By the skin of my teeth

I finished Acer just in time for Rhinebeck.  Not totally in time for the whole thing, but in time for at least Sunday and that seems like it still counts.  I was feeling pretty good about how the whole thing was going, when I realized the night before that I had no buttons for it.  I went through the whole button stash and couldn’t find a single one that was perfect, and I needed five. One quick trip to WEBS later, as we made our way from the Boston Airport to Rhinebeck, and the buttons were in hand.

acerswhole 2014-10-23

I pretty much took leave of my senses and forgot thread though, so when I went to sew them on on Saturday morning (after I set the sleeves in for the second time – the first time they went all Princess Diana puff sleeve on me) I was screwed.  I went to the fair without it. I’d buy thread at the fair, I figured.  Pro-tip. There is no thread at the fair, near as I could figure, I found some at the grocery store (I know!) on the way home that day.

acerbackbetter 2014-10-22

Buttons addressed, Acer made her inaugural run on Sunday, which was totally cold enough to make me wonder why the hell I thought a cabled sweater with lace was a good idea, but it’s not her fault that I was under-dressed.  Other than the freezing cold part, it’s a good sweater, I think.  I’m still on the fence about the colour, but really – how many orange/rust/red/brown sweaters does one woman need?

acerside 2014-10-22

The best part about wearing it on Sunday? I met the designer, while I was wearing it, and I think it was fun for both of us.

acerdesigner 2014-10-23

Acer, designed by Amy Christoffers. Yarn: Debbie Bliss Luxury Tweed Aran in Navy. Time to knit, about three weeks spread over four years.

(PS: Mum, See? I’m totally wearing those boots you gave me, and they are really comfortable. Try to focus on that and overlook the felafel spill on my jeans.)

(PPS: Photos by the clever Caro Sheridan. Except for the selfie of me and Amy.  I did that one.)

153 thoughts on “By the skin of my teeth

    • Love the color! Another sweater for my queue – if only I live long enough to knit everything in my queue!

      I totally ran into you at Rhinebeck – got totally tongue tied and wanted to be cool, but it was a thrill for me. I’m sure you don’t even member – i was the one lost on Saturday and trying to find my group. Your friend was very sweet and offered to help me find them. Sometime you’ll need to come to MD’s Sheep and Wool and also visit my knitting group that meets at a train station. (Not in use any more)

    • Sometimes the good things take longer than others. The fact that the sweater was finished and worn was reward enough. The color is lovely and yes, enough browns…Blues are really catching my eye this year, too. Hopefully it won’t take me 3 years to cast on the sweater yarn I bought a month ago and stashed….

  1. applause all around. I love the idea of trying to find thread at the fair. You’d think Morgaine would stock some, at least.

  2. The color is just beautiful, especially with your hair! It is a great sweater….and I didn’t notice any falafel stains as I admired the boots. 🙂

  3. I think the color is gorgeous, and it’s good to push your comfort zone every now and then. And I love those boots! Mum needs to tell us what they are. Please. (Mums usually respond well to “please”)

  4. Steph,
    That blue is lovely on you! My mantra is if the colors are good together in a quilt, they’re good on a person. If you could sleep under a blue quilt, you will look good in that same color.

  5. Love seeing you in Acer here – sorry missed out when I went on Saturday only. Always great to see you dear Yarn Harlot 🙂

  6. Pingback: By the skin of my teeth | Yarn Buyer

    • Ditto on all, but especially the boots. Where did your mum get those for you? They look cumfy and I am in the market for a new pair of black boots.

    • Totally agree; you look fantastic in that color and the sweater is yummy. I’ll bet you feel great for having finished it. But I’ve been distracted from my original comment: ditto – wear more blue.

  7. You look fabulous! I love that shade of blue on you and the sweater fits beautifully. I am impressed by your perseverance (thread at the grocery store—now that is determination!).

  8. I see you standing by all those fences as you fret over the color choice. Feel free to step away. The blue totally works for you!

  9. Of course I noticed the boots…before the sweater, in fact, though I love that colour on you, too. See? Fashionable CAN be comfortable!
    Sorry, to your commenters who asked…I have no idea where I got the boots…it was ages ago.
    Mum

    • I was planning my comment with every picture. ‘Steph, you look so fashionable! That gorgeous sweater works perfectly with the slim, black pants. And those boots! Love them. Your Mum and sister would be proud.’ I snorted when I read her ps to you.

  10. The sweater is stunning! I concur with the chorus. More blue!
    Can we take minute longer for the boots? I think I need them. Can I have the make and modle please? Mom totally nailed it with the boots!

  11. Awesome sweater, the colour is very nice on you. I haven’t had a really good falafel in years so I hope yours was totally worth the stain that we didn’t notice!

  12. I always think buttons are going to be easy, no problem. Yet they always seem the hardest part.

    I have to say those are great looking boots, and if they are comfortable as well even better.

  13. The blue is great. I’ve been reading your blog for about ten years (oh my word!), and I’ve never noticed that you have blue eyes until you wore this sweater. It’s lovely on you!

  14. Holey moley…..you look all put-to-gether Stephanie!!!!! Very smart boots with those pants…..sweater is just a gorgeous colour on you….U ROCK!!!!! Bravo!!!! ((:

  15. That is a gorgeous sweater. I think I need to knit myself a deep blue cabled cardigan for Rhinebeck next year, not to be matchy-matchy, Bob forbid, but because I would look great in that color and that style of sweater. Why don’t I ever get around to finishing a cabled sweater? I must have 3 or 4 cabled WIPs in the closet.

    And Rhinebeck is always, always perfect.

  16. It IS a great colour on you, though I think we all tend to gravitate towards certain colours. I lean to blue, but do now have a burnt orange one in my collection. In Canada, in the fall/winter/spring, one NEEDS a sweater collection.

  17. I love the blue on you. It is a great color for you. I noticed how striking it was right away. It’s great to break out of our color comfort zones once in a while.

  18. I know you love the 70s appliance colors, but that blue really is nice on you. Very pretty with your hair and eyes. I can see others agree with me. An orange shirt would be very cute with the blue if that scratches the orange itch.

  19. That sweater rocks, and you rock it! And you sure earned it, too.

    Thank you for that lovely burst of color on a grey and difficult day. I’m (gasp) not a knitter, but your blog made me discover and love real yarn, how it’s warm to touch, how it smells like sheep in a meadow (and when it smells like cats), and most of all, the way the colors sing and soar and make me think of hope.

  20. Glad you found good buttons for that cardigan! I thought you would, if not at Rhinebeck then at somewhere nearby.

    The color is lovely on you. It helps set off your hair color as well, if not better, than dark shades of green do. I recommend you explore more shades of navy or midnight blue as you need to replenish your wardrobe.

    (P.S. to Mum: The boots look fantastic on her. Try to get her another pair in brown or tan, and please overlook the falafel spill.)

  21. I think it’s terrific!! And an orange/rust/red scarf would make that color pop, wouldn’t it? (I love that blue though. Love.) Good on you for getting it done!

  22. That color looks great on you. Nice work on the sweater, glad you had fun at Rhinebeck. I went this year, with a bus trip with my LYS. We only got to wander around about 4 1/2 hours. We saw a lot, but there was so much more to see! Thanks for the inspiration.

  23. Laughing… at my house the phrase ” a quick trip to WEBS” means, pack a lunch and prepare to spend the day! My husband has spent many hours on the couch there.

  24. Congrats on the completion of the lovely sweater! Had to laugh when you mentioned cold and lace. I knitted one also with cables and lace–every time the wind blows I wonder what got into me! A dingy combination when you want to keep warm! A sweater oxymoron, I think.

  25. I will just repeat what everyone else has said…..that blue looks great on you! I love the yarn, and would rush out to get some for myself but have made a vow to seriously deplete the stash, most of which is blue, before I get any more yarn. Enjoy our lovely Toronto autumn these days; I think it is a special gift after the crummy summer, and it is perfect sweater weather!!

  26. That sweater looks awesome on you! As much as you hate to hear it, blue is definitely a great color for you. You need to wear more blue. Sorry about the felafel loss. They were so good! Our booth was so busy that the felafel only thing that I had to eat that was hot. It was very yummy!

  27. Echo all the comments on how beautiful the sweater is. i think it’s great the designer got to see her design in real life… and meet you to boot! Rhinebeck seems magical to me. I will get there some year…

  28. That blue is quite fetching. Don’t be fooled. You are totally rocking it! Next year, I think, will finally be the year I make it to Rhinebeck.

  29. You rock that look and I think you need to knit more deep blue, deep green, etc. Of course, I totally agree with you Mum, too! You just have to give it a little thought, not grab what is clean or doesn’t reek!

    I am sure that Amy Christoffers was pleased to see her sweater so artfully presented.

    And, just from idle curiosity, how does one make a “quick trip to WEBS”? Just walking through the place and absorbing what is available is more than a quick trip, no?

  30. Since I totally won’t wear ANYTHING that buttons down the front without a cami under it, and I won’t wear a cardigan as an only layer because I know at some point I’ll be too warm and then what, I don’t understand a cardigan by itself.

    If you’d worn it over something else, sans buttons, would that have been awful? Since you were cold anyway… And you could always say you were still searching for just the RIGHT buttons.

    I love that you met the designer, and no one else could see the felafel.

  31. You look gorgeous! Great job! The color looks great on you, but I still believe there is no upper limit on green and rust sweaters.

  32. Wait, WEBS lies somewhere near a line drawn from the Boston airport (you mean Logan, the airport in Boston, right?) and Rhinebeck, NY? I know WEBS is an hour or two from Boston, but adding Upstate New York scrambles my sense of geography. That sweater is lovely–she’s one of my favorite designers!

  33. I know you like the warm colors but WOW that blue looks stunning on you! LOOK! You have blue eyes. And your mum has fabulous taste.

  34. I agree, beautiful color! And if I squint my eyes it reminds me of a dreamy starry night in the middle of the outer 40. That color looks great on you. And your mom totally knows how to pick boots.

  35. I realize you are a professional when it comes to knitting, so your work should look good, and fit as it’s designed (and it does). What’s your secret? I’ve knitted for years and except for socks, everything turns out too big, too small, hangs funny, or just looks so amateurish that it stays in the closet.

  36. Love the sweater AND the boots. They look great on you. For the record, I complimented the boots before I knew your mum gave them to you. 🙂

  37. Well, you should stop leaning on that fence, because that color looks great on you! (I can only assume that the pun was intentional, given that you wrote it and posted pictures of you leaning on an actual fence…)

  38. Beautiful Rhinebeck sweater. The only thing I would have done different is the buttonband. I like mine girly: right over left. Left over right is for boys.

  39. I seem to be going through my cable phase — I’m knitting a cabled pullover for my husband out of my own handspun, so if you think your ACER took a long time, it’s nothing compared to my carding/spinning/knitting a cabled fisherman sweater for my husband, but I digress. Since I starting knitting his, I have SO been wanting a warm cabled sweater for myself, so I caved and bought the ACER pattern today — now to stash dive for some yarn…

  40. The sweater is great with your eyes! I agree the rust/pumpkin/brown/olive is a bit over used! One needs many colors of sweaters! Love the sweater pattern which may have gotten into my queue somehow.

  41. ok, I’ll chime in that the blue is gorgeous and looks great on you and I’ll second whoever said “not just any blue, THAT blue”.

  42. The boots are as fabulous as the sweater!
    And so glad to see you in something other than orangerustbrown. The blue is flattering and a neutral on its own when worn with jeans.
    So maybe that giant schematic spreadsheet for your holiday knitting should include a rhinebeck sweater? Just a thought..in case there isnt a other ufo in your stash.
    And the over the shoulder photo? Beautiful!! Add it to your promo materials!!

  43. I love the sweater, and have had that pattern saved for a long time! The blue is gorgeous on you ( as everyone above has said). I wanted to say how beautiful you looked in your dress at the wedding! That colour is amazing on you too! And the style was lovely. Your shoes were perfect with it. Wouldn’t go with my Blundstones either, but it’s a style we Blundy wearers could love. 🙂

  44. What falafel? If forced to wear blue (it’s part of my “palette” but not of my heart), I would wear exactly the shade of blue of your sweater. It looks great on you. You could also try a rich teal or a deep periwinkle blue (has a touch of purple in it) or salmon (all good if you are an ‘autumn’ as you appear to be). Or you could wear whatever the heck you want. Life’s short. Your boots rock. Mothers know best.

  45. Beautiful sweater, looks great on you, the color brings out your eyes. You should wear it more often. Thiunk autumn leaves against a blue sky. I personally love cables and lace. Only cables is too hot for San Diego. Glad you got it done in time to show it off at the fair. Amy must have been jazzed to see her sweater walking toward her, on the back of the well-known Harlot. And I love the boots, lucky you, thanks to a great mum. Mine was always trying to dress me up so it would have been heels. I’m glad to see that you have your Christmas knitting well in hand, so that you can enjoy the holiday. My motto is, “Start the day after Christmas for a happy holiday.” Maybe in Jan-Feb you can come and see us and thaw out.
    Cheers,
    Julie in San Diego

  46. Harlot – are you kidding me? This blue is gorgeous on you. Remember: a touch of this color with all of your autumnal hues makes all the colors sing. You’re welcome. xo

  47. I wholeheartedly agree with the others — beautiful! But can I also say that Caro Sheridan is an outrageously good photographer? She had great material, indeed, but the pictures really make both you and the knitting look smashing. I took her class on Craftsy and I swear even my iPhone photos have
    improved dramatically.

  48. I just wanted to tell you, before I read the post, I saw the photo and thought, “Wow, she looks AMAZING in blue!!” It is beautiful with your coloring! I vote for more rich blues in your wardrobe. 🙂

  49. I think the color is both lovely in and of itself and on you! Don’t doubt it, not least cause it’s too dark to dye to be orange/rust colored. 😉

  50. Excellent color, and it was a fabulous idea to dig out a nearly finished sweater and finish it up. If only I had nearly finished things. It’s just too fun and tempting to start new things. Oh, I was also wondering about your karma gift giving. Did you say there was 1 more round left or am I imagining that? It seems like the rally was ages ago, but time flies when you’re having fun =)

  51. Wonderful pics of Rhinebeck and your sweater is wonderful too! It looks great on you – the style AND the color. I was at Rhinebeck on Sunday and spotted you there in your sweater, from afar, with your group. It was a great, though definitely chilly, day. I had the falafel too and it was delish! Thinking of you and your country in the wake of that awfulness…

  52. I agree with everyone else…the color is great (and it’s a great fit). But I can understand the unease. With a closet full of blue sweaters I thought to go orange/rust for my birthday sweater yarn this year (whilst I’ve only done 3 rows in 6 weeks, I’m still happy with the pumpkin I’m knitting…..I think). I think we could probably split a lunch pretty well together….taco salad….you’ll eat the lettuce, right?

  53. I did see you in passing on Saturday. I shouted hello to you and you looked as if you were on a mission. now I. Know it was a thread finding mission.

  54. Love, love that blue on you! A great change from the green/rust/browns that you usually choose – you now have a wonderful new color to chose from! I tend to use blues for anything I make for me and I, too, need to broaden my horizons.

  55. Thank you for Friday the 24th – Loved the interview on CBC (Ha! Scooped the Caroline H (she is in your class – one of ’em, anyway!!!!)) and thank you so much for the “Comedy Club” evening of Stix in the City – been waiting since ’05 to visit with you again, and suddenly realized I did NOT have knitting in my hands for the pix – well, dammit!!! – So glad to see you again, will still offer up a beer, when next you are in Edmonton (equally glad we are not the scene of the unfortunate hotel incident)

  56. I know I’m the trillionth person to say it, but I think that the blue really suits you. And the squidgy dangerousness of falafel is the price you pay for it being so damn tasty.

  57. Yes, the color looks great on you, especially with your eyes. You are the Canadian I feel closest to so if you don’t mind please accept my condolences on the awful goings on at Parliament.

  58. That color looks great on you (as does the sweater itself). I noticed the boots before reading the post and thought, “She has boots! Oh, she would have have boots (for snow). Those are cute. I wonder if that brings her shoe count up to five?” 🙂

  59. what are those boots??? i love them ! (sweater terrific, color great……….we were looking for stuffing small knitted animals and had to settle for Halloween cobwebs)

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