Short Rows for Days.

It seems I've been knitting short rows for days. And maybe surprising to many - myself included! - I'm really enjoying it! Despite what my Ravelry project page might say, I've been devoting all my knitting time over the past week to just two projects, both of which feature short rows.

First is the Shelter Baby Blanket I introduced last week. Those wedges are formed by working short rows in opposite directions. The really cool part (at least according to my inner knitting nerd) is that the turn is worked at the same point in the rows in both directions so those wedges are smoothly connected. 

I think the back of the piece shows best what I'm trying to describe - see how those garter stitch bumps stair-step in opposite directions?

And it's garter stitch, so no picking up wraps - just a plain "move the stitch, move the yarn, move the stitch" and you're done. Easy peasy (and still loving the yarn on those size 9 needles)!

In contrast, I've spent much of this week's knitting time on the first sleeve of my Summer Navy cardigan. The sleeves are knit seamlessly from the armholes using short rows to shape the sleeve cap, then working in the round to the bind-off. I must say the finished results are beautiful and it fits so nicely.

But it's a fiddle-y mess to execute (which my inner knitting nerd enjoys too). 

I pick up the stitches using a smaller needle, and then work the rest of the sleeve with double-points. Here's what it looks like a few rows in (yikes, right?!). Once the short rows are finished, I'll start working in the round as usual (with five double pointed needles). At that point, the small circular needle will no longer be part of the picture (it's holding the stitches that I picked up and haven't yet worked), nor will those hanging markers (they're marking the turning point for the Sunday Short Rows - my favorite method for working wraps that have to be picked up)...and then I'm almost done.  

I wonder if I'm being completely unreasonable with myself to expect a finished cardigan before the end of the month?  and pretty sure my next project won't have me knitting so many short rows!