Knit Blackwater Abbey Yarns

Bloggers to the rescue - like a cavalry charge!  thank you for all of your suggestions ---- I am still not completely sure what I will do, but I am leaning toward giving this sweater to D#2 and knitting Boar another.  I think we all agree that it is too short for him.  Here is what the voices in my head are saying:

• I am sick of this project
• If I re-do it, I will not only rip out all the seams to add pattern repeats to the front and back, but will also make a side panel to add some width.  It's not crucial, but it could stand it.  I am not sure how this would effect the sleeve and don't know if I am up to that sort of design challenge.
• I think it is already over blocked, so trying to get more out of it won't work.
• It fits D#2.  It is big on her, but in that 'good, cozy' way.  Not in the 'it's eating her alive' way.
• I don't think D#2 will wear it as much as I would like her to, but she has stated that she will wear it.  It is the type of sweater that will last her for years, D#2 is a beginner knitter and appreciates all the work involved.
• I have Friday free ---- I could take a trip to Granny's and find some yarn for a different sweater for Boar ..... I am taking suggestions ..... or I could give this another go with another yarn ..... or I could just rip the whole thing out entirely, down to the skank and reknit ....

In the immortal words of Darren's mother Phyllis, "I'm getting a sick headache" ---- how about some black dogs in snow pictures?

ps. the Boar's chest measures 43", I knit the 49" size --- was that my first mistake? should I have knit the 52"?

I hate this sweater.  I am so sick of this project.  I want it to be over.  I want to play with my STR and other Rhinebeck goodies.

Did you get that?? 

I am ready to pull my f-ing hair out.  But then you would see my little bald spot where my keratosis was/is.

I spent the entire day seaming this sweater.  I ran into another loosely worded pattern direction regarding the neck and took a break from it while I waited for MaryBeth and Lisa to rescue me. 

Although I don't wait well, this was probably a very good thing.

Boar got home just as I was about to have another go at the neck.  I thought, 'why not have him pull it on?'

so there it is.

does it look too short?? (disregard the underlying Pepsi uniform)

I think it does.  I think I need to pick out all of these seams and add another pattern repeat or two or three to both the front and back.

Boar thinks it could be longer, but says it is fine.

I don't know if I can block it any longer.

note to self - never trust directions that go by pattern repeats - always measure.

other note to self - remember all the wonderful reasons you quit smoking.  have a drink instead.

My Beautiful Brier

Finally my project for this Knit Along in finished!! Please come by my blog and see how it turned out.   Black Water Abbey yarn is great and I'll use it again. Thanks Lizzy and Snow for getting me to join and knit a fabulous sweater.

5, 7, 8

Needle sizes from bottom up, 5, 7, 8.  Three sweaters knit in Blackwater Abbey.  Colors from bottom up, Bracken, Moss, Bluestack.  What have I learned?  I like the solid fabric on the 7, especially for a guy.  For me, I love the light feeling and drape on the 8s.  Celtic Dreams on the bottom is a bit stiff and probably will get worn the least - it looks nice but just doesn't have that comfy feeling.  As for the colors - just like my children, I love them equally, but some days I just seem to like one more than the other.

the word of the day?  Semantics.

Let me just say that Lisa Lloyd is not only a wonderful designer, but a sympathetic knitter as well.  And she answers her emails right away.  (I think Mary Beth must still be in bed!)  The confusion is all in the way the directions are read.

To refresh:  the directions for the size I am knitting read:  work across (83) sts, place center (36) sts on holder for front neck, and complete row."  the problem being that there are not enough stitches on the needles to knit 83, put 36 on a holder and then knit another 83.

What you are meant to do is knit 47, put 36 on a holder and then complete the remaining 47.  The 83 in the directions include the 36 for the holder   83-36=47.  The reason for writing the directions this way is so that the working yarn ends up on the other side of the neck edge for use on the other shoulder.

Today's mantra:

math really is my friend math really is my friend math really is my friend math really is my friend math really is my friend

It's 11:52 pm, do you know where your math skills are??

I have sent out two SOS emails, one to Mary Beth aka BlackWater Abbey Guru and the other to Lisa Lloyd, designer.  They each went something like this:

I am knitting the size that calls for 130 stitches and have reached the neck shaping for the front.  The directions state:   "work across (83) sts, place center (36) sts on holder for front neck, and complete row."

My math tells me if the neck opening is to be 36 stitches across the front, then the amount of stitches on either side should be 47 for this particular size.

Of course, I am not known for my math skills am I misunderstanding something crucial?

ps. you all realize of course, that it's a rhetorical question and I really don't think it's me? I wonder what Mary Beth is doing, do you think she is reading her emails?  someone go wake her up!

commie pinko

How great are you guys?  Yesterday's little word problem started off being rhetorical.  My immediate reaction to  "will this get finished in time?" was hell no.  After reading all of your comments, full of practical ideas and encouragement, now it's more of a well maybe. 

Vicki has made me realize that there are different levels of being done.  Not all that long ago I took a bit of teasing over my philosphy that "done" means it's off the needles.  Where did that philosophy go?  And why not apply it to this project?  Hell, I could even wrap the parts of this sweater in different boxes ..... he would think it was a Christmas Bonanza!  ooooooo a sleeve and look, what's this .... another sleeve?!!!!

So I will diligently knit away on this.  Every now and again I have to set it aside because of hand cramps (this yarn is a bit stiff and giving me some aches and pains).  I have discovered that knitting a row on a sock project helps loosen up my hands.

Do you see how my stitches seem to veer off to the left?  Kathleen has told me this is called biasing.  For the moment, I am not going to try and correct the problem.  I haven't noticed this happening before, so I am hoping that it is just something to do with me and this particular pattern.

does this leftward leaning make me a liberal knitter?

A Word Problem:

Ann the Knitter would like to present her Boar with a sweater ..... for Christmas.  Ann the Knitter has completed the back section.  She is within five rows of completing the second pattern repeat on the front portion of the sweater.  The pattern repeat is a 24 row affair and there will need to be a total of six pattern repeats for the front.  The sleeves will also have their very own pattern repeats.  Ann the Knitter is averaging 5 rows per day.  Should Ann pick up a Home Depot gift card?

Discuss amongst yourselves.....

Bramble Berry has returned!

Bramble Berry has made a triumphant return to my knitting basket as of this week. I had gotten distracted by my handspun sweater and a few other things, but now I am back on sleeve island. I am working the sleeves first in the hope that having them done will make me much more excited about knitting the body... (This is pretty likely with me as sleeves are my undoing...)

I'm hoping to have the second sleeve done by the end of the weekend barring housework getting in the way... :)

Hellooo!  Is anybody out there?  Now that the chilly weather is back, aren't we in the mood to knit BWA again?  I sure am.  Here is Flyingdales, the cardigan, in BWA Bluestack, ready for sleeves.  Flyindales is knit bottom up, split at the armholes to work the backs and fronts, and it is flying!  I started a couple weeks ago.  I think it is going to be a happy yarn-to-pattern marriage.  As usual with BWA, the color just gets better and better as I work with it.

Now that I am on my third sweater in BWA, I am noticing that each color has a different personality to it.  This darker color seems a bit stiffer than Bracken or Moss were.  I have heard that there might be variation in gauge so I am extra careful to swatch with each new color I try.  All of this reminds me that this yarn is not a mass produced factory product - it's going to have some variation to it which adds to its charm.

As I write this the rain is pouring down, and the air is chilly!  But I'm nice and toasty, because I am wearing Celtic Dreams, BWA, Bracken!