped out the cap so I can make it longer.

Here are a few photos of the finished product. One day I'll hopefully take a few action photos :).

I was visiting my inlaws a few weekends ago and this pattern caught my eye. Conveniently enough we went to a yarn shop in a nearby town and I picked up some navy yarn. Also, my mother in law gave me some buttons which I think could look just right, although without having knit anything yet its tough to say for sure. I have used felted tweed before though and it is certainly nice to work with so I'm looking forward to starting this project. If only I could finish the cable and wine sweater I keep ripping out...

Here is a photo of the sweater if you're interested.

You might think there would be an airtight seal between us and the apartment above us. Or perhaps you might think there would be a water tight seal of some kind. Well I can tell you for sure that between our kitchen and the kitchen above us there are several strategically located tiny holes which, given the opportunity, shoot water at such an angle as to ensure that you will get more water in your eye than on the towel you are trying to sop the water up with. Unfortunately I was too distracted to take photographic evidence when I discovered this nifty fact but I drew a picture with a neat little application I have installed on my Iphone.

Also Kim got me some lovely flowers recently

And in case you thought everything in America was super-sized check out the size of the fig newtons here.

This isn't a funny story that I wrote but it cracked me up so I'm posting it anyway. It's about a kid who formed his own Jedi religion that required him to wear a hood at all times while in public. Apparently he was offended when he got kicked out of the supermarket which, not too surprisingly, has a policy of not letting punk teenagers with hoods roam around their stores. Here is the link. I especially like the bit at the end where the representative from Tesco points out that of all the Jedis in the Star Wars movies only the evil Emperor never removed his hood in public. Also "If Jedi walk around our stores with their hoods on, they'll miss lots of special offers."

I finally finished these socks. I'm happy with how they turned out. I discovered when I was finishing the second sock that I only used smaller needles for the toe, not the heel as I previously suggested. The toes came out a bit blunt but overall I'm happy with the fit. It's finally getting cool here so I should be able to start wearing my knitted socks soon :)