Proceed with Caution

I finished working the raglan decreases for the wispy jacket sleeves. The pattern doesn't indicate how to work the decreases but this did not concern me. I'm a smart girl. I can decrease one stitch at each end of a row and keep double moss stitch correct, right?



Well, sort of. I had a plan. All the decreases are on the right side of the work. I would simply move the decrease in or out one stitch as necessary so that I always worked paired k2tog/ssk decreases and I always worked K1P1 across a row. This meant that the pattern in the 2 or 3 stitch outer border was off for a couple rows before it corrected itself but it was hardly noticeable.

Hardly noticeable, that is, until the rate of decreases changes to every other row. The outer border stops correcting itself on the no-decrease-right-side rows and instead of a little hiccup in the pattern, I have a K1P1 rib running alongside the upper half of my raglan decreases. It might be fine, but I have a growing concern that the little valley is going to look really crummy once the pieces are seamed together. Of course there is no way I will know for sure until I finish at least one front or the back and can see an actual finished seam. (We will not speak at this time about the forethought required to ensure the shaping on fronts and back exactly matches the sleeves.) Grrrr.

(I was really irritated that the pattern does not provide any guidance on the subject. Then I authored this post and realized how impossible it is to explain what is going coherently and concisely. It would have been a confusing mess. I'm still not sure any of this will make sense to anyone besides me. I will figure this out without hand holding and be a better knitter for it in the end. In all fairness, if I'd given the matter a little more thought before plowing ahead, I would have seen this coming.)

Random Wednesday

1. Today’s pictures are a little weak. I was hoping to have more of them to show you. Sophie’s cuteness transcends lousy photography so I thought we’d start with her. What a good puppy.

2. The dolly bag is finished! I’m really pleased with the way this project turned out. It’s just the right size for a wallet and keys and fits nicely at my elbow. Perfect for grocery shopping and other quick errands. I wish I had made the handles a little longer so I could have secured them a little farther in but otherwise I wouldn't change a thing. (Except perhaps the fact that she’s finished just in time for Labor Day and Autumn…)

3. I’ve started a new pair of charade socks. I’m pretty sure these are keepers.

4. I washed the yarn from the first charade attempt. It bled. Copious amounts of red dye. It looked like Kool-Aid running off the yarn. I am not happy. It’s going to be a while before this yarn makes it out of the stash again.

5. I am almost to the raglan shaping on the wispy jacket sleeves.

6. I did observe tuesdays are for spinning. The merino bamboo from MI fiber fest is spinning up nicely. Spinning bamboo is a different but pleasant.

Peaceful Coexistence

Bill and I went to Chicago this weekend. It was a really packed, but very fun, visit. We had a lovely dinner with some good friends, scoped out a few hotels for the wedding reception and I got my Portillo’s fix.

And of course, Stitches Midwest. We reach the Rosemont Convention Center, I look out the window and I see a young lady with a stabby Wolverine (a la X-men) claw thing on her hand. I think to myself, that’s a little scary but fine. As we start circling around looking for the parking, I see lots of black, some capes, swords and wands. Finally “Welcome to Wizard World” scrolls across the marquis. I start to panic. How could I have botched this one? As it turns out, we were in the right place, just a shared right place. Bill enjoyed some seriously fun people watching. (He studied in the Hyatt lobby while I shopped.)

There were so many knitters and vendors, it was easy to get overwhelmed! I bought sock yarn and one very dear ball of Quiviut (okay, a blend with merino and silk – we have a wedding to save for people). I also picked up a few patterns but overall I was pretty well behaved. I had a near miss with a Tess’ Designer Yarn sweater but opted for the pattern only.


My first swatch for the Wispy Jacket was too big. I finished swatch two this afternoon and decided to wind some more of the yarn into balls. Its chock full of knots! How irritating! This is not cheap yarn, Rowan Summer Tweed. Of the 11 skeins I started with…

2 untouched, status unknown
4 knot free
5 with knots

Naturally the skein I grabbed for my swatches was knot-free. Had I know what I was in for, I’d have used up some of these lovely short lengths. (Not kidding here, all partial balls photographed below.)

Seriously Rowan, for $10, I think you could afford to give me 118 continuous yards. One ball with knots, okay fine, but we’re talking over 50% here. Here's hoping those last two are all in one piece.

Eye Candy Friday (sort of)

As promised, something tiny and cute. Booties for a coworker’s new baby.

Here we have my first cable ply.

And here, a swatch for the Wispy Jacket.

Have a great weekend all!