Asking for Help at the Finish Line

Hello Everyone,
So that's a kooky picture up above. Let me explain. It's actually a combination of things. That's me, pretending to meditate-- part of a project I'm doing taking pictures of myself meditating in unusual places. And in the background is my friend Noska, in red, photo-bombing the shot. And then, right behind me is my friend Bart, holding up the back of a sweater I'm making him.

I've mentioned the sweater before-- it's a Cowichan style, originally made by the Cowichan tribe in Western Canada. Bart is Canadian and asked me to make him one. I said I'd give it a shot. (He does stuff for me, too-- he gives me cool tattoos.)

I was just about finished the pieces when I found out Bart is leaving for Canada really soon. I had already planned to hire Renata, a local finisher, to install the zipper-- not something I want to experiment with. Then Suzanne, who owns my LYS-- Hill Country Weavers-- convinced me to let Renata handle the blocking and seaming, too.

I'm usually pretty stubborn about finishing my own work, wanting to say I did every stitch. But I confess it didn't take much convincing for me. I was looking at a deadline, I don't like deadline knitting. And I've got another project going I want to get back to and another to start. And so, there you go, I'm going to hand it off.

I'm a little worried Renata will spot some of the errors (er... design elements)-- such as I think I knitted the sleeves a little too long and I accidentally used the smaller cast-on-for-ribbing needles for the first one so had to do the same for the second (only after realizing, 4/5ths of the way through the second sleeve my error, having to then rip that one out and start again). And I worry that when she spots the errors she will get a bad headache or collapse on the floor laughing.

But I hear she's a miracle worker and so here we go. A new chapter in my knitting world. Asking for help at the finish line. Any of y'all hire others to do your finishing?

Spike

In The Bag

This is The Monroe bag, in Caribbean Blue

I don't actually make a big stink about holidays, preferring to ignore most of them. But I did use Mothers' Day as an excuse to buy myself this lovely bag by Namaste. This is my second bag from the company (I also bought their messenger bag last year). I really dig the company's designs and philosophy-- their products are vegetarian so to speak, no leather involved. They are created with knitters in mind but, as you can see, work for non-knit purposes, too-- though who in their right mind would go anywhere without their knitting in tow? 

Here's a look at the inside: 

Tucked into my knitting bag you see the latest copy of Interweave KNITS. I'm a regular contributor to the magazine and in this issue you'll find my profile of Amy Miller, a young designer from Wisconsin who-- though she's only been knitting five years-- has a truly stunning collection. I'm especially fond of her striped patterns and I do believe you'll love her stuff, too. 

Spike