Knitting

Since there is nothing else to show you today I decided to go ahead and take a picture of my as yet unfinished vest for Tetsu. I had put the band on the bottom but decided I didn't like it so removed it and am trying again. Usually I use a different stitch when putting on the collar and arm holes (gosh I don't even know what it's called in English!) but this pattern called for a rolled collar and arm holes and a loose bottom. I didn't like the bottom part but I guess I can live with the collar and arm holes. I don't know about Tetsu.

And since I ran out of yarn I'm doing this in dark grey which seemed a bit strange so I'm planning to put in little cross stitches across the chest to tie it together. I'm not sure if this is going to be successful or not... The shoulders look big at this point but Tetsu is fairly large for a Japanese man so it may be okay.

My first attempt at knitting was when I was madly in love with Tetsu (of course I still am!) when we were dating. I decided to knit him a cable vest. Hah! I bought yarn, two needles and a book and came home and said "Ok. Now what do I do?" I had absolutely no idea how to knit. Isn't love wonderful! My friend explained to me that to do cables I'd need to use three needles not to mention four or five for the collar and arm holes too so back I went to the yarn store. I'll have you know I made that vest and he did wear it for a few years. Actually probably that first attempt was so challenging that ever since then I've been able to overcome numerous difficult patterns and really enjoy knitting. Japanese knitting books aren't really as difficult as you might think because they provide a visual pattern not abbreviations and the "code" as I've seen in English books. So maybe being able to knit in Japanese isn't really all that big an accomplishment.

Every year at Christmas since that first vest, I've knitted Tetsu a sweater or a vest. For awhile I would go for the most difficult pattern I could find, cables, Aran patterns, Lopi patterns, yoke collars, zippers, pockets, raglan sleeves etc. But Tetsu finally admitted that he really preferred a plain ol' knitted sweater without all the intricate work. I guess I figured that out myself because obviously the sweaters he wore were the plain ones. And recently he says sweaters are too bulky for wearing at the office so would I just make him a plain vest.

My pride says "I could make him a much more elaborate sweater." but a simple vest is a time saver and for him the simpler is better. If it makes him happy...

I WILL finish this vest this week!