I am done with the lower half of sleeve #1 for Chutzpah. I knitted the sweater body in one piece from the hem up to the underarm. All of those stitches are threaded onto lifelines (in this case, a doubled strand of Gütermann silk sewing thread): one for each front, one for each underarm, and one for the back.



Now I am knitting both sleeves to the same point and will join them on, then knit raglan decreases up to the neck. Once I get both sleeves added, but before I complete the decreases, I will have to decide: is this a cardigan, opening in the front like the first two doll sweaters I have made and using beads for buttons? Or is it a mock pullover, opening in the back and using snaps or Velcro or ribbon threaded through eyelets to close?



In the meantime, it has been fun to work on a sleeve that, when I reached the underarm, was about about the width of a quarter. I am working the sleeve over 24 stitches, slipping the first stitch (without knitting it) at the beginning of each row to make a nice, neat edge. And the sleeve is one-third the width of the body. So each three-row pattern repeat takes as long as one row on the body. Which didn’t take long at all.

I still wish these needles were pointier on the end. I think that if I were knitting on needles the size that normal people use (i.e. size 5 or larger for a human-sized sweater), these would be sufficiently pointy. But at this gauge I am getting split stitches here and there because the end of the needle just noses at the yarn instead of sliding under it.

There are two itty-bitty lifelines, three stitches wide, at the edge of each sleeve.

Time to cast on for sleeve #2.

Oh dear!

I’ve discovered a website that sells tiaras.

I also found this little cutie. You know me; I like happy dolls. It comes from having five daughters and all the attendant estrogen-fueled drama.

Here is another picture of Chutzpah and the new Shekhawati-style chest, bought at World Market last Wednesday night.



[I really try to limit the doll pictures on my primary blog; less crazy-making for my two oldest human kids.]

In other doll news, I am up to the armpits on Chutzpah’s sweater and need to insert a lifeline while I figure out what to do about the sleeves, the front shaping, and other minor details.

I am knitting this one on 00000 needles. It is slow going and extremely frustrating if I drop a stitch, but the fabric I am getting is worth all the trouble. You will have to take my word on this, however, as I am not a good-enough photographer to give you a visual.

Faith is sulking because I did not make her sweater first.

Chutzpah, Before and After

I’ve already shown her off, over on my Facebook page and on my primary blog. Here are before and after pictures. Perching on the sugar packets, in Eliza R. Snow ringlets, the day she arrived.



In a flower bed, at the Temple. I’d already started playing with her hair.



With her hair all teased out.



Watching fireworks last night.



I’ve finished knitting socks for one of my friends at church. Now it’s time to start swatching for sweaters for Faith and Chutzpah. Woohoo!