Here’s the first sleeve of

Here’s the first sleeve of my mom’s 3/4 sleeve pullover. At the rate it’s progressing, it might morph into a gift for her birthday in Sept. The picture doesn’t look so great–black yarn makes for less than exciting images, I guess, but I’m happy with the way it looks in person. That’s an inch of seed stitch at the edge, in case it doesn’t show.

I spent a good part of Sunday swatching for and then beginning the first sleeve of the sweater that popped into my head at 3 am. I’ve taken to calling it the monster sweater. I think (I hope) you’ll see why when I have enough done to post pics of it.

Sadie (the little brown ball of evil at the top of this page) ate one needle of the set of bamboo circs I was using for the sleeve. Charming little dog. She’s graduated from just stealing and “killing” skeins. I’m so proud. Ugh. It was my only size 8 12″, and my 8/16″ is waiting patiently in my brother’s sleeve, so I thought I’d have to set the monster sleeve aside until I could get to the yarn shop the next day.

Then I remembered this little blue piece o’ plastic I’d picked up during Friday’s Fiberfest. It’s a size 8 8″. I didn’t even know 8″ circs existed. But there it was. Plastic needles aren’t really my thing, but this was so tiny and blue, and the package was in Japanese. Well, I had to take it home with me, even though Andrea warned it was a wrist breaker. But it’s knitting up that sleeve just fine and my wrists aren’t bothered by it at all. It’s fun to knit with, too. It looks like a teenage knitting elf’s tool or something. Not totally real looking. I would say it looks like a Barbie needle but it’s not pink and…well…I hate her. There, I said it.