January 31, 2006 Giving Up

Ok, I've had to do something that I really didn't want to do- give up on a pattern! With all good intentions I started out on the Chunky Cabled Sweater from Zoe Mellor's Adorable Knits for Tots and the pattern was driving me crazy! I like to do cables, but for some reason I just couldn't get this pattern to stick in my head and so I spent the entire time knitting staring with great and unpleasant intensity at the pattern. Things were compounded when the pattern said Tw2L and Tw2R. The way the book described it was (for Tw2L) to "knit into back of 2nd stitch on left needle, then into front of first stitch on left needle and slip both stitches off of needle." Well, I was never actually sure if I was doing this correctly. If I had only done a little research I would have seen this instruction: "Slip 1 st to cable needle and hold in front of work. K1, then knit the st from cable needle." This I could have handled! Plus, this is a baby gift for an already born baby and I need something that can be done quickly. Anyway, I ripped the whole thing out and decided to do Childhood from Knitty instead (although still using the RCY Cashsoft yarns rather than the Mission Falls 1824 Cotton). I'm done with the back and 1/2 way through the left front.

I'm anxiously waiting my "assignment" from Sockapaloooza! I can't wait. I need to update my foot size- I had my measuring assistant help (see photo). I'm going to China in March and think that knitting a few pairs of socks will make a great project for the plane. I've also requested Knitting on the Road: Sock Patterns for the Travelling Knitter by Nancy Bush from the library, which I'm hoping will inspire me with a terrific pattern. I also found a great "sock knitting lesson" online, which I think could be a great help with my first foray into socks.