The picture isn't the best, but I had a very hard time trying to get a decent one of these for whatever reason. I used Knitpick's Essential and for as nice as it felt to work with--and the wonderful price--I can't say I'm in love with it. I found it to be even more splitty then the TOFUtsies and that says alot. The socks also do not have the same light feel my other pair do and I think I'm developing a fiber preference for foot garments. I did a basic ribbed pattern and probably could have done another two rounds before I had started my toe decreases. Overall though, I'm happy with them, but they're definitely not my favorite socks.
As hard as I tried, I still could not ressurect the Central Park Hoodie and I've reconciled myself with the fact that it's going on indefinite hiatus--if it's ever worked on again. When having a discussion with my husband last night, my true feelings about it finally came out: I really like how it looks and all, but learning more about the yarn I used, I realize that it's not practical for that knit and it's going to stretch and grow on me. I spent so little on the yarn for it as it was, that I can't really feel bad about using it as a practice piece. I was already trying to scheme ways to save most of it and not use it as a sweater. Maybe make it part of a pillow or something? I dunno, we'll have to see what the future holds for it. For now, I've told myself to just accept that I don't want to finish it and to stop trying to pressure myself to feel otherwise about it. You can't force a feeling.
On the 17th, I finally cast on one of my cardigan patterns that I have in my stash tote. Despite having to leave four pull-overs' worth of yarn in it, I can at least clear out the couple of cardigans I have yarn for. That way when I go to buy more yarn next year, I will still have room to accomodate a couple. Hehe, that's what I'm telling myself anyway: as long as it isn't more then the tote can hold, I do not have too much yarn. Hubby doesn't really agree with that line of thought, but one of these days I may scare him by showing him some of the monstrous stashes other women on Ravelry have...perhaps that would give him perspective and make him realize that having one small tote is by no means excessive. If we had the means, I could easily fill a small room or large closet with all the pretties I covet! But all in due time.
Learned an interesting lesson in a less-then-pleasant way about my knitting with this latest project. I was informed that I do not purl correctly and that is why my stockinette looks like this.
I had always heard the term, "twisted stitches" and never bothered to look up what it meant, because I assumed it was something more sinister and noticeable then what was going on with my own knitting. I always thought it was merely a tension issue and had even accepted it as it was. Long story short, I've corrected how I wrap my yarn to purl and my stitches are all nice and neat and as they should be and discovered my tension while purling is just fine.
That is part of my minimalist cardigan for myself. After thirteen days of working on it, I am mostly finished and need only finish the sleeves and then block the border.
So far, it is fitting me better then any other sweater attempt to date: for reasons unknown, I can make a sweater to fit anyone else just fine, but have me try to make one for myself and I can't make it fit to save my life. (Well, not entirely true, but may as well be: so far no sweater I've made for myself has been wearable in all parts of it. Usually, the sleeves are the guilty party. Dear pattern makers: not all women have thin arms. If you could find it in your hearts to include instructions on how to make them a larger size and how to alter the arm hole accordingly, you'd make me and a lot of others out there very happy.) My luck seems to have changed with this one and I'm so pleased about it. I'm using Cascade 220 Superwash in a lovely teal color and am very happy with the yarn. I will definitely use Cascade again. It's relatively affordable and comes in so many colors. It feels a little rough, but I suspect with a good soak it will soften right up. I haven't had any splitting issues with it, though as one negative I will say that the center-pull ball it comes in tangles and knots alot. Some balls have been fine, one was horrible and had a knot so bad it took me a half hour just to get it out so I could keep working.
At the rate I'm working, I'm tempted to say that in ten days' time, I'll be finished with this knit and well on my way to working on a few small projects again, including more socks. I can not wait to work with TOFUtsies and make myself another pair of socks from it. After that, I'm going to do my best and be brave and cast on for my second cardigan project. I may have jinxed myself by purchasing a yarn so lovely that I am scared to use it. (That and it's the most I've spent on yarn for myself to date. Definitely not as much as I could have spent and wanted to, but enough that I can't just laugh it off as practice like I did with the CPH.) The aforementioned talk with my husband is where this came up and he told me, in not so many words, to suck it up and work on it anyway: the yarn isn't doing anything sitting in my tote and if worse comes to worst, I can always buy new yarn and try again. Fair enough, dear husband, fair enough.
I will leave you all with a picture of the offending yarn: Artyarns Supermerino. Hopefully by this time next month, or soon after, it will be turning into a sweater. I'm making a Wicked cardigan, oh yes I am.
No comments:
Post a Comment