What Happened?

What have I been doing for the last two months?  Well the wrist was achy so I sort of slowed up and let it heal a bit, mainly because I found it really annoying to try to work with yarn with a brace with velcro fasteners constantly grapping the yarn. 

Robin tried on her sweater in January and we discovered that the sleeves were way too long.  But we were at church and really didn't have the time to make a complete study of it's issues.  She tried it on again this week and it's too large all over, too long through the body, although the neck opening fits fine.  So off to the frog pond after some detailed measurements.  What seems to have happened is that the fabric relaxed and seriously grew when it was steamed blocked.  So, time to recalculate gauge and re-knit.  Sigh...

On the other hand I spent most of February amusing myself with the Rams and Yoowes blanket by Kate Davies.  Rather than the jumper weight Shetland, in natural colors, I went stash diving and found the hanks of DK natural colored Romney that I brought back from NZ about 10 years ago.  I have about 12 rows to go on the main part, then I can crochet the steek, cut it open and start adding the edging.  I steamed part of it last week and the fair isle completely relaxed, evened out and the hand of the fabric is almost velvety, compared to the rather crunchy feel of the yarn and unsteamed portion.  This yarn has a lot of lanolin still in it and smells rather sheepy, if you know what I mean. 

I also put the motifs into DAK, recolored them for baby yarns, and swatched them on the machine using double bed jacquard to eliminate/conceal my floats.   This going to be so cute.

I did finish the neckband for the kimono, spent most of the evening trying to remember how to graft garter stitch it attach the second hem and am in the process of attaching it to the body.  Then weave in the ends and give it to Barb for her birthday.

Enough writing back to the crochet hook.