the saddest sweater ever

Warning: non-knitters will find this incredibly boring.  Skip to the pictures. 


So this sweater has been kicking my butt.  I whipped the actual sweater out pretty quick, then debated, pockets before or after zipper?  I decided to add them after the zipper, then found out I could buy a zipper either 1 inch too short or too long.  I went with too short, and really regretted it.  Then I debated, hand or machine sewing?  I went with machine sewing and really regretted it.  It made the front stretched out and mashed down.  I thought about re-doing it, but the yarn (Encore) has turned out to be a huge disapointment.  The one day he wore it without pockets, he came home with 4 snags!  The yarn is thin-ish, and chintzy feeling, instead of plump, thick and soft like his last sweater made from Knitpicks Swish.  So I plowed ahead, adding bad to worse, because the kid had specifically requested the pockets, but I was down to a little leftover smidge of yarn, and everytime I knit with it, my face and nose itched like crazy.  I j-u-s-t c-o-u-l-d-n-o-t make myself sit down and get 'er done.  I don't know what was wrong with that last bit of yarn!  To add insult to injury, I don't like the way the striping and shading turned out on the pockets; I found that adding the pockets after the zipper was a mistake cuz it poufs out, and I sewed the top of the pockets unevenly!  The whole thing felt like when you almost slip, cartwheel your arms wildly, wobble and stagger around for awhile and finally fall in slo-mo. 

I could fix it, you know.  I could unpick the zipper, resew the pockets, handsew the zipper, even buy one long enough.........

 Ethan is already wearing it, and he moves fast, right? 


Next time: only good tough wool for a childs sweater!  A kid who will wear hand-knits religiously deserves the good stuff.




Here's the one I made him in kindergarten, 2 little, 2 short, mended several times: well-loved. 




Here's the new one, funky short zipper, bizzare pockets.  It's killing me. 
Pattern: Knitting Pure & Simple, children's neckdown cardigan 
Size 10-12 
Yarn, Paton's Encore 




This is the view from the dining room table looking out the back door.  The light shining in the house was amber gold all afternoon. A certain slant of (autumnal) light indeed.




Breanne finished her duvet cover.  It's awesome!  I had to show it here, but I hope she puts it on her own blog.  Skulls, winnie the poo, Hawaii, China, batman: it's all on here.





I................I am sorry.  I can't help myself!  He's so stinking cute.  How have I turned into one of those people?