Sleeves, Solo: Arm Warmers Reveal!

It's turning out to be a very knitty week in the Craft Lounge. (Fear not, sewing friends, my jacket is coming along slowly but surely.)

While I was working on socks during my commute, I was simultaneously working on a pair of arm warmers while hanging out on the couch with Phin in the evenings. The socks were complicated and required presence of mind; the arm warmers could be knit with little thought - just knit, knit, knit. 

LOL - 80's big hair glamor shot. Hum a Whitesnake song for full effect.

I rarely wear long sleeves, and when I do I have a bad habit of stretching out the wrists by pushing the sleeves up to my elbows. Yet I'm the first person to reach for gloves in the winter, and at night I usually have a shrug or scarf wrapped around me for snuggley warmth. So, this was a bit of an experiment to see if I'd like sleeves that are unattached.

I love how long I made these.

I used this pattern by Phoenix Bess in a size M/S, but added 2-3 inches in length. Really, my arm warmers are just a tapered tube with a thumb hole and some ribbing. The yarn is a wonderfully warm and soft 80% merino, 20% cashmere blend, but it's bulky weight yarn, which is thick.

Action shot: Blogging with arm warmers!

Compared to my intricate lacework socks, which outclass any RTW socks in my sock drawer, I can't help but feel a bit "meh" about these. The stitches are so large and the pattern is so simple that I can't shake the feeling that they look home made. Where the socks were beautiful but didn't quite fit, these fit perfectly, but I don't love the pattern. That said, they feel wonderful on, so I've decided that they will be kept as lounge wear. This is good since I had a rough week at PT (another reason sewing has slowed) and am craving soft, warm comfort wear while I huddle in a ball.

This is really how I spent most of the evening: in a ball

Anyway, the upside of PT is that I am recovering and mostly back to life and hobbies as usual. So, here's a shout out to a fellow muse. My excellent friend Mar-Mar recently took up running after a 10 year, 2 child hiatus from the sport. On Saturday, we ran the Rock n Roll NY 10k in Prospect Park together - my first 10K while on the mend and her first one in 10 years. It was a great accomplishment for us. And what fun to run with a friend!

Me and Mar at the starting line

Just to underscore my point about the lack of sleeves in my wardrobe, my half zip pullover was taken off by mile two of this run to reveal a hot pink tank top underneath. If it's near 50 degrees, I run in a tank top.