Progressing Quickly

One cable &  joined in the round

I've got to say that this shell is progressing pretty quickly.  Really enjoying knitting this top.  For a number of reasons...first it's not a sock.  It's pretty clever construction that moves top down.  That's a good thing because you can try it on as you go.  I have yet to do so...probably should too.  I don't want any surprises when it's done.

After some knitting magic I've joined the right to the left sides and started knitting in the round.  One cable is done...5 more to go till I'm done.  Pretty sweet.  Better stop the bragging now...remember what happens when one gets too cocky with one's knitting.  Hope to finish by the end of the week so I can cast on April's sock...still no pattern or yarn chosen.  I should get on that soon, but now I'm possessed...knitting the shell and watching eaglets. 

I haven't mentioned watching baby eagles have I?  I've been following two nests...one more local and another out in the wilds of the Midwest.  It has been fascinating watching these birds and equally interesting how some people react to watching nature. 

A Brief Break in the Sock Action

Back view

Since I finished my March socks a week ahead of schedule I decided to take a break from sock knitting.  I managed to cast on the Mondo Cable Shell  by Bonnie Marie Burns of Chicknits last night.  I have had the pattern for ages.  I had thought the computer 'ate' it when it crashed awhile back.  Thankfully it was merely 'lost' in a file I don't remember creating...does that ever happen to anyone else?

Color Variation

I'm using another skein from Three Irish Girls.  It's called Rosea Organic Merino which is 100% merino...oops, organic merino.   The colorway is a semi solid collection of purples called Sea Nymph .  I love the name although when you see the color it doesn't scream either the Sea or for that matter Nymph to me...not that I know what a nymph looks like, ha.  I got lucky and it's knitting up at the correct gauge and the variations of color are looking splendid so far.

Only one concern...is there enough yarn?  Maybe.  Maybe not.  I have a double skein that's says it is 480 yards at 8 ounces.  After weighing it I have a wee bit more at 8 5/8 ounces...pattern calls for 475 yards.  So if the Knitting Gods are kind I'll have enough...if I get cocky you know what will happen.  I'll get  smacked down with at least an inch left to knit.  The plan...not to get too full of myself.

Forgot to Mention the Yarn

My March socks are done.  I meant to add a few words about the yarn I used for my Kellswater Socks.  It's called Adorn...a lovely merino with a nice amount of nylon added.  The yarn should be fairly durable given the amount of nylon at 20%.  Even with the nylon it still feels very soft to the touch and has enough bounce to make the cables pop.  The skein is BIG at 430 yards...still have 37 grams left after finishing the socks.  It was hand dyed in various shades of blues by Sharon and her gang of merry dyers at Three Irish Girls in Duluth, Minnesota.

This was my first time using anything from my stash of Three Irish Girl yarn.  I have several skeins of various weights and fibers thanks to my 'membership' in their Stash Menagerie.  It was a really good way to get a wide variety of special yarns.  It also made it difficult to stop participating in the club after several months...it seems as if you can't stop with just one.  In my stash I have aquired: Adorn, Springvale Bulky, Elenya Alpaca, Springvale DK, Roslea Organic Merino, Springvale Super Merino, Glenhaven Cashmerino in all kinds of special exclusive colorways.  I have a few patterns in mind for each one...just need to relocate my notebook.  I can't seem to put my hands on the darn thing.

Of course anytime Sharon posts a new colorway I drool on the keyboard...so far I have resisted a few.  Others were not ignored quite as well and are spending time amongst the stash.  A few will be participating in my Self Imposed Sock Club.  I'd best get cracking on choosing next month's yarn and pattern...

My March Socks

I finished early once again.  I'm not sure how it happened since I was sidetracked a few times by the white stuff...otherwise known as snow.   Along with a few days spent snow boarding and the last several days outdoors working in the yard I didn't think it possible to finish so quickly.

This month's Self Imposed Sock Club pattern was Kellswater by Sara Morris in the Spring 2012 Issue of Interweave Knitting.  I truly enjoyed knitting this sock.   Not only was it my first toe up pattern it was also the first time using 2 circular needles to knit a sock.  I always thought I would be one of those knitters that used DPN's (double point needles) for my sock knitting...not anymore.  Now it would seem I have crossed to the dark side...can't wait for that discussion with my knitting buddies.  

That's what I love about knitting there always seems to be something new...could be yarn, technique or pattern it doesn't really matter.  I love learning new stuff...it keeps it fresh.  I feel pretty certain that I will continue using the circular needles to knit my socks.  The other thing that surprised me was the ease of doing the sock 'toe up' rather than the conventional 'cuff down'.  I even learned another cast on technique...the Turkish or Eastern method.  A bit fiddly starting out, but once a couple of rows were complete it moved smoothly. 

rope cable

Back of sock...anchor and tree

The only problem encountered was with the needles.  My brand new wooden circular needle developed a rough spot that kept snagging my yarn.  I broke out some 220 grit sandpaper and some wax paste to fix the spot.   It got me through the sock although I'm not too pleased that the wooden needle seems to be splitting apart.   Of course these may be jinxed...remember the first set arrived broken.




Details:
Pattern:  Kellswater Socks by Sara Morris

Yarn:  Adorn by Three Irish Girls, 80% merino, 20% nylon, 3.5 oz./430 yards, colorway: Rhys

Needles:  2- US 1 24" circular needles

Gauge:  32 sts x 48 rnds

Short row heel

Modifications:  I changed the pattern slightly when I reached the heel.  I ended up doing a traditional short row heel rather than the combination of knits and purls.  The sock didn't need all the fuss at the heel...and I didn't like the instructions written out row by row. 

I think I need to cast on something other than a sock...I'm craving something different.  Tomorrow I need to investigate the possibilities...between stash and patterns.  Oh and I need to decide on my next pattern for Sock Club.  All that plus I need to finish the yard work we've started a few days ago...so close to being done.  One load of mulch left to go and the destruction of one more bed.  What fun!

Can I just Say

I love knitting toe up socks.  When I decided to do something totally new this month I had no idea that it would be this much fun.   I'm not sure if it's the toe up pattern or if it's using the 2 circular needles to do it.  Whatever it is I'm enjoying the experience.

That is all...

Finally Some Spinning

Louet "Northern Lights"

After posting yesterday I actually pulled out the spindles and spun for about an hour...maybe more, maybe less.  I lost track.  I love that it's so calming and time just disappears.  I decided to try my hand at spinning a bag of Louet Northern Lights that I had squirreled away a while back.  I thought at the time that I would hold onto it until I had a wheel.  It is a whopping 1/2 pound bag of pencil roving in the colorway "Picasso".  Due to the large amount and a definite color pattern I wanted to wait until I had a wheel to spin it all at the same time.  You know what they say about 'the best laid plans' right?  No wheel yet, but I do have a  couple of empty spindles to fill and a need to practice on something.

Plied Yarn

I went ahead and spun a small amount, plied and washed it...looks pretty decent.  I seem to still have some consistency to my spinning even though it's been a few months.  I'm pleased about that...my dear husband thought the "yellow looked too thick" until I had it washed and had it hanging to dry.   He now says that "the yellow doesn't stand out".  I'll take it.

Time Marches On and It's March Already

BFL

I have a confession to make...I have not spun any fiber since Thanksgiving.  I was actually spinning everyday until I ran out of fiber.  Christmas was fast approaching and I was told "not to run out and buy anything " so I was stuck with nothing.  Time marches on and I was gifted some roving or 'combed wool top'... from Woolgatherings and Webs.  Actually quite a bit of new fiber found its way into the stash over the Holidays.

Polwarth

My oldest and his lovely wife who also happens to be a knitter surprised me with 4 ounces of BFL* (Blue Faced Leicester) in the most lovely spring colors of greens, yellows and blues.  They also sprang for 4 ounces of Polwarth** Wool Top in woodsy colors...blues, greens and browns.   Both tops are from Woolgatherings and are really beautiful...so soft.

BFL- Gaston

Targhee- Bandon

Targhee- Deep Lake

The other fiber bundles came from Webs...from my husband.   I have a couple of bundles of Targhee*** in greens and blues in a colorway called "deep lake'.  Some really scrumptious BFL in blues and purples in the colorway 'gaston'.  The last bundle is also Targhee in reds and oranges in a colorway known as 'bandon.'

I now have lots of roving, but still haven't spun a darn thing.  Why?  My problem is that I'm afraid of messing these up.  What to do about that is where I find myself today.  I need to practice, but I don't want to mess up. I'm thinking I need to assign a day to the task...maybe then I'll throw myself back into spinning.  Weekends may just be for spinning since both days start with 'S'...yeah, I'm stalling.  I think I'll just go spin now before March is suddenly gone.


*BFL (Blue Faced Leicester)
**Polwarth
***Targhee

Progress is Being Made

Powder Day!

Packed Powder & Blue Bird Skies

My March sock is moving along quite well.  I have managed to knit the entire foot and complete the short row heel.  Pretty good considering I was sidetracked by 8 inches of powder at Snowshoe on Monday.  The one and only thing that can put an end to my knitting faster is the mention of snow.  Snow means skiing or boarding, not sitting indoors and knitting...some may find that a very strange thing for a knitter.  Stranger still is if I wake up to a Powder Day then all knitting will be abandoned for the entire day...and maybe the night depending upon the level of tiredness one feels after a soak in the hot tub. 

Let's just say that sock knitting did not occur while some mindless knitting on Winged moved forward long enough to finish one more triangle.

Wing

As for my socks I had been using 2 different sets of needles which were slightly different in size yet there's no appreciable difference in gauge that I can measure.  My only complaint with this arrangement has been that one of the cables was only 16 inches long and the accompanying needle was too short.  I could knit the pattern just fine, but my hands would start to cramp after a few hours of knitting. 

New circulars in place

Happily when we returned from our winter side trip my needles were waiting for me.  Last night I switched out the old mismatched circulars for my new ones...I'm moving along quite nicely. 

      I leave you with one final picture of Winter...I love snow!

Morning Wakup

Where There's a Will

I decided tonight that I really wanted to cast on my March socks.  It didn't matter that my needles were in pieces...March 1st means cast on.  I decided that I would pull out the US 1 24" circular set I bought from Holly Spring Homespun and match it up with my 16 inch long circular.

I used my husband's micrometer to measure the two sets diameters and see how large a difference I would be working.  Turns out not too much...only 0.18 mm.  I figured I could at least get the toe cast on and work it until the different lengths drove me nuts. 

So far I'm enjoying the heck out of this new technique...who knew.  I measured the gauge and so far I'm right where I need to be at 32 stitches over 4 inches.  The only problem is the discrepancy in the lengths of the 2 sets of needles.  The 16 inch long circular feels too short...the actual needles are shorter, but it feel tight as I knit.  On the other hand the 2 sets are different so I pick up the right needle every time.

Behind and It's Only March 1st

Looks like I'm already starting from behind on my March sock and it's not my fault.  I ordered new needles last week to use for the pattern I chose for March.  I was pretty excited to get the package the day BEFORE I needed to cast on the socks.  I was less than thrilled to find the contents of the packages damaged. 

Both needles are broken, therefore, no casting on will be happening today.  I guess I should have gone for metal rather than wooden ones.  A call was made and thankfully 2 more needles are heading my way...just won't be here to cast on new socks on March 1st.  That's unfortunate...behind before I've even gotten the chance to begin. 

Winged

While I'm waiting for my new needles to arrive I cast on something mindless...wingspan.  A few weeks ago I frogged my baktus scarf because I just didn't like it.  The Zauberball yarn wasn't really looking as good  as I thought it would so I ripped it. I didn't even get the chance to wash the kinks out of the yarn before I found something else to cast on.

As luck would have it I happened to see the pattern list for Ravelry...on that particular day wingspan was Number 2 out of 20.  One click later and another project was cast on using the zauberball.  The yarn is perfect with this pattern...the long color runs are being shown in all their glory.  My husband even made the comment 'that looks really pretty'...wow.  It appears that I've struck a homerun.

More Hooks and Needles

After yesterday's post about not having the right size needles it got me to thinking about how many needles are in the house.  I decided to spend the morning updating my needle inventory.   I thought that this task would be more fun than cleaning out the hall closet.  Thankfully Ravelry has a nifty chart that I have been trying to keep up to date.   Pulling out the various needle bags made me realize that I do in fact have more needles & hooks than I will ever have a need to use.

I'm not one to have more than a few projects going at a time...there was one Christmas that I had 10+ projects going, but that cured me.  It appears that I could have many times that under way based on the number of needles I have amassed.  It took a couple of hours and I managed to organize everything.  I even was able to recycle 15 hooks...do I really need 4 size J hooks?  Between Mom's collection and my own there were many duplicate sizes...I did keep a couple extras though.

For sentimental reasons  I could not get rid of some very old steel hooks from my Grandmother.  Hooks that I don't know if I'll ever use because they are so teeny tiny.  I assume they were her tatting hooks or maybe she used these when she added pretty lace borders to pillow cases.  I only remember Granny crocheting lots & lots of afghans.  Nice to have them in the collection as a remembrance of her and her skills as a crocheter.

Oh almost forgot...I ended up ordering 2 sets of US1 24 inch cables.  It's a sickness.

Never Enough vs Never the Right One

The question of using the proper tools frequently comes into play around my house.  It could be either one of us trying to justify adding another tool that would help make doing something easier, quicker, better or in a much rarer moment "just because" you want it.  I find myself in that predicament today.  I need a needle or more specifically needles.

If you know me you know that I have a rather large collection of needles.  I have fairly inexpensive ones...Clover, Bates, etc.   I also have a Boye NeedleMaster set that at the time I got it I thought I'd never need to buy another needle.  Foolish newbie!  I am  fortunate enough to have an expensive set of Addi Clicks which I love dearly and use for most of my knitting.  Of course I also have my Mom's vast assortment of needles which includes her own NeedleMaster set.  

I have an impressive collection of everything- straights, DPN, circular and interchangeable circulars.  Why then would I find it necessary to go on a hunt for more?  Well today I find that I don't have the "right needles" to do what I want to do for my March Sock.  I want to do the Kellswater pattern out of Interweave Knits Spring 2011...written as a toe up pattern using 2 circular needles.   After looking through all the various places I store my needles I found that I don't own two US1 24" circular needles.  I do have a single US1 48" circular, but not 2 and not the preferred length of 24".

Two yarn stores later I found one US1 24" circular at Holly Springs, but not two.  What should I do...change the March sock pattern or try using the 24" and my 48" circulars and see how long it takes to drive me over the edge?  I'm finding it hard to change the pattern choice...love the yarn and I was looking forward to trying the toe up/2 circs pattern which are both new to me.

I guess I'll check around for another needle since March 1st is still a few days away...don't ya just hate it when a plan doesn't come together?

Herringbone Rib Memorial Socks

Herringbone Pattern

The Herringbone Rib socks were knit to honor my Mom who passed away February 2011 from the disease ALS.  She loved to knit and the yarn I used was once her's...a gift from me a few years ago.  Mom didn't get the chance to knit her own pair of socks out of the Trekking so to honor her memory I chose it for these socks.  She was a very strong lady and I miss her.  Mom would love these socks...done in her favorite earth tone colors.

Heel stitches knit thru back loop

I finished...early even.  Last week I wasn't so sure I'd get both socks done before the end of the month.  The first sock ended up being a pain to get up over the heel.  My first time ever having a fit problem and that includes my very first sock.  I had followed the instructions for the smaller sock and it's a tight fit.  Real tight as you can see from a past post about the ordeal.  Once on it fits fine which is so strange...not tight at all.

For the second sock I decided to knit the larger version. Unfortunately, had I continued knitting it would have created a sock much too large for my foot.  I frogged back and recast the sock following the original instructions.  I figured the only other things left to try were to knit the sock more loosely or change the size of my needles.  My gauge was spot on in the stockinette portion so I tried knitting looser.  Since I knew I had tightened up the slip stitches on the first sock I tried to avoid that on the second sock.  Good news...the second sock goes on much easier over the heel.  The fit is fine, but the yarn is not the softest stuff on the market.

Leg patterns match

Heel flaps match

One happy coincidence is that without any effort or thought I ended up with two socks that match.  That has not happened without lots or planning, calculating and measuring...and with all that most times it's a wee bit off.

The first sock's problem persists and I may correct it, but I'm holding off until I've tried blocking.  Maybe that will 'fix' the tightness...can't hurt I suppose.  I've been told that "blocking fixes everything."  I don't happen to believe it, but it beats frogging.

Details:

Pattern:  Herringbone Rib Socks by Kristi Schuler. 

Yarn:  Trekking Pro Natura by Zitron, Fingering / 4 ply, 75% Wool, 25% Bamboo, Color:  earth tones, 459 yards / 100 gram.  I also used a small amount of Colinette Jitterbug's Velvet Leaves, Fingering / 4 ply, 100% Merino, 318 yards / 110 gram...for the cuffs and toes.
 

Needles:  Knitpicks Harmony, US 1, 4 DPN's

Gauge: 28 stitches and 44 rounds in 4 inches of stockinette stitch

March socks are up next.  I'm going to switch gears and knit a new pattern that was in the Spring issue of Interweave Knitting: Kellswater Socks by Sara Morris.  My first pair of toe up socks.  I'm going to try to use 2 circular needles which should be interesting.  I'm not sure about the yarn just yet...solid? semisolid?  Not sure.  I do know it won't be a variegated yarn since I want the cables to pop.  Stay tuned.

One Down...with a Twist

Uh oh...

Yeah me!  I finished the first Herringbone sock last night.  It's amazing what progress can be made when actual knitting occurs on a project.  Although the first sock is done...including all the ends woven & toe 'kitchenered'...it has a problem.  A rather important problem.  It does not fit on my foot...easily.

Oh I can get it on, but I must pull & tug the heel portion rather harshly.  Once it's pulled up over the heel the sock fits great.  For whatever reason this sock that claims "the bold ribs add stretch for a more forgiving fit" lies.  Simple as that...the fit is not forgiving at my ankle.  In fact I'm amazed I haven't pulled it apart given the amount of stress I've applied.

Man it's tight...

Up & over...

Fits fine...now

Stay tuned for the second sock.  I'm going to make a few changes to the second one and hopefully get one that will glide up & over my heel.

Second Sock, Second Month...Progress & Excuses

Herringbone Rib Sock

One word...slow.  My progress on the second sock of the great Self Imposed Sock Club 2012 is going along very slowly.  It seems to be taking way too long to finish the first sock.  Why you ask...

Me

My guess is that it would progress faster if I spent more time knitting on the sock.  I've been distracted a few times with some other endeavors.  Namely back to back weeks boarding in the West Virginia mountains at Snowshoe.  After spending a day out on the slopes my mind is uninterested in knitting.  Did I just say that?  Mmmm, it's true.  I took my knitting both weeks...the sock and a pattern for felted hearts...just no knitting occurred while in West Virginia.

I must say that if I had to choose knitting or spending time outside on my board...the board would win.  Why wouldn't it...check out the amazing view!

View from the top of Cupp Run

They say that there's a 'first time for everything' and it must be true because I always knit at night...I can no longer say 'always' anymore.  I best get knitting if there is any hope of a finished pair by the 29th.

Declutter 2012 Progress

I have been busy (more or less) sorting through closets & drawers.  The actual process of tossing stuff in varies bags, baskets and cans is not my idea of a fun time.  The end result always pleases me...really it does.  Though I must admit that I have to be in the "proper frame of mind" to get much done in removing the clutter from our living space.  I can make all kinds of excuses..."what if I need it" comes out of my mouth quite a bit while I'm in the midst of the pile of stuff.  What should go unmentioned is that some this 'junk' has been buried for so long that I forgot it's use to begin with...or I've moved on to other pursuits, but couldn't let it go.

Novelty Yarns...oh my!

Yesterday I decided that the craft shelves were due for a major sort & toss.  After I pulled it all out, sorted it into various piles and stood there looking at the entire collection I decided to TOSS.  IT.  ALL.  Well most of it...kept my stamps.  I did put a few 'stolen' tools back in their assigned spots and all the gift wrapping fluff was put away properly. 

Today the bag of novelty yarns headed off to more appreciative types and many useful items were donated to Goodwill.  My husband pointed out that "nature abhors a vacuum" so he's a bit worried about the emptiness of the area. 

Clutter free

I did recover six small bins and a large one...

Broken Three

Cooper & Mira

Last weekend a bad thing happened while knitting and it was all my fault.  As I finished up my Spot Check socks my dog, Cooper decided that he really had to bark...a lot.  When he's excited his bark is one of those double high pitch ones that will drive you nuts.  He was very excited to be playing with Mira who belongs to my eldest & his wife. 

He would not stop so I set my knitting down on the couch and leaned over to stop the barking...you know where this is headed right?  My hand landed right down on top of the knitting.  I didn't hear any more barking all I heard was CRACK.  I picked up the sock and examined the damage.  It did not look good.

Broken Rosewoods

These were my first set of Latern Moon Rosewood double points...loved them.  Unfortunately I no longer have five double points needles.  Nope, I have two intact needles...and 6 really small needles.  No way to repair the damage done to them unless I want 3 inch long needles. 

Lesson learned:  do not lay needles down and reach across to tap the dog

Spot Check Socks

First month of my Self Imposed Sock Club is almost complete and so is my first sock...Spot Check.  Love the end result even if the sock turned out a bit more green than I would have preferred.  I was afraid that may happen since the greens in the variegated yarn looked to be very similar in color to the greens found in my skein of Jitterbug.  It was somewhat difficult to know how close these colors would be until I was actual knitting in pattern.  Sometimes the patterning didn't show much contrast between the two yarns very well...and sometimes that was due to me picking up the wrong skein as I knit.   Oops.  I ended up loving the overall effect of the socks though...perfect pairing of pattern and yarn.

The pattern did have a couple of errors...at least that's what I'm calling it since I duplicated the same issue on sock 2.  Overall it was a simple pattern to remember and produced a stunning sock.  I did not make any modifications to the pattern and the fit is excellent.

Details:

Spot Check Socks

Pattern:  Spot Check Sock by Beth Parrott found in Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn by Carol J. Sulcoski.

Yarn:  Colinette Jitterbug's Velvet Leaves, Fingering / 4 ply, 100% Merino, 318 yards / 110 gram.  I used 63 grams/184 yards of yarn.  Unplanned Peacock's Superwash Merino Fingering , 4 ply, 100% Wool, 490 yards / 100 grams in Whippoorwill.  I used only 17 grams/83 yards of yarn so I still have more than enough for another pair of socks.

       Needles:  Knit Picks Harmony, US 2 and Lantern Moon Rosewood DPN, US 1

       Gauge:  17 stitches and 22 rows= 2"

Side detail

Don't you just love the little details...check out the green line down the side of the sock.  It started at the gusset and continued all the way down the sock until the decreases for the toe.  So cool!

The pattern I chose for February will be Herringbone Rib Socks by Kristi Schueler also out of  Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn.   The yarn I selected for this pattern will be be either Austermann Step which is one of my oldest stashed yarns or possibly Trekking Pro Natura.  This one had been gifted to my Mom for Christmas a few years ago, but when she became ill and could no longer knit she returned it to me.  One problem with the Trekking is that she evidently used some of the skein so I'm concerned about running out before completing the sock.

I'm still leaning towards the Trekking though to honor Mom.  February happens to be both her birth month (Feb . 4th) and the month in which she passed one year ago on February 21, 2010.

Startitis...Is that a Real Word?

I don't think you'll find 'startitis' in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, but maybe they'll add it.  Every knitter I know has suffered from it from time to time.  It only has one cure that I know of and that requires you to throw all caution to the wind and get busy.  Which I have been...busy looking through ALL my books, magazines, Ravelry and whatever else I can get my hands on to try and scratch that itch known as startitis.  Not to mention I've been looking through the stash and deciding that I maybe I don't have the proper yarn.  Why oh why is that always the case!

At the moment I have pitifully little on the needles and have been fighting against starting 10 other things.  I keep hoping that it will pass and I'll maintain some order.  I only have 2 inches left on my Sock Club January sock...good thing too since I only have until the 31st to finish it.  All that's left is a Hokie Hat that has languished on my needles for way too long and a Josephine Shawl.  That's it until I start my next sock on February 1st.  It's why I'm having a terrible case of itchy fingers to cast on something interesting.  I keep pulling out my sweater patterns, but cannot for the life of me figure out which one to start...maybe I should just go ahead and cast on all of them.  Wouldn't that be a trip...maintain my sanity and keep straight each sweater.

How would you choose between  Peabody by Leila Raabe which was in BrooklynTweed (Jared Flood) Fall 2011 collections of patterns.  I'm in love with the front lace panel of this sweater...not to mention the lovely orange color.  The next sweater on the list is  Velynda by Bonnie Marie Burns of Chicknits.  I adore anything cabled and my dear husband always compliments anything I knit that has lots of cables.  One that I've dreamed about since the magazine showed up is the Leif Slipover by Adrienne Lawson.  Maybe dreaming about it should give this one the edge.  The last one is Eadon by Susanna IC.  I have had this in the queue for a while and still have not actually bought the pattern which intrigues me. 

How would you whittle it down to one?  Anyone?