I had high hopes that I would receive my order from Elann Friday or Saturday and have the opportunity to cast on for Hanging Vines. Friday...Nothing. Saturday....Nothing. 8 pm Sunday night the neighbor comes over with an envelope...the postman had gotten it in her box.
I found some wonderful Twinkletoes sock yarn Knitti-Me had gifted me with months ago....the only size 6 needles I own appear to be Addi Turbos so I grabbed those and cast on. Placed the markers as described, knit the foundation row. So far, so good. Row 1...knitting carefully as I am not a great chart knitter...done. Row 2, purl across...okay, did that. Row 3....uh oh. Too many stitches left over. Dang. Ripped, re-cast on. Foundation row, place markers....check. Row 1....check. Row 2......okay, check. Row 3.....Cursing ensues. Ripped again. Shut off the TV. Kids and Jodie went to bed. I sit at the kitchen table in good light. Ditch the markers because now I see there is a note for that row that the markers move....and well....I've had it with the markers. In silence...I dog my way through the 12 row repeat. All is well. Without the markers, I seem to do fine. I smooth out the one repeat I have on the needles.
As much as I love this yarn....the variegation completely obscures the lace pattern. You know....the lace pattern I have just spent well over an hour getting through one repeat done. I go to bed, deciding to sleep on it and see what I think in the morning.
In the morning, I think the same thing. This is, to me, "fussy knitting." I am going to have to pay attention through the entire project and the variegated yarn is going to hide all that work. No go. I trot out to the garage, dig out the KnitPicks laceweight and a pair of bamboo needles. Size 4 instead of 6...but it's what I have in bamboo. Already know from dealing with this yarn that it is bamboo or suicide for me.
Get to work 15 minutes early. Shut the car off...turn the radio off....take a couple of swigs of coffee (Dutch Brothers Ducth Freeze....my elixer of life). Cast on. Count twice...do I have the right amount of stitches? Yes, I do. Knit foundation row. Knit first row......What the *&%^@ ??
Way too many stitches left over at the end of the row. Not one...or two...like..... 9.
This is now sitting on the front seat of my car....thrown in absolute and complete disgust.
At break time, I am un-charting this pattern....writing it out....and trying again. This is not a hard pattern....a handful of stitches...the most complicated of which is a SSK. Yarn overs and SSKs with a few K2tog and every once in awhile K3tog.
Why is this pattern kicking my butt like this? I seriously think it's the chart thing. I don't know that I've done lace in a chart before....I did okay with Rogue's chart....sigh.
My 17yo said last night as she observed me steaming through ripping out....again... cursing under my breath......"I thought you said knitting was relaxing?"
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1 comment:
Not sure what's up but it did take me a couple of tries to get the hang of Hanging Vines. You're right to change the yarn as too much color isn't good for lace. My pink varagated is almost a bit much. Good luck!
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