Yarn Along - The Lights Of Nome

I love designing the fun little "buttons" I use on the blog here (on the right) and on Ravelry for special challenges, events...  On Ravelry they are called Ravatars rather than avatars :-).  I especially love Maisie bucking along the Iknitarod Trail with her Cheerio boxes flying out of the sled, but 2014's was nice too with the three dogs safely pulling me into Nome...On Time.

The Iknitarod race committee asked me if I'd like to create the Ravatar for the "winning" Iknitarod mushers this year.  I thought a little on it and came up with our dog mascot, Blue, standing under the Burled Arch wearing all sorts of completed items.  I loved it when some of the close, but not quite there knitters saw it and decided to push on to the end so they could "win" it.  

I had planned to make my own "finally got there" button with me and Maisie standing under the arch by ourselves.  I'd be wearing the sweater and Maisie would probably butting me or kicking me in the kneecap.  I knew though that so many of my Iknitarod friends were still knitting just as hard as I was and came up with this "still out there" button.

And I think I actually like this button better than the winning one because it tells the real story of our wonderful, fun, interesting, supportive group who is indeed standing at the finish shining the Red Lantern for us and cheering when they can see our headlamps off in the distance.  We're almost there! That's me!  I'm almost there!

Two days ago I had the back done and was starting on the front.  I wondered how the split was going to be worked and how on earth you'd do that with only one needle.  You just use two separate balls of yarn!  

I actually used the front and back of the same skein instead, since being handspun spun by me, each ball was a little different and I didn't want that to show...just in case.  Anyway, you just knit across the right side, jump across the opening onto the left side and as long as you make sure you're using the correct yarn, easy peasy.  

Here is the completed body and sleeves.  See how curled up and wonky everything is?  A quick soak in some warm water relaxes all that and if you apply the proper amount of cat weight, it all lays out flat and orderly, ready to be stitched together.

Yesterday.  It took me a little while to teach myself how to properly seam knitting.  I used a good book I have and also some videos on YouTube.  I put in some stitches, pulled them out, tried again, pulled them out, tried again, that looks okay...  Good thing the yarn is as tough as Maisie!  

I kept getting confused as to which row I was using, so ended up running a piece of thread down the center to mark the exact spots I needed to pick up the stitches on each side. I won't be afraid to seam anything again.  I love how each project I pick teaches me something new :-).

I'm a little worried that maybe I pulled the seaming stitches too tight.  I haven't woven in any of my ends just in case.  I know that the safest thing to do is try it on and see how it feels, but I just can't bring myself to do it.  I am knitting on with confidence, but mostly hope, even though it's a little tough sledding with my head buried in the sand ;-).  All I need (I hope!) is the collar, which I'm going to start on as soon as I get this posted.

I can see the lights of Nome!

Joining in with Ginny.  Oh, and my books the last two weeks were The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and the companion/sequel The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy.  I loved both.