February was for sleeves

I'm wondering if I am losing my mojo again.

Last year I ripped out and ripped through baskets of UFOs and knitted entire sweaters in three to five weeks. I blogged weekly about it.

This February, I made 1.5 sleeves. Sure, they are complicated, Alice Starmore 32 stitch by two pages of row sleeves but that is not much progress compared to last year.

I have admired the Henry VII since I bought the book back in 1998 from the Yarn Garden on Sutter Street. I set aside some eBay red worsted just for this project a year ago when I started my run through worsted stash. I am enjoying the results, but I'm just not into it right now.

I'm hoping that in March I can put the body on a circular and enjoy it more.

That being said, let me list the modifications I am making:

• Raglan shaping rather than the dreadful drop shoulder.
• Body knit in the round, then add the sleeves using the Zimmerman/Swanson 'fake seam'.
• Slimmer arms. I cast on 33 stitches and increased 2 stitches every four rows.
• Probably a slimmer body, but I have not calculated that yet.

The finished sleeve is 17" wide at the top and 18" long and about 1.5 pattern repeats.