Brrr!

It's finally sweater weather (although Mother Nature is going to extremes). The problem is all my handknit sweaters suffer from extensive pilling. The solution: A Restora fabric shaver, from WAWAK. It arrived quickly, and it does a good job on pills, BUT. There is something wrong with the on/off switch: I have to apply pressure on the switch to keep it running. By the time I finished one (very pilly) sweater, my hands were tired and crampy. I sent the company an email; we'll see how they respond.

Knitting: One pocket is basically done on the Lempi sweater; I'm waiting to graft the bottom until I knit the other pocket, in case I want to make changes. I've been working on the latest gray cowl during commercials while watching TV.
Spinning: All the singles of the three-color braid are spun - time for plying!

The pocket instructions for the Lempi sweater were to simply pick up stitches and knit the pocket in the round. That seemed too bulky. Instead, I added a purl stretch on the "front" side of the pocket so that it would fold better. Then I purled two stitches at each side, to again make folding the fabric easier.

In the past, whenever I veered from pattern instructions, I regretted it. But after over 40 years of slavishly following patterns, I guess I have learned a thing or two.

I have a pet peeve about patterns that go into excruciating detail until the very end, where the final instructions are rather lacksidaisical. (The phrase "Bind off loosely" should be banned!) This sweater is a case in point. I knit another sweater, designed by Vogue, that I call the "vague" sweater for the same reason.