The Logic Analyzer Sweater

Every great design begins with an even better story. -- Lorinda Mamo, designer

There's something about November that feels as though someone has leaned on the remote control to make everything go in fast forward. It's something I've noticed for years now... somehow, I'm always struggling to keep up this time of year. I don't know if it's because Christmas is looming or because the days seem suddenly so much shorter, but it's a feeling I've had around this time of year for most of my adult life.

It was my birthday last Thursday. Maybe that had something to do with it. Perhaps it has to do with the marking of the passage of time. Or maybe it has something to do with the copious amounts of cake I eat this time of year:

People kept asking me if I was doing anything special for my birthday, and the best I could think of was, "I'm gonna take a nap." And you know what? When people heard that, the look of jealousy on their faces was priceless. I mean, it IS the best thing ever, isn't it?

I didn't just take a nap. We went out to Nanaimo for a day out and about to enjoy the autumn sunshine while it lasts:

 

I am very pleased to share with you a finished sweater project. It's been christened the Logic Analyzer Sweater:

I made it with the intention of finally using up some yarn that I bought last year during an online yarn sale. I always knew it was going to be a striped garment of some description, but I wasn't really sure what it would look like until I actually started knitting. I am very pleased with the result. I am particularly pleased with the length of it. I am still waiting for the buttons to arrive in the mail, but it is totally wearable just as it is:

When I shared it with a friend, he said, "I would call that a Logic Analyzer Sweater." He works in tech. And you know what, he's right. It has to do with those wavy short rows I worked into the bottom of the sweater. I'm never going to be able to explain what a logic analyzer is properly, so I shall leave you to learn about it here. Just go look at the pictures. You'll see what I mean:

Oh, and the extra yarn that I ordered for this sweater? It turns out I didn't need a single strand of it. In fact, I actually have yarn leftover. Ah well... there's always a use for neutrals:

Meanwhile, I am casting about the house trying to get a handle on what I am going to work on next. I've spent the last couple of days mucking around in paints and pens and yarn and paper, and the best result I've had is a great big mess on the dining table:

But I did finally get myself organized enough to start playing around with this yarn that I got from a fiber festival a few years ago. It's a 50/50 wool silk blend with the most gorgeous colours running throughout:

The only trouble is that I only have two skeins of it and I want to try to make a full garment out of it. I am attempting to design something with another fun stripe pattern, but it's been difficult to find a contrasting yarn to work with it. The colours look different from each angle of the yarn cake:

Initially I thought that a plain white or cream yarn would do the trick, but it just looks... I dunno... boring?

But I'm currently playing around with this green that I think might work well. We'll see how it goes:

Anyway, I'm hoping that the end of the month will not swish past me as it has in the past. I think it's going to take a concerted effort to slow down and breathe and appreciate the finer moments of the day. Or maybe it's going to take more naps, I don't know.

Have a great week!