Tales of a Putzer

Poor High Neck Cable sweater. This recent FO has gone through a lot:

1. There was the mis-crossed cable that was fixed up in early December.

2. After its successful debut just before Christmas, I decided that I just wasn't 100% thrilled with the neck. It was a bit too wide and I thought it would be better just a smidge higher, as well. So, after the holidays, out came the neck and it was re-knit. It still isn't quite as narrow as I'd like, but it is much better. I wore it to work for the second time and decided by 12 pm that:

3. The sleeves were just a smidge too short. Time for a little more surgery.

Today was the perfect day for it: with a forecast high just above 0, the day off, no new football, and a light chores list, I grabbed the High Neck Cable, a pair of scissors, needles, left-over yarn and went to work while watching the season finale Patriots/Giants game I recorded at the end of the December (knowing the outcome, of course, lessens the possibility of distraction and potentially catastrophic errors when I'm armed with scissors and knitting).

Warning! The following contains graphic images that might be disturbing to a timid knitter.

As knitting is directional, one simply cannot snip the cast off edge and rip up (believe me...I tried this once and it decidedly does not work!). One must snip and then rip down to remove the existing knitting, especially when it involves ribbing. The very first step is to find the tails and unweave the sleeve seam.

The scary part comes next! Cut one half of a stitch just a bit above where you want to begin knitting again, a little ways in the row which allows for tails. Poised with a sharp scissors and a spare needle, I'm ready to snip!

Then, one gently and carefully works the yarn in and out of the stitches on both the top and bottom pieces to expose live stitches. It's best, in my experience, to start catching the live stitches right away so one doesn't have to tussle with dropped stitches as well.

Ta da! In no time at all, the ribbing is off the sleeve completely!

Now that the live stitches have been captured, simply add on the necessary length by knitting downwards towards what will be the new cuff. In this instance, I added 8 rows, or about 3/4" of stockinette (see what I mean about just a smidge short...and being an endless putzer?) Then, proceed with the same amount of ribbing, cast off, and re-seam.

You can't tell where the new part begins, can you?

I'll have photos of both re-done sleeves tomorrow.

Now that I've mutated just about everything I can on the finished High Neck Cable, I do believe it's time to let the poor thing alone. I must say, though, that it has definitely provided me with lots of ideas for a future class and made me a little bit more fearless. Unfortunately, these successful modifications have also fed into my pursuit of unachievable knitting perfection. If I can change it and make it better, I will...

On another, unrelated note - my poor Sweetie Pie has had such a disappointing Saturday. With dashed hopes of seeing There Will Be Blood, unsuccessful trips (plural) to grocery stores (again, plural), he went to the library to pick up a book he had reserved. What does he do amid all of this crappy running about? Sees Crazy Aunt Purl's book on the New shelf and grabs it for me just 'cause he thought I'd be interested. Ain't he sweet?

No good reason

I haven't been quite in the mood to blog lately and there's not really a specific reason. To be honest, there hasn't been a whole heckuva much to blog about! Plus, my new sweater project doesn't really photograph well - it is knit in a lovely charcoal heather color in Rowan's Cocoon and, given the rather long string of overcast days we've had, I haven't had good enough lighting to catch the cables. I'm trying very hard not to fret about the cable pattern showing up so subtley - the sweater in this ancient Rowan Tweed Collection by Kim Hargreaves was knit in a natural (see, it is so ancient that I couldn't find an image of it on the Internets!). And, the whole point of this sweater was to knit something:
1. Using Cocoon in this colorway
2. Cabled
3. Cuddly

It meets all 3 requirements just fine.

This picture still doesn't do it justice, but at least you can get a sense of it.

Please note pretty stitch markers. My latest obsession. Feeling oddly compelled to match stitch markers not only to the season (I had Christmas tree light ones in December) but to the project itself. I purchased these among other holiday gift stitch markers for my co-workers from SeeJayneKnits on Etsy (evil thing that it is).

I did get an answer back from the author re: my Selbuvotter finger snafu via a Ravelry message. The chart was, in fact, off but her instructions - both in the book and in her email - were rather vague. There's a lot of "just go with the flow", "if it is off a stitch or two, don't worry..." I'm sorry, but this just isn't the type of knitter I am. It has to be right. So, this week, I took matters into my own hands and grabbed my trusty pad of knitter's graph paper and charted everything out myself. It'll be just fine, but I'm sad to report that the bubble is off the glove-love wine. Her mitten pattern do look a bit less prone to "interpretation". Perhaps after I complete the gloves, I'll just do a pair of mittens or two. The two-color knitting is still very satisfying, and the patterning on the hand is divine. I'll just revel in that and forget that some knitters are ok with a fudge here and there. It's just not me, that's all.

Well, back to it I go - I'm spending my regular day off this week a little under the weather (trying desperately to fight off an upper respiratory thing). So, the rest of the day will be spent in the pjs, knitting, and watching The Game Show Network's broadcast of '60s and '70s vintage game shows such as Password with Alan Ludden, Match Game '75, etc. Now that's what I call quintessential sick day entertainment.

See, with all of this excitement going on, do you blame me for not blogging for a while ;->

Glove Love

I started my first Selbuvotter glove...heck, it is even my first glove ever! There was something so inherently pleasing in working this pattern that I just couldn't put the darn thing down since Christmas Day. Here it is up to the division for fingers:

The pattern is Annemor #8 and it is simply lovely in Louet Gems Merino. I had to stop last night, nearly in tears, 'cause I just couldn't make sense of the directions going forward dividing for the fingers. It just didn't seem to make sense and I tried it a couple of different ways - adding to my general confusion was that the instructions were different in the two places referencing the finger division. I joined the Selbuvotter group on Ravelry and posted my questions. It is moderated by the author, so I'm hoping she'll be able to shed some light on the matter!

I hope someone responds soon.

It's been about 12 hours.

Yes, I'm watching the clock. I do have a sweater project in the works but my heart really wants to get back to my glove.

We had a great snow on Friday that started at 9 am and went until about 6 pm, falling gently but steadily the whole time. Not too cold, no wind, just beautiful, wet snow...some 6" or so. It clung to everything, and with no wind overnight, it was still there Saturday morning. Here's the view from our living room (DH's first real pictures! Not bad, eh?)

Even this morning, the snow was still perched on branches and telephone wires.

God jul

that is, "Merry Christmas" in Norwegian.

That reminds me, I have a new goal or two this year. Now, I'm totally anti-New Year's Resolutions - I firmly believe that if you want to change something, there's no need to wait until New Year's. Plus, I think they are jinxed and doomed to failure. I've never known anyone's New Year's Resolutions that were kept, not to mention seen through for over a month. When I quit smoking, it was actually on January 6th (the anniversary of my Dad's birthday. Not sure why I picked that date...he didn't ever smoke, but I'm sure he didn't like that I did. I guess it was my own little way of making him proud of me, even though he had passed away many years before.) I've been smoke-free ever since. It was actually a gloomy March day that I made the decision to put down the meatball sandwich with sides of cheetos and mashed potatoes that I was having for lunch and to get in shape. As I've gotten to know myself, I've figured out that when I decide to change something in my life, the date on the calendar means very little. So, today, Christmas Eve, I'm making some new goals:

1. Learn Norwegian - this should be great fun, given my academic background in German and various Germanic languages, both currently spoken and those preserved only in writing some 1,200 years ago.

There are some others, but they aren't exactly bloggable. (bloggable? is that a word? yikes...I hope I'm not slipping down the Troy Aikman-slippery-slope-of-language-misuse.)

I've wanted to learn Norwegian for a number of years, and there is no time like the present. I've regretted that, during all my various trips to Europe, I never once went to Norway. I wish, in fact I did this very morning, that I could just pack up and go live in Bergen or Trondheim. When I was 7 or 8, I left a note on my parents' bed that I wanted to runaway and live in Norway. It's about time I learn the language, and definitely time that I set myself to visiting there. Wouldn't it be wonderful to bike through mountains overlooking the fjords?

As a little Christmas gift to myself, I bought Selbuvotter: Biography of a Knitting Tradition by Terri Shea.
One search through Ravelry's pattern and project library for mittens and this gem shows up everywhere. The mitten and glove designs are inspired by actual pieces knit in the 19th century in the Selbu region of Norway. Sounds divine. The patterning is exquisite and will be a great way to hone my stranded knitting skills. In fact, now that my pre-Christmas chores and last present is wrapped, I think I'll go wind up some yarn and dive right in.

Speaking of diving right in, here's my darling Maddie-girl, knowing just what to do on a chilly winter's afternoon:

FO Parade

Yesterday, amid the wonderful surprise of an additional 7 inches of snow, was spent listening to some of my favorite Christmas CDs while sitting next to the tree, with an assorted cat or two coming to snuggle up next to me, and finishing a few projects.

First, was last week's early a.m. knitting project, the Gansey Watch Cap from Charlene Schurch's Hat's On! I used some Cascade 220 purchased at Lakeside Fibers several years ago...good to dip into the stash archive that far back plus the color matches the trim on my new coat/Christmas present perfectly.

A little wonky with the math on the body and crown charts, but I tried not to worry about it too much. It is, afterall, my "everyday" hat and it is quite warm and fits just fine. I'm particularly fond of the brim design.

I think Charlene Schurch is brilliant and I hope to make a few more hats from this book. Her sock books, Sensational Socks and More Sensational Socks are - in my opinion - the best sock books...heck, some of the best knitting books on the planet.

Next up, the High Neck Cable sweater knit in Blue Sky's Suri Merino. Here it is, on the blocking table:

I'm still fudging with the placement of the buttons and have a few little ends to weave in. I ended up not doing actual buttonholes since I'll never be wearing it any other way but completely buttoned up. So, I simply tacked down the front plackets and simply sewed the buttons in place.

Love the buttons!

I tried it on yesterday over a very large turtleneck and without blocking and was, sadly, a little underwhelmed. I hope that once it is done on the table and after finalizing the buttons/placket, all will be well. This is intended to be my Christmas sweater this year.

Speaking of Christmas, I just wanted to share some of my most treasured decorations/heirlooms. This is the stocking my mom made for me the year I was born:

And the ceramic ornament she made, also during the year I appeared:

This funny Humpty Dumpty ornament was purchased by my parents shortly after they were married. I figure it is about 40 years old!

It just wouldn't be Christmas without seeing these.

What did you just say?

Sorry, but I just have to get this off my chest. This offends me not so much as an ex-linguist, but as a reasonably intelligent and literate human being.

I'm minding my own business, knitting blissfully away on the High Neck Cable and watching the Giants/Bears game. Troy Aikman is commentating. He has the annoying habit of not being able to pronounce a participle or gerund -ing ending if his life depended on it, e.g. saying "kickin'", "puntin'", "runnin'", etc. Additionally, he'll consistently use the very informal shoulda, woulda, coulda triumvirate.

Just a few minutes ago, he said something that I could hardly believe. These actual words were issued by someone who - having played quarterback masterfully - must have some functioning gray matter:

"Archuleta actually probably shoulda been satten down a while ago."

Doesn't he realize that his voice and gross language misuse is being broadcast nationally, perhaps even internationally? Doesn't he realize how downright stupid that makes him seem? Reminds of me someone I know who will pronounce pumpkin as punkin and picture as pitcher. She's not trying to sound informal or cute...this is actually how she pronounces it.

No comment.

Reparo!

No, I'm not channeling my inner Harry Potter. But, I swear, the Internets can act like a magic wand for us knitters.

First things first. A photo of December 1, 2006:

And of photo of December 1, 2007:

If memory serves, we got some 8-10 inches of snowfall on 12/1 last year. This year, we ended up with just a few, with a thin coating of ice on top. But, heck, snow is snow and I'll take whatever Mother Nature gives me.

Now, on the magic of the Internets and how Ewe Little Dickens apparently angered, and then made peace with, the knitting gods.

I've been making slowish progress on the High Neck Cable now that the sleeves are on the body as there are over 250 stitches on a round before the neck decreasing kicks in. Last night, right before I retired to bed, I made the extremely sad realization that one of my cables, some 18 rows below, was twisted in the wrong direction. Since there are only 3 ropes of cables and smack dab in the front of the sweater, there was no hiding it. And, worst of all, I knew it was there...it's a wonder I even got to sleep last night knowing this mistake was just sitting there, taunting me. Too tired and exasperated to deal with it, I decided to leave it until this morning when my fresh fingers and brain could re-evaluate the situation.

With a vague sense of dread, I woke early. I was prepared to rip back a good 3" of knitting (which, given that this is knit in the round with the sleeves attached is a lot!) and it would be a bit tricky as there are 8 decreases positioned ever-so-carefully on each RS row. But, maybe..just maybe, I was too tired last night to get a good look at the cable and maybe, just maybe it wasn't really twisting the wrong way?

Nope. It was going the wrong way. Damn.

Well, there's got to be a way to fix it and the worst that could happen, again, was my original plan of action of spending my precious pre-dawn knitting time at the ol' Frog Pond. So, I proceeded to whip out the Knitter's Magic Wand (aka the Internet) and search for "fixing cables" and there was a glimmer of hope.

I didn't snap a photo of my wrongly twisted cable, but - thanks to the Yarn Harlot - here's a shot of what it sorta looked like:

Now, the trick is to purposely drop just the cable stitches down to where the cable goes awry, re-twist in the proper direction and then pick up each of the stitches all the way up. In theory, this is pretty straightforward...putzy, to be sure, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it for the timid knitter. But, hey, I'm a professional, right? I can do this (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...)

The pattern calls for a 6-stitch cable with the first three held to the back every 6 rows. But, in my sorry case, 18 rows below I had for some bizarre reason decided to mix things up and hold those first 3 stitches to the front. So, braced on very early a.m. courage (we're talking 3:30 am here), down those stitches went. Witness Cable Carnage:

Here's the front of my lovely sweater with the offending stitches unmercifully destroyed [insert evil laughter here].

I re-twisted the stitches in the proper direction and proceed to pick up the six stitches up through 18 rows. Tricky thing was repeating the cable every 6 rows. I had one glitch of an attempt, just about ready to say, "heck with it...I'll just rip it", but I took a slug of the Elixir of Life (coffee) and gave it another, steadily patient go.

Well, wha'd'ya know? FIXED!

Thank you, Yarn Harlot and the Internets. You rock my world! To read her most amusing and complete explanation on how to do this, visit her archive here.

In the 2 hours I had to knit before proceeding to the gym this morning, I only knit 4 rows. But, I salvaged a whole day's worth of knitting.

In other news, the Diamond Patch mittens are complete and wearable. After a little scare yesterday thinking that I actually made two of the same hand (the pattern is just a wee bit ambiguous on exactly where to place the thumb. And that's an understatement if I ever heard one), they work: