Balmoral Sweater

Happy Days!! I finished Rob's sweater... AND it fits... AND he loves it!

This sweater counts double in my completed projects as it is the first completed project of 2010 as well as the first WIP completed since I made my New Year's knitting resolution to complete my WIPs. It is also the first mens sweater that I had attempted which I suppose makes this project the winner of the triple crown of completed projects. One small step towards WIP completion goal and one giant leap for knitting self confidence.

The yarn is super soft prime alpaca that I bought at a fiber expo in Ann Arbor. It came in 650 yd skeins and it was a joy to knit.

The pattern is Sirdar Balmoral DK 9109 and it was the first Sirdar pattern booklet that I have knitted from. The directions are extremely well written and the pattern is easily memorized. The only mods I made to the pattern was to knit it in the round from the bottom up.

What's next? I knitted a few rounds to the mate for my Azure Mock Cable Sock, another WIP that has been languishing in my basket, and I have begun the lace scarf that I plan on giving as a retirement gift. I initially chose Silky Alpaca Lace Scarf by Alice Halbeisen and a lace weight yarn from my stash. My frustration at knitting with yarn that was a scant size larger than sewing thread was too much to bear so I changed both the yarn and the pattern. I am now knitting Checkerboard Lace Scarf by Whitney Van Nes and using sock yarn. It will still be a pretty scarf just perhaps not as lacy as I had originally intended. I am also going to be casting on another sweater. This one will be for my youngest son, the seminarian, which means he wants it solid black. I chose Sublime Extra Fine Merino and the pattern will be Ben by Norah Gaughan.

I think these projects will keep me busy for awhile.