Row Gauge and Astro-Turf

It seems the "Twist" is not the cardigan the deep-berry wool is destined to become. F-ing row gauge. F-ing 1600 yards. F.

I can get exactly 19 stitches per 4 inches, but get a whopping 28 rows per 4 inches when I need only 24. W.T.F. So, it's back to Enis by Girl From Auntie. As I chose PayPal E-Check, I won't get the pattern until tomorrow, even tho I ordered it 2 days ago. Exasperated sigh.

But, in further Twist news, as I am BOUND and DETERMINED to have one before next summer (Hi, I'm QT, and I'm a realist.), I think I may have discovered the yarn for it. Fingers are crossed. It's beautiful and hand-painted and best of all: glittery. Of course, I can't find it online, but trust me, it ROCKS.

I also learned an important lesson today re: keeping yourself photographically armed at all times, because words do not begin to do this event justice. I was leaving the library today, and found myself confronted with an amazing sight. You'll never guess, so here it is: a toyota tercel covered in royal blue astroturf. With a "Big Pimpin'" bumper sticker.

The Humanity!

Things in the knitting universe of QTPurl2T (and what other universe IS there??) are going well. Well, sort of. See for yourself:

In bibliophile news, I am generally not reading so that I can knit. Kind of sad, but true. However, Borders graced me with a 25% off of a hardcover coupon, so Himself and I each printed a copy. He got Salman Rushie's Shalimar the Clown, I got Last Minute Knitted Gifts. They are both technically for me, even though the Lt does enjoy the Rushdie. The other week, I tore through Jodi Picoult's Harvesting the Heart. If you've never read Rushdie or Picoult, give it a shot. Their styles couldn't be further apart, but they are both great. Rushdie's fiction is amazingly intricate, almost fairy-tale-ish. Very Sheherezade. Picoult writes about relationships, and has a knack for getting right in there. I always lose myself in her stories, and am usually an emotional wreck until a day or two after I finish the book. But ANYWAY....

The Technicolor Dream Sweater is chugging right along. The stripe pattern is working out nicely, and I'm just starting the chart for the front. Wow. Making your own intarsia chart is a lot of work. It really makes you face head on your limitations as a first time charter. But, I chart on, undeterred.

The Mentor Scarf is done and is beautiful, Scarf Style rocks. I used the Shippo pattern, in Lion Brand Incredible. It works up really prettily, very sparkly/shimmery. In other almost related book news: I scoped out Wrap Style at Borders the other week. SUCKS. WTF on the capelets? I so don't get those things. I guess if I was a 90 lb waif with no worries about looking like a linebacker, I'd be on it. Or, if I could confidently leave the house with out having to worry about needing to move my shoulders. But, alas, this is not the case.

There is also bad news on the Vogue Knitting Cardigan front. So sad. It turns out that the size that will allow me to button the cardi over "the Girls" (wink wink) will be so huge over the rest of me that I would look just plain silly. And of course, the size that will fit everywhere else will not button nicely over said Girls. Well, I refuse to spend $100 and countless hours of knitting, blocking and piecing on a sweater that fits poorly. So, imagine my delight when I saw Mlle Bonne Marie's new pattern "Twist!" I've known the VK Cardi was a lost cause for a couple of weeks now, and have been searching for a new cardi pattern (as the tweedy yarn is not really "against bare skin" kind of yarn, know what I mean?). It was very nearly Girl From Auntie's Eris, but I could not get PayPal to work. For 3 days in a row. Way I see it, that's an omen or something. So, even tho the Lt prefers the Eris, I've gotta go with Twist. Something about not liking the "neck flap." He means the collar. The pattern is currently getting settled on my hard drive.

Am also thinking about Knitty's Blackberry for a dear friend who's pregnant. I figure no matter how big her bump gets, this will fit all winter long, and even after La Princess arrives in February.

Ah, so much yarn, so little time.

Vogue Knits, where did I go wrong?

Another post without pics. Read further at your own risk.

So, there I was, knitting happily away on my VK cardi in yummy yet scratchy aubergine tweed, and then there I was again, and again.... Does this sleeve have no end point? So I yank out the measuring tape and the pattern to find the problem. No, the problem was not that I was knitting without the pattern. I was on the decrease rows of a raglan sleeve, and all was as planned. Sheesh.

Sure enough, this sleeve is massive. I mean, truly ginormous. Like I still have several inches to knit, and the thing will already warm my knuckles. Then, there's the collar still. I think they had this thing in mind for the Grape Ape. After much measuring of various bits of stitches, my gauge is right on (swatching really does pay off) and the measurements are exactly what the little schematic of the bits and peices says they should be.

Gauge Confession: ok, so I'm actually half a stitch per inch SMALLER than the pattern is, but this does not explain the massive sleeve. If anything, it should be smaller than the schematic. I digress.

Well, ladies, it turns out that there is more to sweater fit than bust measurements. The size that will button over "the girls" is WAY too big over the rest of me. The size that won't button over said girls will bit everything else pretty well.

So, I have a dilema. Do I knit the smaller size, knowing that I never button cardigans anyway, so who cares if it fits buttoned. But - will it look too small even unbuttoned? Do I modify the pattern, which I really hate doing, especially with a raglan design.... Or, do I find a new pattern? I'm thinking of a Ribby Cardi.

This so totally bums me out. I was so looking forward to be-bopping around an office somewhere looking all Samantha-the-Witch meets Career-Clothes Barbie.

In other knit news, the Technicolor Dream Sweater is slowly chugging along, and the Mentor-Scarf if nearing completion.

Project Slut

That's right. I've become a project slut. Going from project to project, never using needle protectors, indiscriminantly buying yarn, and yet, I still yearn for more.

So far, the damage isn't too bad, I've only got 3 things on the needles. Pics of all to come soon...wink wink.
1. Vogue knits classic cardigan (winter 05, project 35)
2. Self-designed fair-isle and intarsia sweater for nephew
3. Scarf for my mentor's birthday

In less selfish knitting, there are soon to be needled some afghans for friends of mine whose burden of wordly possessions was greatly lightened by Hurricane Katrina. While the Red Cross does worlds, they could still use some good hand-knit love.

The VK cardigan is coming along, I'm nearly done with the first sleeve. Oh - I knit a sleeve first, it's less boring for me to do a bazillion rows of st-st that way.

This nephew-sweater, hereafter christened the Technicolor Dream-Sweater (TDS) is an exercise in math, colorwork, charting, and INSANITY. It's based off of another pattern I've already worked, it's very simple, but, of course, the gauge for the yarn I chose is nowhere near the gauge for the already written pattern. I'm working in Lion Brand Microspun, and LOVING it! It's so soft and fleecy, it feels almost sueded worked up. My inner creative imp has been kneading the idea for this sweater for about 2 months now, and it's got to get out and into some yarn. Keep your fingers crossed for me as the recipient turns 5 on Nov 5, 2005, and will need this TDS to keep toasty in Ohio.