Cherry Tee

I was never able to get this pattern photo scanned, so I just took a picture of it. This pattern is called "Quick Cherry Tee" from the Quick Knits to Wear book edited by Jeanne Stauffer.

This is the pattern that I'm using the Borscht Love It yarn for. The Wright is no more!

Above is the first picture of my progress on the Borscht Tee. It's about 6 1/2 inches long. I need to get to 14" and then I can do the garter ridge around the bust.

Sunday

I started school this past Thursday evening. I have 18 classmates. We will all stay together in these classes for the next 18 months. We did some group work the first night and already have a group project due this Thursday. I also have to write a three-page paper. I don't have quite two pages of it yet. This first module is just two sessions. The ones afterwards will all be five sessions long. I will get my book for the second module this week. I'm looking forward to having reading homework rather than writing homework.

I scanned a picture of my current knitting project but it saved in a format that I can't upload to my blog. I guess I'll have to scan it again and see if I can save it differently. I'm making good progress, a little over four inches. That may not sound like much, but I rarely get long blocks of knitting time.

I'm looking for a cardigan pattern for my next sweater project. Why is it I can never find a pattern I like just the way it is? I just want a simple cardigan pattern with a textured stitch pattern, button band, pockets, and collar. Is it so hard?! If you see one you think I might like, PLEASE let me know.

Too Big Already

I knitted a gauge swatch and measured it. I did the math and cast on the number of stitches that was supposed to get me the width I need. What I have knitted so far is laying on top of a sweater that fits me well. It's too big. How does this happen? I'm just glad I decided to check before continuing.

White Beret

The White Beret is finished. I don't know if I'll post a picture of me in it or not. It makes me look like the kitchen staff in Mary Poppins.

Now, I'm ready to work with the Borscht Love It yarn again. I have decided not to re-knit Wright. After trying on the too-big one, I realized that I'm just not that crazy about the style of the sweater, afterall. Knitter friends helped me decide on a different pattern for the yarn Saturday morning at Panera.

It is the Quick Cherry Tee on page 116 of Quick Knits by Jeanne Stauffer. I'm going to do a gauge swatch this time - and I'm going to do it carefully.

Tweed Beret

I decided to try to make this tweed beret from Interweave Knits Winter 2006. Mine will not be tweed, however. I'm using white Berroco Love it. I started with dpns size 7, then went to a 16" circular. Now I'm on an 18" circular and could probably go up again; I just don't feel like it. This makes it difficult to try on the hat to see if it fits, so I'm just trusting the process.

I really like the idea of hats. I don't wear them very often, though. The Kansas wind likes to rip hats off heads. I'm uncomfortable with an under-the-chin tie. It could be a good idea, but I feel like I'm a little too old for that look. I have a black felted hat that I made last year, but I haven't worn it at all yet this year. I don't like how it makes my hair look after I take it off. So, here I am making another hat that I might not wear. What's the deal?

Could it be that hats are smaller and faster than sweaters and easier to make fit? Could I be frustrated with the sweater-making process? I wonder . . . I had just gotten started on re-knitting Wright when I decided I just HAD to knit a hat. Go figure.

What do I need a hat for, anyway?

I haven't been able to get that white tam from that Christmas movie out of my mind. I couldn't find an exact pattern, so I found one that was close. I didn't get much past the brim. I don't even remember exactly what went wrong now, but I frogged it. Oh, it might have been the RT stitch.

So, the other night I had some friends over. I was looking through my books and magazines, trying to find another hat pattern to try. I found one that looked simple enough and the friends agreed. I didn't have a circular needle that was short enough, so I was using a set of double points. The problem was that it was an old set of double points and there are only four of them. I'm used to using sets of five. And they're a little too long and unwieldy. Again, I didn't get much past the brim. It's a lace pattern, and I dropped several stitches. ARGH! I wanted to bawl. I just ripped the needles out and threw the yarn in it's bag.

I still wanted to knit, even though I'm sick. So, I picked up the Wright II sweater, which I haven't gotten very far on. It's just stockinette stitch, which is easy, but it lets my mind wander. I remember that this is my second attempt at this sweater and start feeling like I'm a bad knitter. Poor me.

I went to bed, contemplating the hat issue. Will I really even wear a hat? Why do I want to make one so much? Will a tam make me as cute as the girl in the movie? I like the look of a tam, but I want a hat that's going to cover my ears. What to do . . .

Finished Gloves

The gift gloves are finally finished and I will give them to my supervisor today.

I plan to start the new Wright this evening.

New Wright?

After doing some investigating and calculating, I discovered that I don't have enough of the Borscht Love It yarn to make the alternate sweater pattern that I was considering.

Therefore, I began considering actually re-knitting the Wright pattern, making it smaller. So, I sat down and re-wrote the pattern last night. I haven't unknit it yet, though.

I'm still working on finishing F's gloves. I had a little glitch the other day when I picked up non-adjacent stitches to work the middle finger. It wasn't pretty.