While on Vacation . . .

Vacations are for sleeping in, relaxing and taking it slow.  And knitting.  On the downside, sometimes blogs fall by the wayside . . . 

One hat and a second almost done . . .

But there is progress!  I've got one Zeebad hat finished and the second one is almost done.  I should be further along, but there was ripping--followed by cursing (or maybe it was the other way around?  Expletives were shouted and there might even have been some growling).  In a fit of exasperation over size, missed yarn overs and dropped stitches I ripped it all out and started again.  Twice.  Once for each hat.

First hat awaiting ribbon and pompom

The hats have to be perfect 'cuz they're gifts.  So when I was done cursin', I knocked some sense into those stitches.  And I promised myself to only work on the hats when I am well-rested and have time to concentrate.  (Don't rest and time go hand-in-hand with vacations?).   

Second hat in progress

In any case, my goal: finish the second hat within the week and then look for ribbons.  These will get threaded through the eyelets.  There are pompoms to be made too!  Haven't made those in a long time.  I might have to peruse some how-to videos.  I'll keep you posted.

About the Ripping . . .

Sometimes you have no choice but to rip out.  And no matter what, it always feels disheartening, even if you know you've made the right decision.

Prior to Ripping

My Garter Surprise must have had an error in the pattern 'cuz Block 9 called for 54 plus 54 stitches which was completely off (it should have been 63 plus 63 stitches for a total of 126).  In any case, I didn't like the off-centered colour block that had resulted; it had to be more even (like the version in the book pictured below).  

Original Baby Garter Surprise

So sadly I ripped.  Thankfully it looks better now (sorry for not having an updated photo).  This block will take time to finish 'cuz it requires 54 ridges (that's over 100 rows!).  Hopefully by working on it each evening, I'll make some headway.

As for my Soleil Tank, adding length didn't quite look right upside down.  So it too had to go "rip, rip, rip".  

Messed Up Lace

Since restarting and working the lace pattern as written, the addition looks soooo much better.  I'm hoping to work enough lace repeats so I've got enough length.  Then I'll finish off with a garter edging.

Better Looking Lace 

For me, following my "gut" and ripping out worked out well.  How about you? Ever had to rip out something that you've been working on for a long time?   I'm sure we've all done it.   

Rrrrip, Rip, Rip . . .

See the beginning of my pretty sweater. It's a great free online pattern called Sprout from Amy King (I think I've linked her blog in one of my sidebars). I'm so excited! I love, love, love the bright blue. I wanted a summery cardi to wear for cool mornings. And the Red Heart Cotton Twist feels so nice in my hands (nothing at all like worsted cotton).

This cardi marks a new beginning in my knitterly life: it represents my first attempt at cables (my very first ever in my entire life)! Cabling is one of those skills I've wanted to master--or at the very least try. Cognitively I understood the concept and procedure; actually performing the process with yarn and needles was a whole different thing. A little fear of failure always held me back until . . . actually I'm not sure what finally compelled me to try. But now I'm making cables! I just can't seem to contain my joy (happy, happy, joy, joy)!

I was feeling rather pleased with myself until I discovered the pattern had short rows (so the back area below the collar would sit better on the body). I've only done short rows once before in the bust area of a tank top. At the time, I had re-played an online video over and over to get the "hang of it" (Thank heavens for Knitting-Help.com. What an excellent resource--lots of good videos with clear explanations). That first attempt had been passable, so I thought I knew what I was doing--the key word being "thought". Feeling somewhat cocky, I proceeded with the short-rows without a video to reference (why are short rows called wrap-and-turn? There's no wrapping unless you've turned your work first. Shouldn't it be "turn-and-wrap"?). Then it was time to pick up the wraps :O

Needless to say I messed up--well, perhaps not too badly. One side looked fine (where I picked up the wraps on the knit side), but I made a mess on the other side. The wraps were quite visible on the right side. I was gonna let it go and continue on. After all, who was gonna notice? My hair would probably cover up the enitre mess. Still, those damn wraps kept taunting me (I swear there was name-calling involved). The mess had to go!

So I inserted a smaller sized circular through the row before the W & T mess and unravelled. Unravelling can leave you in one of two moods: either tense and nervous about the whole experience (as if you are committing some horrible crime), OR relieved in catharsis as if you've unloaded an awesome burden from your shoulders. I felt cathartic--no more taunting from those rude, rude wraps!

Back at square one. Still, what had I lost really? Maybe an hour of my time. Before I went to bed that night, I had re-knit the area with the short rows. Needless to say my second attempt was more acceptable.

Onward, knitter. Onward.

Clickety-clack go the needles . . .