Sunday night I was showing Nolemana’s unfinished…(in pidgin, would that be unpau? hehehe) sweater to my friends; Linda said she would really put the sleeves and lower edge on waste yarn and try it on Nolemana before I knit any further. She thought it was going to be too small.  Instant panic.  Has my vision been all hamajang [mixed up] and I’ve been seeing a too-small sweater as big enough to fit him?  Have I been spending hours knitting all for nothing? I took Linda’s advice and put everything on waste yarn (I used Sugar and Cream because it doesn’t stick to the wool/acrylic blend of the Encore).  It was really a good idea to try it on him, just to make sure things are going okay.

I made Nolemana stand there while I took off the last few stitches.  I talked to him about the frog pond, and how even though I would feel extremely discouraged if I heard the sound of ukubillion [lots and lots] frogs croaking their song, appropriately titled, “I Heard It In The Frog Pond” in the Key of R (for “rippit, rippit!”) I would start all over again and he would still get a sweater.

With baited breath and hands over my eyes I waited while he tried it on.  I peeked out through my fingers.  “How is it?” I asked shakily.

“It’s perfect!” he said. “It is? It really is?”  I took my hands from my eyes and began to breathe.  I made him turn around.  I asked him if it was too tight.  Too loose.  Was he sure?  He said, “No”, and “No”, and “Yes” in that order. 

“But wait!” I said.  “You’re wearing a flannel shirt underneath it. You wouldn’t ordinarily wear a sweater over a flannel shirt! Could you please put on a regular cotton shirt and try it again?  Please?”

My husband is very patient.  He has to be, married to me.  He very kindly put on another shirt.  I put my hands over my eyes again and stopped breathing.  We went through the entire process again.  I peeked.

I couldn’t believe it.  My first sweater and it’s gonna fit! The stitches aren’t even stretched out! My gauge swatch didn’t lie.  It’s gonna fit!!! Nolemana loves it and says it’s perfect! Whoo hooo!