Thursday, August 14, 2008

Whingeing

Or, You Can't Get There from Here.

My knitting is being mean to me. I'm on about chart number eleventy-hundred for the Different Blessingway Blanket. The latest set-back is the realization that I'm going to have to either do a double increase on one edge of every right side row or an increase on every row. Otherwise the base of the triangle will never fit in the allotted space. For some reason, this has me unreasonably unnerved and I've hidden all my graph paper from myself. Again.

Then there's my a4A sweater. I quite love the front and back panels. I got downright excited at the way it was working up exactly the way I had hoped it would. Then came the pick up stitches for the side part. Picking up stitches doesn't exactly set my hair on fire. At least, it doesn't when I'm picking a different number of stitches than the rows or stitches I have available. It's that "evenly across" part that leaves me cursing and throwing my knitting across the room. Still, I'm nothing if not stupidly persistent. I finally got it right and started merrily knitting the sides. Then I looked at it. I need to vent a heavy sigh here, perhaps with a little, underlying, whimper.

I've picked this up and put it down without adding a single stitch at least 5 times today.Like the green yarn for the rectangular shawl, these two don't play well together. Let me correct that. I don't think they should be allowed to play together at all. Let's pause for a rousing cheer here, or at least a sigh of relief (as opposed to heavy one exhaled above), that I'm not a Ravelympian.

The artist behind Cherry Hill can no longer convince me that these two share the same patrimony. Clare's theory is that someone spilled the brown dye-pot and didn't tell. "Earth," indeed.

I think I have to admit defeat and set the brown stuff aside for String Theory's sidewalk sale next year. If I rip out a bit on the two panels, I should have enough of the more colorful skein to make the next size down. Well, that, or chance the 14 yards I'm short (the yarn is a 586 yard skein, the largest size calls for 600 yards).

It's not all frustration and despair here, though. While I've been dithering over the frogging decision, I've also been flailing about, looking for something else to keep my hands busy. You know all that blue Cascade 220? I do believe there's some Marco Blue there after all.

This one I think I'll start with a 2 by 2 ribbing. A few inches of that and I'll be ready to face ripping out the brown.

Next time someone asks me who I'm going to believe, them or my own eyes, I'm going to get the answer right.

Whine over.

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