While I’ve been mostly wanting to work on Irtfa’a lately, it’s not a good project for me to just pick up for a few minutes here or there. I need time and mental space and focus for Irtfa’a, so I can’t just pick it up when I have a moment. Instead, I’ve been working on the sideways cable sweater. It feels like I’m cheating working on something other than Irtfa’a, but I can’t help it; I need to knit on something, and it can’t always be lace. =) I have to say that it is really nice to work with 4.5 stitch per inch yarn in between stretches of laceweight (except that switching back and forth between them makes my hands really confused). Things have been just flying along.

I separated the arms from the body this morning, and have started the next color. I decided to go with a slipped stitch rib, since I want something that stays ribby looking rather than stretching and flattening out. Maybe it’s just the Paton’s yarn, but my last sweater only held the tight ribbing look for a few wearings before stretching into just knit and purl columns. The slipped stitch should help the ribs stay puffy, I hope. I also considered using one of the many small cable ribs, since I really like the look of cables. I didn’t want too much going on, though, and I think a more interesting rib will take the focus away from the sideways band, which is what I want to highlight. The color changes already distract from it a little bit, and I don’t want to go overboard with ornate things. A simple rib it is.

I debated whether I should stick with the original plan to make a form-fitting sweater, or go for the bell-shaped look of one of my all-time favorite sweaters, which is also a raglan. I really love the bell-shaped one that I have, but it’s not exactly figure flattering, though it has fit me through all of my size changes over the past 6 years (and those are big changes, ranging from a size 4 to a 14, and now heading back down again). In this case, I decided to stick with the fitted sweater, so I did a quick decrease row just below the bust, and am staying with ribbing for the main body. At this rate, this should be done pretty quickly. I really miss sweater knitting; I think it’s my favorite kind behind lace. But, when the hands act up, the sweaters must go on hold for a while. Today wasn’t bad, though, and I did a lot on the sweater at a stretch, so I’m hoping that I’ll be able to keep up the current pace. I’d cross my fingers, but that would make it hard to knit.