Merry Christmas with Joie de Vivre!

So, yet again, I decided this year it was a good idea to try to make all the Christmas gifts I was giving... well, at least those for my mom and sisters. This always seems like a good idea until two weeks before Christmas and I still have a project that I haven't even started. woops. Anyhow, this year, I actually pulled it off without a mad dash on Christmas Eve.

Anyhow, so what did I accomplish this Christmas? Well, for mom... I made a lovely sapphire blue sweater / cardigan. The pattern is Joie de Vivre from the book Sensual Knits... and I must say I find the sizing to be rather small. I used Patons Silk Bamboo yarn, which didn't quite give me the right gauge, but it was awfully close. AND... then I knit a LARGE... for my mom... who is a stick. I started and ripped it out because there was no way it was the right size, and then I started and ripped it out again, and then I decided it was going to have to be a large. BUT... eventually it came out right-ish.

I'm not fully convinced that this is the nicest sweater, but I tried really hard to get it right and the pattern is beautiful. Anyhow, my issues: 1. the sizing. Either the yarn I used is very very much the wrong yarn to use or my gauge is too tight. (I knit a swatch, it was darn close). 2. the ribbing! Knitting this up in one piece is TRES COOL! EXCEPT when it comes to sewing together the seams. I can't figure out how you make the ribs line up. Maybe it doesn't matter, but my ribs don't line up and that makes me sad. Hopefully no one else notices. 3. I didn't block mine, so the sleeves are about 1/2 length, which is fine, but I'd recommend making longer sleeves period. It wouldn't be that hard to do, just cast on ~34 more stitches on either side.

The pattern really is lovely and elegant. How much cooler can you get than an alternating drop stitch rib? I also LOVE how soft this yarn is... wow...