Ran into Black Sheep today to exchange defective metal needles (rough tip has always scratched, but I didn't know better when I first started knitting). Even though they were several years old, the owner was great and gave me a new set. Problem solved. Now, did I turn around a walk out the door? That just wouldn't be natural would it?
Looked around and there it was: Elsebeth Lavold's book Viking Knits Collection with this pattern I've looked at in a catalog again and again. And I love the feeling of her Silky Wool. It's the perfect weight for our weather here. Bought the book, but we could only find 5 skeins of the verdigris color that I want. Then the owner called me later to say she literally tripped over the shipping box just after I left and they have it ready for me. I laughed. My knitting life was good.
Then I came home and finished a swatch for the Flower Basket Shawl from the previous Interweave Knits. I want to use a single strand of heavier yarn and I got gauge. I laughed again.
The knitting gods must have heard my laughter and considered it hubris. It wasn't excessive, really. I was just happy, not arrogant. Really. And certainly not now. Not when I have this:
7:45 PM 
8:00 PM 
Yes, that's my toddler's poncho off the needles and back into balls. Sad isn't it? I should be happy that I couldn't fix a mistake. I'd missed a increase and spent a good 45 minutes digging down to try to recreate the stepped increases. Learned a lot (trying to be positive here), but it just wasn't fixable because there wasn't enough yarn to make the missing stitches - it was needle-breaking tight. Took a breath and pulled it off the needles. And guess what, it was all wrong. Way too tight, way to pointy, going to ruffles (from the pointy tightness). A mess. I cried. Then I took a photo, then I got up, got the ball winder and cleaned up that mess.
Kept remembering all those team-building seminars from the 90's that my big company loved to send us to. The speaker (always so slick, so smooth) invariably began with a motivational story that enumerated the times some person failed miserably before picking themselves up to try again and become famous enough to be a shining (i.e., rich & successful) example to the rest of us poor saps. I'm sure there's a poster with rock climbers or eagles flying (or eagles flying over rock climbers) for this one.
As it is, I'm going to go back to the pattern I'd already picked for this yarn. Berroco's "Susy" uses Pronto, which has the same gauge/weight as the GOA and I've got the right amount for this cardigan (without the flowers).
Will have to find something soft with drape to make the poncho. Maybe the Lamb's Pride Superwash Bulky. Same gauge, washable, affordable.
The knitting goes on, with me a little humbler.
Oh man - I know just how you feel!!! You could try Mission Falls wool for the poncho - nice and drapey and not too expensive.
Posted by: Jackie | November 11, 2004 at 03:40 AM