No more about the socks until Friday, as I don't want to spoil the surprise, but I love them a bunch, and they turned out super comfy as a bonus. Yay!
To celebrate, I knitted up a swatch for Lorna Suzanne fully expecting that I would need to go down a needle size. Not so much, actually. I was almost spot on, running a fraction of a stitch bigger than the gauge that was called for. This is perfect, since I'm knitting a size that's just a tiny bit optimistic at this point. I'm still losing weight, but not at last summer's heartbreak rate, so I'm hoping it should all work out perfectly.
With the gauge swatch getting the nod of approval from my Monday Night Knitting pals, I dove in and cast on for the actual sweater last night. 181 stitches. And then I knitted 3 rows of the garter stitch border. All on the wrong size needles. Sigh. Really, I'm just here to boost your knitterly self-esteem. See how much lamer I am than everyone else? You're welcome. Anywho, once I got that bit sorted out, it looks like this...
Breathtakingly beautiful, no? I'm just now finishing the first repeat of lace and am a nervous wreck since I can never tell how lace is supposed to look until it's too late. It looks so easy and yet I always manage to muck it up. Not my strong suit for sure, but really I should be able to do this. Right?
The Peerie mitts are still hanging around, about to be frogged back to the cuff lining since Mr. Right's mom, bless her heart, took one look and pointed out a mistake in the first round of ribbing. More sigh. See?
I really want them to look as great as the hat, so back we go. But with the socks having graduated to FO status, they're the dpn project on the front burner and progress should be faster over the next couple of weeks. Here's hoping.
And now, if you'd be so kind as to leave any examples of dumb things you've done in the comments, I'd be very appreciative of the company. Then, once you're done making me feel better, you should go check out all the other WIPs out there this week. I'm sure they're knitted on the right size needles. Mostly.
Glad to hear the socks are finished and that you love them, that's great news :) And the sweater is looking beautiful already.
ReplyDeleteI think we've all done dumb things, haven't we?! I made a pair of slippers (out of expensive yarn, not sure why!) and figured who needs to worry about gauge for slippers. They ended up as the hugest, ugliest things ever (seriously, you should check them out on my rav projects - truly hideous)!
That sweater is stunning, and the color you've chosen will look great on you!
ReplyDeleteDon't kick yourself about the mistakes; I'm betting you'll check your needle size with zeal for the next dozen projects!
oh, I always manage to muck up lace too... and I haven't even tried anything especially difficult yet.
ReplyDeleteI have a nightcap that is 4-sizes too big, even after felting. I knit a gauge (20 sts x 4 rows), thought it was fine, but I suppose my gauges should be bigger.
I really like that purply-eggplant color. :-)
You have a lot of things going on. Don't you hate it when people notice mistakes right off?
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about mucking it up, I do it all the time. I had to tear out and redo the hat I just completed 4 times before I finally got it right. Can't wait to see your finished projects. I need to get on the sock bandwagon but I'm not quite ready yet.
Wellif it makes you feel any better, this year I decided to learn to knit. I am a crochet designer so knitting should be that hard right? wrong!!! i can't even pull off a ribbing, I constantly forget which it is I just did and in the past few weeks, I have thrown more than my share of needles and balls of yarn across the room and one actually bounced off the door frame of my downstairs bathroom and right in the toilet. Well, if that doesn't make you feel better than maybe you need a martini lol. In the new year I hope to find a knitting mentor and learn to use some dpn's.
ReplyDeleteThus far, every FO I have has a small error that is the only thing I see when I look at it... or is so large I've intentionally started seeking out knit-worthy friends who are ~4-6 inches taller than me. Oh, and I somehow cast on 88 stitches, and knit 20 rows, before realizing I needed to have 144.
ReplyDeleteYour purple looks beautiful, and your mittens will be perfect :)
It all sounds so heartbreakingly familiar. I think I've done all that and more. Don't even ask me about the sweater I reknit for the third time - it's in time out now until I have the fortitude to rip it out and make a blanket from the yarn!
ReplyDeleteStupid things I've done? Where would you like me to begin?
ReplyDeleteI almost never ever swatch and even when I do, I don't do it properly (though I've been pretty lucky without swatching)...the few times I've swatched, I've never actually washed, blocked, and dried said swatch. Most everything I've ever made doesn't really require knitting to gauge, except for my sweater...and I did a swatch for that, and even with that, it still ended up a little large (which worked out well because it hid my post-pregnancy flab pretty well last winter).
So, I never swatch and rarely pay attention to gauge.
Oh, and I rarely block. I don't know how to do it correctly, especially with lace, so I just don't. Then again, I don't really knit lace either...
I have cast on the wrong needles, then ripped that out, then cast on THE SAME WRONG NEEDLES AGAIN, ripped that out, then cast on THE WRONG NUMBER OF STITCHES. Oh yeah. Good times.
ReplyDeleteI spend so much time knitting backwards I have no idea how I ever get any projects done!
ReplyDeleteI love the colour of your sweater. It is going to be seriously amazing. I'm excited to watch your progress.
oh wow, have just had a flick back over some of your posts (SO much to catch up on, being off the blog scene for 3 months is not good :( )
ReplyDeleteand that hat is AMAZING. I am so impressed. I hope you are suitably proud. Cant wait to see how the gloves turn out.
I wish i had the patience (and time) to knit sweaters. Ive got that Little Red book you recommended in my Amazon basket waiting for me to click on 'checkout' but it will just be another knitting book on the shelf collecting dust. :(
That is a pretty impressive sweater. Looking forward to seeing it progress. :)
take care
xxx
That's a beautiful colour! I do dumb knitting things all the time, often associated with my cocky attitude "oops! Ehhh I can make it work.." (Or can I?)
ReplyDeleteOh, that color is pretty! It makes having to reknit the border a little less annoying, right? I have had my fair share of dumb mistakes. Most recently knitting a hat that I knew right away would be too big, but kept on knitting it anyways.
ReplyDeleteYou are such an awesome knitter, thanks for making us all feel better by posting about the mistakes too!
ReplyDelete