1/2: Checking gauge. Gauge achieved on size 7’s, which is funny to me since I almost always go down a size - I’m a rather loose knitter and this time I actually went up!

1/7: Have seamed shoulder seams and am now on to the sleeves. I’m excited to learn the top-down short row method of knitting sleeves!

1/8: I’ve added a picture of the sleeve cap that I’ve knit so far. I’ve frogged this 5 times yesterday and I am so very frustrated. I’ve got ladders! I’ve got holes at along the sleeve/bodice area! Ugh. I’m hoping that some of this will fix itself with a good blocking but I’m not holding out too much hope. :-(

1/9: I woke up this morning thinking that maybe my problem is the metal DPNs that I was using. That was part of my problem. I used my size 7 bamboo DPNs and that took care of my ladders. Still have holes along the back (purl wrap side).

1/18: Okay - main body is completely finished, even the ribbed band along the front. Asked another knitter about the holes along the sleeves - she said the holes were still going to be there but to tug on the wrap a bit. Seems a bit counter-intuitive but the holes are smaller. So, we’ll see how they turn out when blocked.

I’ve moved on to the belt which is double-knitted - slow going.

1/21: All the knitting is completed. I’ll sew on buttons and block. Am starting a fire so the sweater will dry faster in our cold, humid weather. Decided to test the superwash-ibility of Mad Tosh.

1/23: I washed and dried this sweater in the washer and drier. Oh My. I thought Madelinetosh was soft but it’s even softer now. Just lovely.

Family photo: Let’s not talk about how many hairstyles we tried out before she settled on one for the March 2012 pageant.