Cast On, Cast Off--The Caster

So last night, I finished off the second of two tooth fairy pillows I made for two adorable little girls.

I think knitting projects should all be treated like socks. You finish one, you cast on another...or you'll just slide into the abyss of lethargy.

So at 2:30 am, I cast on thrummed mittens, and I really need to make some thrums. I'm on row 14 of the cuff. The color is PERFECT and will look delish with the alpaca roving I got for the thrums....

The Quest

So here's my quest.

I have a lot of things I have said I would make for people that are not me. I have also a lot of yarn that I bought for people that are me.

My new rule: No buying yarn for me until I finish ALL of the projects I have said I would do.

BL will kill me as she is determined to turn me into a selfish knitter. But honestly, yarn has become my new shoes. I have bought it for no other reason than...it was really pretty and the store was nice. I have bought it with no idea what I will do with said yarn. BL will ask me what I'm going to do with my pretty collection of sock yarns. Uh...socks? Judging my her dismay...she wanted a more specific answer.

Pretty socks?

Today I did buy yarn, but for more projects that I said I would do and haven't yet. In the last 5 days, I've finished 2 sweaters (and sent them from my house) and a tooth.

I am going to get through this endless stash of projects. At least before x-mas projects hit.

Fastest Project Ever

Omigosh, this project came together in 3 days.

After having the heck of the last project, where I swear I cast on 17 times, it was so nice having a project that just worked. Plain and simple.

I've never done embroidery on knitting but I'm rather pleased by how it turned out. Quite pleased actually.

FINISHED

Yes, those are little elephant buttons.

Woot.

How exactly did I tick off the knitting gods?

What exactly did I do?

 

Did I go out with their sister and then not call?

What?

All I know is that I've cast this yarn on more times than Dolly Parton has dyed her hair.

Amanda's production using my production

Meet Benedict...in the blanket I made him...GLEEE

A) Gauge sucks B) ooh, I can e-mail in my blog postings...

So gauge hates me.

A lot. I'm not sure what I did to gauge. Okay, I do know. Most of the time I ignore gauge like an ex at a friend's wedding. (not that I have any experience with that.)

So I'm making a sweater for a friend's baby. The baby is now a toddler, because I have more yarn than time. So it started with this pattern.

Cute huh? it's called chaos...you roll the dice to determine the cables.

I got a bit of the way in...a) it looked like ass b) it was a size 2T and the child is turning 3...

Back to ravelry to find new patterns...

Cute, huh? oooh. pretty. should work great. This is where gauge stands up and throws champagne in my face (this did not actually happen, I'm just continuing the simile--it's a simile because I used "like" an ex).

I generally do not check gauge on kid's things--because...well, it will eventually fit them SOMETIME. It's not like they won't fit it at one point in time. So I cast on 154 on size 5 needles. Making 4T---moving right along...footloose and fancy free. Do the 10 rows of garter...WOW this looks...uh...long

that's 33" of toddler waist goodness...where I'm supposed to have 26".

I do gauge. Omigod I'm off. I have 20 stiches by 26 rows on size 7s...yeah that ain't 4 inches. Try 5" Go down a size needle...nope, what about another. What about a pattern size. What about two.

By the end I'm casting on 140 stitches on size 3s and still the schematic is laughing at me. I've got 28" if I squint hard. And I'm supposed to have 26"

And it's only going to get worse.

I tried to ignore. I really did. I thought "oh, it'll fit eventually" but ya know what. That pattern and this yarn are NOT supposed to date. They aren't supposed to talk. They should be separated by a continent.

I gave up..

I found new pattern.

New pattern. New cast on. But I did check gauge. Went down a size...but I got it...

I now respect gauge...I understand how important it is...I fully embrace how needed it is. I love you, Guage. I mean it. I will never deny you again...

Until next time...when I think..."dang, I don't want to knit 4 inches"

Don't argue with a pattern

So i've been coveting the viper socks--yesterday I went to the maryland sheep and wool festival (I would link, but it's over right by the time you read this...why tease.

I went hoping I would find the perfect yarn for this sock...Most of my morning was playing "not it" because

i knew the yarn

I found it on etsy a month ago...I knew it. So every yarn I saw..."nope" ...not sparkly...not right. not perfect...not the right one.

because this here is the YARN...this is it...and i can't fight it.

so I bought it. Here's the link to the store...

However I did buy yarn from ellen's halfpint and mistralee farm

off to go make sangria