DAY 7

I finally cast on and got the neckband on the needle.  Now to start the yoke chart.  Progress is progress, no matter how minimal. 

 

I kept working on it and got as far as round 12 of the yoke chart.  I'm quitting for the night.  Don't want to go all crazy on the first day. LOL

thank you Rimowa

Barbara and I had corresponded prior to the start of this years March Sweater Madness. She had a commitment from me to play and I was all excited. Since I was headed from Germany to Florida via California on the 21-22 Feb (don't ask) I packed up everything on the 20th. And then it happened. Planning on adding one more thing to my 1/3 empty suitcase, I found the lock jammed. Of course all the clothes I wanted were in the suitcase along with the sweater I had planned on knitting this month. ARGH!!!!!!!! Not being able to get the lock unstuck, I took a different suitcase and yarn for hats and shawls but not for a sweater. So I am now in the cheering squad this year..... (sniff, sniff,,,,,

Day 4 - Toni

March Madness - Day 4

Okay--I really only joined the fun on the night of the first, but I was hoping to have used up the first ball of yarn by now.  I'm really, really, REALLY close,

but I am obviously working with magic yarn, because I've been almost at the end of the ball of yarn for an entire day.  Not that a never-ending supply of yarn is anything to sneer at, but I sort of already HAVE that.  It's called the stash.  If something were going to magically never be all used up, why couldn't it have been my bank account?  Sigh..........

Aside from being mired in the never-ending-ball-of-yarn, I love this sweater.  The pattern is interesting, but not so complicated that I have to be checking the chart on every row,

and I love the shaping.  The only concern is that while I am getting gauge, gauge is measured over a pattern involving cable and ribbing, so I think I could have gotten "gauge" with about 4 different needle sizes.  I suppose the good side to this is that it could also fit me in about 4 different sizes, but if I have THAT sort of weight fluctuations, a sweater is NOT going to be my greatest problem........ 

I need a photographer

I'm married to a photographer. My daughter is a photographer. You would think I'd be able to get pictures of things ... wouldn't you?? NO!! So, you need to use your imagination. See how my sweater is growing? I'm working on the shoulders, increasing from 40 stitches up to 200 sts. I've got 178 on there right now. I'm enjoying the texture of this so far. It's not too thick, not too holey. Going to be nice for spring and fall wearing. And cool summer evenings. Now, if the tendonitis (or whatever it is) that I have in my shoulder would only go away it would help a whole lot!!

Opinions Required

LOL  My gauge issues had me scrambling like mad around here and digging through stash as well as patterns.  Normally I'd be quite happy about that but I just want to get to the knitting already. 

So I'm looking for an opinion.  I came up with some different patterns that I have the exact yarn for. Lopi to the rescue.  The very first Lopi sweater I've ever finished was back at the very beginning of this Madness, or rather the come down from the Madness when we were working on UFOs I believe. I just realized that I never posted a picture of the finished sweater but I've been wearing it all these years and I believe it will need a replacement soon.  I had my mind set on a cardigan but a couple other patterns also caught my eye. I don't imagine they would be too difficult to convert to cardigans.

This one is from Knitty.

 

 

 

 

So what do you think?  That's the yarn I have available, in sufficient quantity any of the three patterns.

 

FYI:  looks like I will be knitting the first one.  I am happy to have that decision made, thanks to a dear friend.  Thanks so much Alison!

Oh My!

Literally dozens of swatches later, and I still haven't cast on because I am experiencing technical difficulties with gauge for Eileen.  I am starting to consider other patterns but that's just as time consuming. 

How are the rest of you ladies making out?

Good Grief!

Three swatches later and I still haven't got gauge!  Ack!  And if you could only understand my aversion to swatches.  I rarely knit them, and only when the size really matters.  I have decided to knit Eileen so size definitely matters.  If I'm going to spend any time with her, she better fit when I'm done with her.  So looks like I will be stash diving in the morning after my run. 

This is going to be fun.  I must have mentioned that, right?  :)