September 05, 2006

Last time I was in here, I was whining about the too-short zipper of Captain Destructo's Linen Jacket. Solution: I ordered a 40 cm zipper from my local Phildar boutique (I love how I can just call the owner on the phone and let her know what I want), and when it comes in next week I'll be exchanging the 35 cm one for it. I'll have to reknit the buttonbands so they suit the new length, but hey! At least the Linen Jacket will have a fancy zipper that'll look good. [Does happy dance.]

So. That's taken care of. Now let me tell you about something else that happened, and it ain't pretty. Yesterday, during my evening knitting session, I was happily finishing up the front piece of my Mystery Project (back piece is already done), and when it came time to join a new skein of yarn I discovered that I had NO MORE CORK. No more in the basket. No more in the stash closet. No more in the stash hidden under the bed. Curses flew about like a party of sailors as I yanked all my ziplocs out of my stash, thinking that I had at least one more skein hidden in there, somewhere, ANYWHERE. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Only good thing about this is that I found four stitch holders I thought I had lost two years ago, a bag of Plassard Merinos I forgot that I had, and an extra pair of 10mm Addi circulars. But...No. Freaking. Cork. Aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh! [Pigeons in the nearby park fly away, frightened, as my frustrated scream echos off the Alps.]

So...anybody out there got a skein of Cork lying around in the colorway Mouse?

Didn't think so.

Chill. There is a solution. After careful analysis of the Mystery Project, I discovered that my row gauge is almost 3 rows smaller than that called for in the pattern, but I knit to the lengths required. Which means that I used a more yarn than I should have. I did swatch, but my tension must have changed (and boy, did it) while I knit the project. Still, I'm not going to hide this in a closet and hope that a ball of Cork falls miraculously out of the sky. I'm going to RIP THIS OUT - yes, the whole thing - and REKNIT using a larger needle so that my row gauge matches up to the pattern. Good thing these needles are big, eh?

In the meantime, I drown my sorrows in my Faithful Tension Doesn't Change CeCe Cardi knit in Calmer.




I think that Rowan should rename this color of Calmer "chocolate truffle" instead of "coffee bean". I mean, I have nothing against a good cup of java, but if you placed a coffee bean and a chocolate truffle before me and told me to pick one, my hand would be snapping at that chocolate truffle faster than you can say, "sugar rush". I look at this cardi as I'm knitting it and I think CHOCOLATE. Really, that's how it flashes in my mind, like a neon sign and all in caps. And after my faulty zipper and yarn shortage woes, I think I deserve a chocolate truffle even if it's disguised in the form of Calmer and a cute little CeCe cardi.

And speaking of the CeCe cardi, I worked two more inches since the photo above, worked the buttonhole* and just started the neck shaping. [Runs around the room waving arms triumphantly, like Rocky.]

*This is the buttonhole I used, thanks to Miss B-M of ChicKnits for passing on that link to me.

That's all for today. Before I go, I leave you with the Fabulous Corset Image in Popup Window of the day. Just for the heck of it.

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