finished!

Here's the finished sweater, both the front and the back views.

The details are:
Nellwyn Cardigan, size small, from the Cable Confidence book,

"Too Teal" colorway from Paton's Classic Wool 7skeins to allow for the redo of the neck/button band.

Bottom, button band, sleeve rib in 2x2 twisted rib rather than garter stitch modification, 5 larger buttons rather than 7 smaller per Mom's request.
(US) 6 (4.00mm) needles for bottom and sleeve rib

(US)8 (5.00mm) needles for remainder of sweater

Here is what is left of the first neck/button band. Well, part of it anyway. I pulled it off while Mom watched apologizing for me having to redo it. I tried to get her to understand that I was happy to re-knit it because I wasn't really all that happy with the first one. With her request for fewer and larger buttons, it would make us both happy to pull that first one off. However, with my deep fear of yarn ends pulling out, trying to get the ends out that I'd put in, showed me that they wouldn't easily pull out! *Note to self, next time I have a question about keeping a part in a sweater, don't weave in the ends before making the final decision.

After reknitting the button band in a size (US) 8 (5.0mm) needle with 85 stitches on each side, rather than the (US) 6 (4.00mm) needle with size 73 stitches we went over to Joann's to get the new buttons. They were one button short of matching the original buttons in the larger size! Drats!!! So, we picked up these which are very close in the Celtic Knots design, but lay flatter than the first.

Mom is so much happier with the size of these buttons. She keeps telling me how much she just can't do the smaller, fiddly buttons anymore and they just really frustrate her now. How glad I am that I have the ability to fix that for her. It really didn't take long at all to make the sweater into something that she will be able to use now without frustration. All I had to do, was to knit up 4 rows in a 2 x 2 twisted rib, figure out where the top and bottom button would be and divide up the remainder of the stitches between the remaining 3 buttons, which gives you 4 sections.

Not long after The sweater was proclaimed finished, my Uncle came over to wish Mom and Happy Birthday. We loaded him up with extra birthday cake and other goodies to take back for them to share.

This was back in March, don't you agree, that Mom and Dad look so much healthier? My how a few months in a year can really change things! Both went through chemo and radiation, both on now on the 'healing' side of life. Dad and Mom both lost a lot of weight due to the side effects of all the surgeries, etc...they've been through. On Wednesday, we'll get the results of all the recent testing Mom's had. Here's hoping for an 'all cancer clear!' diagnosis!

Remember, too the huge pile of snow from last March that the residents were guessing when it would all be gone before summer? Well, guess what...

This may be the start of this year's pile.

Yesterday, before I left, the slushy stuff was all around. I just hope it all dries up before it freezes. However, today, Mom reports that they're expecting some single digit weather later this week. Good thing they both have something hand knit woolly to wear now!

It's always hard to leave 'home', has been since I got married back in 1980. Now, it's bitter sweet knowing that I can't wait to go back and help where I can, but knowing that I'm not bringing little kids to Grandma and Grandpa's house anymore. And that Mom and Dad have been through so much that partly comes with age, and partly from health issues. I did bring a lot of hugs, new baking knowledge, which I'll share shortly with you all! and ...

One of Dad's many books to start reading. He has books, like I have yarn! So you KNOW that there are going to be many books to be read yet! Since the DVD set of the HBO series is a 'bit' out of my reach, I'll start with the book that started the series.

And of course, another project on the needles. A hat to match my niece's scarf. Onto the next set of projects. But I'll bet I'll be pulling Too Teal snippets of yarn out of lots of nooks and crannies for awhile yet. I was hiding them all over the place left and right. And no, she didn't have a clue that the sweater was being knit.

And that's her story and I'm happy to stick to it!