Misadventures in Knitting # 1

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shit. I am a complete dumbass.

Following a basic sock formula for a woman whose feet are about 8.25 inches in circumference with a yarn and needles with which I received a 9.75 st/inch gauge on my nice swatch (and I like to swatch) for just over 80 stitches for the diameter, and since it's a four stitch pattern I went with 80 even. Sounds reasonable, right?

BZZZZT! WRONG!

According to the book I took the pattern from, Sensational Knitted Socks (bottom right of page 12 to be exact) one may use a sample of stockinette using the needles and yarn you are going to use and use that as an approximate gauge swatch, provided it was not one of the cable patterns. I was using a basic four-stitch and two row pattern without cables or lace or eyelets. Two columns of stockinette stitch, two columns of garter.

Come to find out the main pattern of the sock has a gauge much closer to 8.5 to 8.75 than 9.75. That leads to between 68 (64 for the pattern repeats) and just over 72 stitches circumference. Meaning that at that gauge there's an EXTRA INCH to the circumference. Rawr!

Now I am faced with two options, both of which have pros and cons. Option 1: Make two socks too large for the recipient even though I picked the yarn out special for them because they love the colors. Note that they'll be just about the ideal size for myself or Mel. Option 2: Frog out over 7,500 stitches and start over.

I lose either way. If I *do* frog it out I'll take a picture beforehand.

On that note, since I may as well have something positive come out of my misadventures I've decided to start catologing my mistakes and important knitting lessons learned the hard way. It'll be a growing list somewhere, probably on the left of my blog or maybe it's own page. I dunno yet.

• Important Knitting Lesson #1: Never believe a book when it says you can fudge the gauge on a fitted garment like a sweater, hat, or sock.
• Important Knitting Lesson #2: Always make a swatch using the stitch you'll be using for a sock no matter what the book or pattern notes say, even if it means multiple swatches (St st and pattern), and even if it's only for your own reference.

Otherwise my knitting has been productive. After finishing it (except for binding off) and sizing it on himself the Recipient of Da Scarf determined it needed to be longer by at least two feet. Argh. So that's at least another 6 stripes... 90 rows. Actually, this will be good practice for me to determine how long it will take to do 90 rows so I can plan something. The only down side is that I might need more yarn to complete this scarf. That's right, FOUR skeins of Red Heart may not be enough for a scarf. ...I can't remember smoking anything while designing this scarf but who knows, I may have.

Oddly enough, The Recipient is pleased with the thickness, saying his other scarves are never warm enough for him during the late season games. It's also way too wide, but again he's pleased with that too. ...No accounting for taste. But like the Samurai Knitter said around Christmas time: Knit what the recipient will like and enjoy if you want them to wear it.

The Boy Thing wants me to make him something next. Silly of the Boy Thing (he knows about the dreaded Sweater curse), but at the same time I've been considering making him a pair of Dashing gloves from Knitty. He lives in Georgia, but at the same time I know he gets cold because he whines about it. And I tell him "Fifty degrees? Pfft. Pansey. Talk to me when it's -15 with four feet of snow and a -35 windchill." Can you tell I spent my formative years in upstate NY?

I think that's enough for now. Maybe too much, considering noone reads my drivel.

Home stretch...

48 rows to go on the damn scarf. Should be done before I come to work tomorrow. It won't be cast off, though, so the recipient can try it on for size (I swear it's twice as thick as I thought and four times as difficult to wrap around the neck).

Pictures to come soon.

Trudging along.

I'm pleased with myself. In the course of two hours I have both 1.) watched 3/4 a movie (Short Circuit to be precise) before realizing "oh wait I can knit while doing this" and rushing to the bedroom to grab the da(mn) Bears scarf I've put a deadline of Monday on ... and 2.) knit a full six inches on it. Considering it's about ten inches wide, knit in the round, and I had to make three color changes I'm pretty pleased.

It's the last one I knit in the round, except MAYBE a "Magic Scarf" for an Aunt who wants one.

With any luck I'll be able to finish it today and do some end-weaving. I'm actually considering making him a matching hat, too, since there will be enough yarn for it.

The best laid plans..

There has been much knitting around here. Not much sewing, but some searching-for-cosplay-commission-takers-to-save-my-sanity so I suppose that counts towards getting some costumes done. (Hina Ichigo and Suiseiseki/Rozen Maiden, specifically. Also Jiraiya/Naruto.)


What I've been working on the past few days:

1. Due 5/3 Surprise #1: 1/3 complete. (May have to completely redo due to gauge issues, but I *SWEAR* I swatched!) Entire surprise should be complete by the end of the month. I can't give more details, unfortunately, since it is a *surprise*.
2. Due 5/3 socks: Not enough to speak of, maybe three rows.
3. Due 10/18 Garter scarf : Uh, nothing.
4. Due 3/19 Bears scarf: 4 rows (This should explode in the next couple of days so that I can give it to the Bears fan at work on Monday to test the length, then weave in the ends and sew it together and have it done by Wednesday.)
5. Frogged the light blue mitten again. I'm going to have to just not use that section of the skein, it's getting worn.

I'll start adding images soon.

FOs and UFOs

I could lie and say something happened to prevent me from making another post before now, but to be completely honest I simply forgot. Well, I wanted to index what knitting I finished last year and what's carried over to this one.


Completed Projects:
1. 1 Heartbreakingly Cute Baby Kimono from Mason-Dixon Knitting (After many false starts)

2. 3 ballband dishcloths from the Peaches and Cream label/MDK at different gauges and with varying brands of discloth cotton.

3. 1 logcabin dishtowel (my own design, inspired by MDK)

4. 1 Universal Toe-Up Sock Formula sock from Knitty in Trekking XXL during the World Series (Yeah, yeah, the mate is coming. I might add a little length to this one after I make sure I have enough yarn for both.)

5.) Learn to use Continental style knit and purl

6.) 1 Dog Sweater for the killer attack guard dog. It's the right size but fits oddly, so I'm going to reseam it for my Peppy. (FYI "killer attack guard dog" stands for "sweet, loving, adorable, submissive, playful four-pound chihuahua.)

Carried-over projects:

1. Mom's garter scarf (Jo Ann's Angel Hair, ten inches by 60? inches, with size 9 needles. Don't blame me, she picked out the gauge, yarn, and width.) My first project and last plain garter scarf. This was originally going to be in St st since it knit up so fast, but I discovered the sad truth about curling so then decided the simplest solution would be garter. Can you tell I was new? A ribbed scarf or another stitch pattern never even occured to me. Lace would have given me a seizure at that time. Now here it is, a full year and a half later and I still haven't finished it. I'm going to have to sit down and just knit it this weekend or something.


2. da Bears scarf (Red Heart Supersaver worsted acrylic held double, St st knit in the round on a 30 inch size 17 circular, alternating colors between Royal Blue and Pumpkin every 15 rows): a coworker is paying me to make a thick Bears colors scarf. Turns out I picked the colors for the Fighting Illini instead... but he seems okay with the color choice. I hate this scarf with a passion. Although, on the other hand, this scarf was the reason I learned to knit continental style and, as I grew to loathe it, to look into much faster alternatives. I have maybe 60-75 rows left.

3.) Universal Toe-up second sock. (Yeah, yeah.. Kiss my ass. These are for me and aren't a very high priority. The dishcloths and kimono were on a timetable.)


Projects begun in 2007

1. Top-down garter rib socks with (gasp) a heel flap, gussets, and everything. Trekking XXL on size 1 DPNs. First one is just past the 1.5 inches of 1x1 ribbing and starting on the second row of the main pattern.

2. Another discloth. "The MDK Dishcloth". It's knit in the round. I frogged it out after realizing I had forgotten to remember an extra K12 and finished the specified number of bobbles halfway around. I do plan to get back to this eventually.

3. Pale blue Cascade 220 mittons for Mel. on size 3 dpns. Frogged twice, three false starts


Projects Planned

1. fingerless clawless gloves for Pinchy the Crab.

2. Blue pair of Fetching gloves

3. Red pair of Fetching gloves

4. Finish a couple projects in the Ultimate Knitting Machine booklet

5. Pair of Dashing gloves

6. Dog sweater on UKM

7. Linen bath towel or two

8. Thigh high knit stockings

9. Socks, socks, socks.

Protest over.

I've been ignoring Blogger out of protest of being forced to get a Google account in order to use it. Errgh. It's annoying to have to sign up for a different service in order to use one that you do want to use. But I've had too many thoughts brewing in my head to keep them all bottled up any more.

This afternoon or late tonight I'm picking up a digital camera to show my knitting to the world. I haven't had any FOs in a while so maybe keeping a public log of it will help encourage me to finish.

At any rate there will be more later today from the Jester.