Sunday, October 18, 2009

I Know What I Have to Do


Back in September I started a pair of socks for Clint. After I turned the heel, I realized that I had made the foot way too long. When I tried the work-in-progress on him, he dubbed them his goofy socks because of their length. Well, they have sat ignored long enough. Today I will order the remainder of the yarn needed to complete the pair and I will rip back and correct my mistakes. Carpe diem!!!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Back on Top


I'm glad I finally hunkered down and got back to the FLS. Once I fixed my mistake and moved forward, I felt like a new woman. I also practiced button holes over and over, and I'm just not getting it. They all look the same, so it must be a fundamental flaw I'm making from misreading the directions. I guess I will have to pursue  bh perfection in the future because I've moved on for now. So now the sweater is breezing along slowly but steadily in the gull lace stitch pattern. 

My only concern (and I'm trying hard not to worry about it) is the sleeves.  I had the hardest time gauging if they were big enough and I worried they would be too tight. So when I reached the place in the pattern where I cast on 7 new stitches for the armhole I was relieved because I figured that would fix any tightness issue I had. That was until I tried it on and with the additional stitches, the sleeves now seem loose... My plan of action is to just go with it. I know from experience that arm (or leg) openings can look rather large and gaping when unfinished, but then close in dramatically when the actually sleeve (or leg) in completed.

My purple Malabrigo arrived today, so I wound it into a ball by hand and swatched for the Amanda hat. The pattern says that if done carefully, I may be able to get two hats from one skein. I would love to have matching hats for my mom and I. My gauge is off however because I don't have size 9 needles. How do I not have any size 9s? Before I run out and spend more money on this obsession, I will try a size 10 just to see.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Progress


As per my last post, I did buckle down and finish some WIPs. Although I was still avoiding the sweater and Clint's socks like the plague. It reminds me what a perfectionist I am and that I need to get over it. 
So some of the items I have finished are: the blue brioche booties, the blue baby bib (finally!) and the yellow bonnet for Melissa. 
I was feeling so accomplished that I joined a Mystery Sock Knit-Along on Ravelry for Soctober! It's been really fun so far and I think it's what's finally pulled me officially out of my knitting slump because last night after I finished the 2nd sock's cuff, I pulled out that FLS and starting unknitting back to my mistake: the third buttonhole I attempted to make. My first buttonhole was actually my best and I just improvised it (YOs and COs over 2 rows). It looked decent, but I decided for the second, I would use the one-row technique suggested in the pattern. I followed an online tutorial that was mostly helpful, but in the end my buttonhole looked really sad, not beautiful like all the sample pictures I've seen. But I decided the two were good enough especially because when there is a button in them, no one will see them. So for my third button hole I decided to return to my improved version. The BH itself wasn't too bad, but for some reason, I did not make it the appropriate distance away from the edge!!! Argh - what was I thinking? So I have almost unknitted back to the third BH and I am swearing to myself that before I attempt it again in the sweater that I will practice in a swatch. I keep reminding myself, swatching and practicing is good, and, hey, I get to pull out some new yarn and try it out - what's more fun than that? After that adventure, I will unknit on Clint's sock and get it right.
So back to the Mystery Socks! I have never participated in a KAL before and I think this was the perfect one to try for my first. Since the pattern comes in weekly installments there's all this anticipation. And the pacing has been really lovely. I knitted cuff #1 Friday night and cuff #2 Saturday night and I feel so accomplished because there's literally nothing else I can do - I have to wait until next week (Thursday?) to continue. I feel like it's assignment and I've finished early: always the teacher/student.

Followers