Sometimes I’m working on a pattern and just can see all of the ways the pieces will form and fit together. It is this way with Flaum. I don’t want to give away any of the secrets of the pattern, but it starts with the collar and that will be worked with the body at some point. Reading the words in the pattern doesn’t seem to get me there mentally, but I’m sure when I get to that portion it will make more sense. I remember the first time I did a bottom up raglan. When I got to the part where you knit the sleeves onto the needle with the body I was flummoxed. It was a Purl Soho pattern and I called them on the phone to get some guidance. I just couldn’t wrap my head around just knitting what seemed like a mostly tubular piece onto a straight needle. But it worked. Short rows were also this kind of mystery for me. For as long as I have been knitting, around 12 years, there are still plenty of kinds of patterns and challenges I have not done, including a collar like this.

This sweater and I have already been on a bit of a journey together. I was a bit further along than this picture (almost through with the raglan increases) when I decided to check the count of stitches. I was off by two on one sleeve section. Since this pattern has increases in ribbing I knew I would have to go back to the actual mistake and fix things, rather than just sticking extra increases in there. The ribbing pattern had to match on both sleeves or it wouldn’t look right. Well, the mistake was all the way back at the beginning when I divided for the different sections, so I had to rip out about five inches of work. Wah wah wah. I’m have been reknitting all week and I’ve finally surpassed where I was. It’s a relief.

I’m off to a board retreat for NWA Center for Sexual Assault to plan our fundraising for the year. If you feel like supporting a very worthy cause, check out their page and give a one-time or repeating donation using the PayPal button at the top of the page. We provide 24 hour response in a comforting environment with nursing and counseling staff trained to work with sexual assault survivors, and are one of the only two places in the state of Arkansas to do so. Even a five dollar donation can help, so do it! 

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