Knit through my stash project #2: Alpaca shawl sweater

[velvetpage]

I'm using my Peru 4 Less Mystic Alpaca, that has been sitting in my stash for about three years now, in a sweater that will use up most of it, I think. I've got one sleeve within an inch of done, but there was a problem. On this pattern, row gauge needs to be correct, and mine wasn't - I had an inch and a half more fabric than I should have had for the number of rows I'd knit. So I decided to leave the first sleeve on the cord and knit the second sleeve before doing the body. I love Knit Picks Options needles - I just unscrewed the needles from the cord and attached the needles to a second cord, and off I went, knitting the second sleeve on the same needles.

So I've now got the second sleeve almost to the same point as I left off on the first sleeve. When it's at the same row count, I'll block it and measure it and decide where to go from there. If my gauge is the same, I'll knit the remaining inch I need for each sleeve and then switch to the next size needle down for the body. The gauge is loose enough (lace weight yarn on needles normally used for worsted weight = VERY airy fabric) that it probably won't pucker, and if it does, it's at a spot where many patterns would insert a couple of puckers for effect - the top of the shoulder.

I'm still not sure what I'll do if the gauge isn't the same, though.

Some pics, first of the finished baby sweater:

From Drop Box

Now, the recorder case I did a few weeks ago:

From Drop Box

And, the sleeves of the sweater:

From Drop Box