Progress Report

I've just finished repeat six of Citron. This project has been on the back burner for a bit while I've been making baby things and finishing other projects - a scarf for my sister, and Emmaline. Well, Emmaline's not quite finished, or rather it is, but I might have to undo a bit and add in some increases, and use a different bind off. My friend Linda suggested an elastic, stretchy bind off in a recent comment that I think I'll try out on this, because aren't garments meant to be comfortable and not cut off your circulation from the hips down? I don't like the idea just straightaway ripping out rows until I think I've reached the right point, then making sure all the stitches are caught and aimed the right way. I think it's time for a lifeline! This will be the first time I've threaded one through stitches that aren't on the needle. I'm not sure how this works, so I had to look it up.


Anyway, back to Citron.

Third time's a charm

I've ripped it out. Again. I realized when I was looking at the lifeline, that part of it had pulled ut. As I was threading it back through, I noticed a very weird line of stitces 3 up from the bottom. So, ripped out. Third time's a charm right? I've decided I can't work on this with visual distractions. Tomorrow I'm going to cast on again and listed to audio books and see if I can at least do that while I'm kniting this infernal sweater.

So, for tonight, I'm going to pull out a cross stitch to work on whie I have a Torchwood marathon. Yay!

Knitting is supposed to be fun!

and I seem to have lost sight of that. Lately all of my projects seem to be quite difficult and I can't work on them when talking to someone else, watching tv, or when I'm the least bit tired because I will muck it up. I keep taking on new projects that involve one or two new or difficult things in them, or lots of fiddliness or something.

I've been trying to make progress on the twenny dolla sweater that I started over a month ago now, and I've made ome progress. I switched to Addi turbo lace needles, I've restarted and cast on 120 stitches as the pattern says, and put in a lifeline at row 9 when I put in my markers. I'm now at row 16, but something has gone wrong once again. I have too mny stitches in one section, and an odd number of stitches in another. The increases ar done in even numbers so I should never have an odd number of stitches at the end of a row.

I need to pull out my work to the lifeline and start again. For the third time. At least this time I don't have to cast on again!

I've read that you can relax your addis but dunking them in hot wate briefly and straightening them out under cool water. I'm going to try this when I pull the needles out and see if my magic loop technique gets any better.

I started what I thought was going to be an easy, work on when I'm tired project - fingerless gloves. After changing yarns three times I settled in bit. It's simple, knit in the round, with make one increases at the thumb. I've had to restart once sine I'm using DK weight on size 9 double points and the large came out baggy, bt now I'm doing the medium and it seems fine. Here's a pic of the one I ripped out.

Addis!!

I bought my first set of Addi circular needles - size 9 Addi lace turbos!

I am having a real issue with them as I try to knit magic loop while working on my lace sweater. Or maybe I'm having trouble with the magic loop part, seeing as I've never done that technique before.

My friend Amber sent me an article on magic loop from Knitting Daily that was helpful. I just can't seem to get the hang of how to hold on to the stupid thing.

Did I mention that I ripped out the first go at the sweater last week? Yep. didn't use that lovely lifeline that I love so much. And of course, it turns out Knitting Daily has a post about that too! I feel her pain. Somehow while merrily knitting along on this sweater and throwing in make ones before AND after every marker every other row, I got a little too excited and add some more stitches. For good measure. Because who doesn't want more stitches? My bust naturally starts above my armpits, why do you ask?

I decided to do a stitch count after getting row 18, just to make sure I was on the right track. I started out with 144 stitches (I'll get to that in a minute) and after 8 rows of straight knitting, increase as above until you get to x stitches in between certain markers, blah, blah, blah.

Well, if I'm adding the same number of stitches all around, I should have the same number of stitches between the markers. Nope! I somehow ended up with LOTS of stitches in one spot and the normal amount everywhere else. Hopefully the second time around I will pay more attention.