A Discussion About Aliens and a New Sweater

The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us.-― Bill Watterson

I was listening to a podcast the other day that discussed the presence of extraterrestrial life, of other beings that may be out there who may or may not be observing us, beings with whom our greatest scientists have been attempting to contact for years and years. It got me thinking: is there anyone out there observing us? And if so, what would they make of these humans as we are today? What would they make of us dully scrolling on our phones or watching our screens or playing with our dogs or cooking our dinners? And... what would they make of me sitting on our couch night after night with yarn and needles and hooks in my hand, spending hours and hours making loop after loop, stitch after stitch?

Well, aliens, check this out. Here's what I was doing all that time. I was knitting a whole bunch of tedious stitches and got a sweater out of it:

If the aliens were indeed watching, they would have seen this human knitting like a maniac last Saturday and Sunday to try to get it finished in time for me to share last week. I decided that it would be better (both for the project and for my hands) to finish it off for this week instead. I'm really glad I did, as I was able to give it a good soak to even out the stitches. I am very pleased with the result:

I am also very glad that I decided to take the time to re-engineer the construction of this sweater. This is what the front looked like in the original pattern. If I were the sort of person who did not fiddle with her clothes all the time, it might have worked out. But, as Gloria Gaynor says, "I am what I am..."

I think it is much more wearable for me as a drop shoulder sweater with a more traditional front. I'm really glad it worked out because it involved picking up about 400 stitches along the front edges and back of the neck. It also involved ripping out the first twelve rows I worked because I realized I didn't like the look of the stitches I originally chose. If the aliens were listening at that stage, they would have learned a few choice human words from me at that moment.

I am also pleased with the weight of the overall garment. I am one of these crazy people who is ok with knitting garments with lightweight yarns, but I just adore the result. This was knit with Scheepjes Whirlette, which is a cotton/acrylic fingering weight yarn. It made for a lightweight fabric that had enough drape to keep it from being too wispy. I wish the photos captured the colour better, but it is a lovely charcoal grey that will go well with a lot of other things in my closet: 

As I mentioned in my last post, this project is one of the few where I actually took notes of everything I did. I detailed quite a few of my notes on my Ravelry project page. I dithered quite a bit about whether or not that was a kosher thing to do, but I think the feature that draws everyone to this pattern is the back panel, so you need to get the pattern to get that part anyway. If my modifications motivate someone to give the project a go, then all the better.

Meanwhile, we have a new couch in the house. Here's Adriene's New Couch... or couch and loveseat. Note the furry little beast who has already claimed a spot:

I kinda thought that given this blog is named after my previous couch, I would feel a bit more emotional about it being replaced. It turns out that it's true what they say: all things have their time. And it was time to get a replacement... even if it took two and a half months for it to arrive.

I've begun a new cushion to add to the collection, as the ones from the old couch were looking a bit grubby. This one is being made with colours that I discovered when I made my latest blanket. I'm hoping the lighter colours won't disappear into each other, but I'm looking forward to seeing how it turns out:

And Adriene not only has a new couch. Behold Adriene's new chair:

 It sits in the office next to the window. I have so far used it for chatting with friends online, for quiet contemplation, for knitting (of course). And even as I sit here typing away, someone else has found a pretty good use for it as well:

It's Canadian Thanksgiving here this weekend. It's been a doozy of a year so far, but I was chatting with a friend of mine this morning about how I refuse to join the chant of how 2020 is such a terrible year. For my own mental health, I can't really afford to slide down that slippery slope. And I have been practicing a lot of gratitude this year, and it's shown me the abundance I live with. And I am grateful for all of it, even during the tough times.

I wonder what the aliens would make of Thanksgiving. I bet they would join in. I made a custard-filled cornbread this year. Those aliens wouldn't be able to resist:

I'm grateful that you stopped by to visit my blog, earthling thing. Have a good week.