I cast off on my New Year’s socks and am proud to reveal them as the “Lost Cathedral” socks, following on my fondness for the literary. These are named after “Chimes of a Lost Cathedral” by Janet Fitch.

They are Raveled but I can tell you that I used Wendy’s Toe-Up Sock Pattern and the yarn is Six and Seven Fiber Alfalfa in the “Avonlea” colorway. As soon as they were off the needles, they were on my feet, and friends, this yarn is wonderful. It’s very warm, soft, and not a bit itchy. I plan on taking my mother to Wool and Honey the next time I’m up north so she can pick a color and I can knit her a pair – it is my new favorite sock yarn. My only grievance is that I did not cast off as loosely as I should on one cuff so it takes a bit of finagling to get it on but once it’s on, it’s fine, and I knit them a bit shorter than I usually do, as well.

My next knitting item for discussion is the Pink Memories sweater which I’ve been chunking away at for almost a year now. Friends, I need a stiff drink to tell you this, but after finishing the ribbing, I now think I have to frog it back to mid-chest.

You probably can’t see it as well in this picture, but I realized a fair way through that I had messed up the garter stitch just under the breast (I did two rows of purl which makes a strange compressed line instead of a normal garter stitch). Before that, there was a knot tie join in one of the skeins and it of course ended up on the front of the sweater with scraggly ends. I also dropped a stitch or did something wonky to one of the yoke-shaping stitches which makes it look gappy and strange. I thought I could live with these errors but I have realized that I simply can’t. I don’t want to wear my first sweater and constantly be self-conscious that everyone can see a strange bust line and a gaping stitch and a weird yarn join right in the front and think “yeah, I can tell she knitted that thing herself…”

…I think I have to tear it back and try to salvage what I can or entirely start over.

I know it will be worth it when it’s done – it’s a great pattern and beautiful yarn – but it’s a hard pill to swallow and I’ve been absorbing myself in all sorts of other little tasks to avoid tackling this painful process. I’m hoping it will now be finished and ready to wear for winter 2021.