Acreage

I'm Back to the FLAK.  It's so very, very large! I know I've said it before, but I just never can get over how big knitting is when it's spread out flat:

And SO Much of it seems to be sleeves!  Because I normally knit circularly, I don't usually get this perspective on the drop-shoulder silhouette. I hope I'm not in trouble here. The measurements seem OK, and when I drop it over my head, it seems to match up in the right places, so I'm pressing on.  But Geez that's a lot of knitwear.  Anyway, trepidation aside, I'm pleased that the back is now complete. I originally wanted to find some way of continuing the cables down into the ribbing, but when the time came to figure out how, I flinched. I just didn't feel like thinking that hard. Instead, I opted to make my very first twisted rib.  Can you believe it? Knitting my whole life, and never tried a twisted rib before!

I'm pleased with it. The neckline seemed disturbingly huge, so I went ahead and finished it to calm myself down.  I like it; subtle, but just a little different, and it has great body and snap. This is ribbing that will not forget how to do its job.

How's your FLAK going? Or should I say "growing"?

Hypotenuse

My FLAK is big.  Really big.  It measures correctly, but spread out flat like this, it seems less like a sweater and more like a motorcycle cozy.  Which would explain the prodigious rate at which it's gobbling up yarn. Granted, these skeins are pretty short, but I've done so many spit-splices I'm starting to dehydrate. I'm about halfway down sleeve #2, and nearing the end of the 12th skein.  And speaking of sleeves, notice anything special about these?

How about now?  That's right!  Reverse-Hypotenuse sleeve decreases! Which, for the non-mathy (such as me), means that the decreases happen on top of the arm, rather than at the underarm.  The legendary Joan Schrouder cleverly pioneered this architecture.  It results in less fabric under the armpits, so bunching up is greatly reduced.  And look at what a pretty curve happens at the shoulder, right where you want it.  I think it's dead sexy.  Thanks, Joan!  

Groovy thing about top-down sweater knitting: Not sure what kind of edge treatment you want for neckline, cuffs and hem? No problem! Just put the stitches on holders and figure it out at the end.  Who knows? Maybe I'll even devise some fancy way of continuing the cables down into the ribbing, ala Kathy Zimmerman. 

But first I have to get ready to join skein # 13.  I need a drink of water.

Contest!

Basket and fireplace not included.  Sorry.

Would you like to have this dreamy sweater's-worth of yarn for your very own FLAK sweater? Enter the contest, and all 2,610 yards of 100% wooly goodness could be yours!  Here's what to do:

1.   Make up your very own, original FLAK-ronym.  That's right; the orignial FLAK acronym stands for "Follow the Leader Aran Knitalong".  So now I'm asking you to create a new acronym that expresses your personal FLAK experience (or the one you'd like to have).

2.  Post a comment to the blog with your FLAK-ronym and its description before 12 AM on November 1, 2014.

3.  Stay tuned and I'll announce the winner shortly thereafter!

I can't wait to see what you come up with.  My readers are the cleverest beasties ever.  In the meantime, it's not too late to join me this weekend at Vogue Knitting Live in Chicago. CLICK HERE to register!  The Windy City will never be the same after this, I promise.

Want something a little closer to the West Coast?  Come play with us at Knit Fit in Seattle! CLICK HERE to see more.

And if all that weren't enough: Something Slipper-y is Coming.  That's right:  I just received the first advance copy of this little number, which should be on store shelves in time for you do do some seriously fun Holiday Knitting:

Featured slippers: "Killer Rab-Boots"

The official release date is November 15, but I have a sneaking suspicion that pre-ordered copies will arrive before that.  And these are some seriously silly slippers, if I do say so myself. Need a little something to knit for your loveable, zany friends and relatives?  Look no further than Carrot socks, Panda-face maryjanes, and real live furry MukLuks.  You knew you could count on me to bring the whimsy in time for gift-giving, no?