Skill Level: Adventurous

What does that mean to you? Adventurous? Well, I don't know what it meant to me...until I decided to embark on a new sweater. (Ribby Cardi? Uh, what about it? You trying to pick a fight here? Ribby will get her day in court..uh, I mean, Ribby will get finished...eventually. Rogue? Well, I finally made a decision, it is going to the frog pond. Not because I don't LOVE the pattern, but since I could only get guage on size 10's with Cascade 220...I really don't like the fabric it creates. Yes...I'm half done with it...but I don't LOVE it. So...a froggy we will go.)

Anyway...what was I talking about? Huh. Yet another mental pause moment...lots of those today considering this is day 19 in a row of work for me. True, I have had to only work as little as 3 hours a couple of those days...but 19 days without a whole day off...AND being sick for 5 of those days...well...the entire morning has been one loooong mental pause....

Anyway...uh...um. Oh yes, Skill level: Adventurous. I was digging around in the stash and came across this pattern, The Braids Cardigan from Cabin Fever. Thought, hey, you know, you HAVE to have enough yarn for this puppy in your stash somewhere...and low and behold, I dug up the Patons Classic Merino I had purchased for Must Have Cardi. Now....I DO intend to one day actually cast on for this .... ahem, really I do...really...especially since I ***blush*** joined the stupid KAL for it...damn it Norma....

Anyway, what were we talking about? Uh..oh! Must Have. The deal is, once I got the pattern in hand (I had the yarn before the pattern I think) I decided I wanted it in classic creamy Aran color rather than the dark teal I had purchased. So 10 skeins of the Patons in Dark Teal have been waiting patiently in the stash.

I swatched....got gauge. I cast on...272 stitches. Now, I know this isn't a lot to many of you...but you are talking to a woman who hasn't knit much with a cast on of over 50 lately at all. Row 1...done. Struggled a little, cause the pattern is scrunched up in the way it's printed...kept losing my place...but got through it. Row 2...what's wrong? Why am I coming out with 2 stitches left???? Tinked back....you know, 270 stitches. Did it again and low and behold...2 extra stitches. Got sorta crabby. Ahem. You know...sorta. The 17yo, Kayla, says..."why are you in such a bad mood?!?!?"

"I'm NOT in a bad MOOD!!!!" .......................oh. well, maybe I am.

I ended up ripping it out. Decided to cast on a larger needle for the first row anyway, cause I used a knitted cast on and the first time it was sorta tight. Thought, I'm gonna write this row out where I can see it....not all scrunched up. Bingo.

The designer of this pattern expects you to think. I know, what's that about? Ahem, Did I read all the way through the pattern before I cast on? Well no. What a stupid question that is. When the skill level is "Adventurous"....perhaps one should actually READ the pattern, whatcha think?

What I missed is an "extra" stitch on each "side" that she turns into what she calls "phoney seams"...to help the sweater which is knit in the round, hang a little better. By slowing down, writing the pattern row out...I could finally see what she was doing...and therefore what I should be doing.

Whew. I'm up to row 4. Let you know how this goes.

Pictures: I have lots. Got 'em developed yesterday. Put the disc in last night to load pics...and the stupid disc doesn't work. I said a few choice words. It goes back today with the negatives....and hopefully will be returned to me in working order. Then, I can show you the hat bonanza I was on last month...the process shots of my Norma's version of Sofie, and some other nice shots.