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We’re having crazy October weather. Last week we had a heat wave and it got up to 98 degrees Fahrenheit in our neighborhood (that’s 36.6 Celsius), plus the typical hot dry Santa Ana winds blowing in from the desert. Now we’re having a cold snap — it was 46F (7.7C) outside today when I woke up at 8am, and 66F (18.8C) in the house. The heater even turned on last night for the first time since last winter!

We all hope it stays cold. I love bundling up in my warm woolly clothes and not needing an ice pack to keep my feet cool at night. But since it’s October in San Diego, it’ll probably be 100 degrees next week again.

I’m having mouse problems with my Macbook. Something in the button has broken and it randomly decides that I’m clicking it even when I’m not. It’s more manageable if I never click the button at all, so I’ve got my external mouse hooked up all the time, but I still get the occasional random button click, which can have hilarious or disastrous results! I have to try to remember to park the cursor over a blank area of the screen, not over a “submit” button. Dan can install a new mouse assembly for me (wonderful Dan!), but that means buying one, which is annoying.

I think I never posted about my finished Hermia sweater! I finished it up last week. I absolutely love it! Here are a few photos (which I had to take myself ’cause everyone else was busy):

(real yarn color is brighter)

(this one is pretty close to the true spring-green color)

(I made the sleeves long long long for my gorilla arms. I hate sleeves that are a little too short.)

I used about 5.5 skeins of Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece and size 5 and size 2 Knitpicks Harmony wooden circular needles. You can read all about it on its Ravelry Page, or, if you don’t have an account there yet:

I got about 5st/inch and about 6.5 rows/inch, so I cast on for the XS size but am working the neck increases every four rows. And I’m working a few sets of short rows across the back.

Stopped increasing at 162 st (including the 4 CO st under each arm), worked a couple rows, then dec away 2 st from the back under each arm (158 st total).

After working the welt, I increased to 200 stitches for the peplum. I worked the lace pattern 6 times and then worked the hem, splitting the yarn down to 2 plies for the underside of the hem and sewing down the live loops instead of binding off.

Working sleeves flat and simultaneously on one long circular needle with two balls of yarn. A bit awkward but by god they’ll match. Decreased sleeves down to 54 st over the first 12 rows or so, now will work plain for a while.

After 60 rows (to about elbow length), I increased at each side and then again every ten rows to 62 st. Now I just have to knit till they’re long enough…

Ok 126 rows seemed long enough for the sleeves. Then I worked the YO turning row and then the facing with two plies of yarn.

I worked two sets of short rows across the back neck edging, first set at back raglan and second set 6 st back from there. Worked three garter ridges, then cast off on the next RS row, giving the effect of four garter ridges.

Soft and comfy!