Our Saturday Jaunts

We use to do things as a family every Saturday afternoon. First stop was the bakery in Steveston Village. We would each get a donut and a pop and ruin our appetite for the rest of the day. Next, we would go down to another bakery in Vancouver and get baklava for each of us. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! All that ooey, gooey goodness with nuts throughout. Oh, yum! (Maybe that's why I gained weight!) Sadly, both bakeries closed. That's what happens when you live in a city more than a few years. You see stores come and go and it's surprising. Not having lived anywhere more than a few years at one go I was shocked when this happened. But now I've seen change in the metropolitan area of Vancouver that I know it's just part of life. After all, things must change in 34 years! Including said family. This is what we looked like back in the donut and baklava days.

Circa 1992 in the summer in Walla Walla - the days of pigtails, dark hair and puffed sleeves.

Now, B and I go by ourselves as the kids are all grown and do their own thing on Saturdays. We still go in to Vancouver but bypass the bakery for a healthier option. Often we stop at Choices where there are, well, choices. Healthy choices. Last time we were there we picked up jalapenos to make poppers. Now, that's something I could eat a lot of!

 Just for your information this is how we start:

This is how we end:

Circa 1990

Aspen Yoked

I am really really happy with this sweater since I converted it from a pullover into a cardigan. It is cozy and warm (100% wool!) and easy to put on and take off. 

As you can see the pullover did nothing for my snowman figure. I think the cardigan is much better. Plus I've lost weight from the time the pullover snowman picture was taken. 

The journey to a cardigan was long. There were so many modifications that it will take me awhile to enumerate them all. First off the pullover was going to be a "Wallaby" with a hood and a pocket in front. I changed my mind about that when I realized it would be pretty bulky right where I didn't want bulk! I finished the sweater as a pullover and realized I didn't like it so long. I cut off the hem and a section right above it; then "kitchener-ed" it together to make it shorter. I guess you could say I grafted it together. 

Then, I thought, "I think I would like this better as a cardigan!" So, I steeked it by cutting right up the middle. I thought I was finally finished when I got the buttons and button band on but B said the sleeves were too baggy!

I really liked the gathering at the wrist too but since I wanted tighter sleeves, I ripped it out. I un-did them up to about the armpits and redid them by decreasing two stitches every inch or so. That made the sleeves nice and snug. 

Today we had snow and we are expecting more over the next four days so it's perfect weather to snuggle up by the fire with a cup of coffee, a book and my extremely modified "Aspen Yoke". So, off I go!

Not shown is the process of making the body of the sweater narrower. I did a steek up the middle of the front as noted but when I picked up stitches for the button band I went in several inches from the edge on both sides. It definitely made the sweater body narrower. 

I have learned so much from making this sweater! It has given me confidence to try things without fear. The worst that can happen is that I would have to unravel a whole garment and start again. And I've done that before! So when something doesn't fit like I like I don't hesitate to re-make it so I do finally like it. Having said all that, I'm anxious to try making a sweater without a pattern. 

Yarn: Briggs and Little