Three Times a Charm?

Notice anything funny about this sock?

Yes – the heel is not in the back. I’ve already taken out one heel when I made it on half the stitches I should have (no wonder it looked so small?) and now this – well, it is a learning experience – I’ve learned the mistakes I do not want to make again! And, I am now an accomplished wrapper and turner. Short Rows ‘R Us.

The yarn is yummy. It’s Monsoon, a new colorway from Blue Moon Fiber Arts and their Rockin’ Sock Club. It’s my first sock club attempt. It’s a toe up sock, which I prefer (I have no patience, so I can finish the ankle short or long as the mood dictates) on 0’s and 1’s. Nice ribbing for the instep and cabling for the ankle. It uses a provisional cast on – so another new thing to learn. All in all, I’m happy.

P.S. Just saw this link - when sheep go baa-aaa-aaad.

Exit 358 and Paradigms

So what’s with a road that has 358 Exits? Daunting, eh? What if you needed to get to Exit 6? How far would that be? I was in Pennsylvania and heading west – I didn’t think the whole state was 358 exits wide – or would I make it to California? I didn’t drive long enough to find out.
And, in case you were interested, the King of Prussia Mall, although it has over 400 stores and restaurants, and boasts of more retail space than any other shopping attraction in America, does not have a yarn shop. The woman in guest services sweetly asked, “How do you spell that?” when I asked. Y-A-R-N, as in knit. Nope, no stores. Not even a kiosk. Can you imagine? Sock yarn kiosks.
Paradigm. I really dislike that word. Overused and underrated – what does it really mean? So tell me – Paradigm Pillow? Really?
And, I managed to walk for three hours through the mall and all I bought was dinner and reading glasses. I’m proud of myself.

Obsessed?

Maybe.

It's been a challenge to get 30 rows done in a week. I was 9 rows behind by Friday night. I'm now on schedule and 10 rows ahead for this week. OK - so I didn't leave the house yesterday.

Today is another day - yarn is calling.

Goals

I figured this sweater has about 65,000 stitches. I think I might have underestimated. I’m half way though the pattern and I’m down 33,000 – well, we’ll see. I want to wear it this winter. That means I need to knit more.

When I started using two colors (I hit the 120 row pattern), I managed to do 12 rows on my first week. Remember, I’m knitting circular – one row has 274 stitches.

I gauge my weeks on when I get to my LYS. I try to go every Saturday to just look at all the yarns I can’t buy because I’ve got this silly sweater to finish. Like these wonderful things at Schaefer Yarn. Oh, sorry – beautiful, wonderful sweater.
And, my promise to curtail frivolous spending; so I can’t sign up for Yarn of the Month.

And, I can’t buy this Mighty Leaf on sale which I shouldn’t be buying anyway. Duh! Even at that price! And, they extended the sale 3 more weeks to torture me!.

And no Blog reading for a while, either (except the Yarn Harlot, of course).

The first week I started stranded knitting, I needed some knitting adjustments. I couldn’t hold two colors in each hand and twist and knit without dropping the needles and yarn all over the place. So, I learned to hold one color of yarn in each hand. Now my left hand knits Continental and my right hand knits American. This works for me.

Also, my LYS said to twist the yarn every 3 stitches. So, I did. Faithfully. Until I read Elizabeth Zimmerman’s suggestions to twist after 5 stitches. (Technically, she said never knit a pattern with a stitch count of more than 5 stitches in one color – but too late – some of them are 6 or 7). So, I adjusted – which helped increase my speed. Last week, I hit 20 rows in one week. The sweater looks better in the front with fewer twists on the back too.

Top half of this picture shows the twists no more than every three (looks painful, eh?) and the bottom half is no more than 5 stitiches before a twist.

I have a goal. To wear this sweater before it’s too late and the warm weather sets in. I want to knit 30 rows per week of the pattern for the next two weeks and then I’m done with the body pattern. I did not get off to a winning start this week (I did get the Blog up – but, at the cost of knitting).

So, 6 rows a day until Saturday to make my goal of 30 rows (8,250 stitches). I had a doctor’s appointment today – yeh, two rows down (7,700 to go) and it took me 50 minutes (with interruptions). So my running rate is optimistically, 15 minutes a row; pessimistically, 30 minutes; realistically, somewhere in between.

Looks like I need to devote a minimum of 1.5 to 2 hours a day to knitting to meet goal this week. Wish me luck.

Resolutions

Aren't they just plans? I plan on taking vitamins. I plan on going to work. I plan on eating healthy. Resolutions are just longer terms plans. If I don’t write my plans down and think about them – how else would they happen?

So, in no particular order or priority for the year 2007 – these are the things I want to do:

1. Start a blog.
2. Lose 25 pounds.
3. Finish my first sweater which I started 12/15/06.
4. Conscious spending from January though March - see: http://sfcompact.blogspot.com/
5. Re-evaluate savings and spending by April 15th.
6. Take the PMP exam by summer.
7. Have a birthday party.
8. Knit from my stash first.
9. Knit an Elizabeth Zimmerman pattern.
10. Go somewhere wonderful.
11. Re-do the kitchen.
12. Change my mind (an upgrade would be preferred).

My first sweater - Dale of Norway Best of Tiur Pattern Book 170 - Pattern 4 Long Size XS.