The project that ate my time!

I finally finished a project. I say finally, but really, I have knit it one and a half times (at least), frogged it, and it spent a lot of time in time out-that was several short time outs, not one protracted time out. It's Shirley Paden's cardigan from VK S/S 2004, #11, knit in Elann's Camilla yarn.

To make this easier for you, I recommend-

1) Photo copy the chart and put it in a document protector. Use a Post-it to move up the chart as you work. Write down each row as you finish it. As soon as you finish it. Store the pen in the document protector so you don't have to look for one at the end of the row.

2) Buy deluxe post-its. The super sticky kind. This is no time for shoddy bargain post-its.

3) Mark the "right side of the garment" with a safety pin, a scrap of yarn, SOMETHING.

4) Since the entire garment is knit by the charts, I found I did better when I was alone.

5) Knitting the sweater body takes about 250 stitches a row. It could be that 2 rows may be all you can manage in a session, and then you have to put it away! This is why good record keeping is essential.

6) There were times when I picked it up and could not understand where I was in the pattern. Some days it took me 10 minutes to see it. If you can't see where you are in the chart, just sit with it in your lap. If you can't see it in 15 minutes, just put it down. It is not your day to work on it. I had trouble reading right to left, and then left to right on the pattern. This is true lace!

7) This is not a forgiving pattern. It's extremely linear, and a stitch out of place SHOWS. Fudging doesn't work well. Since the pattern changes every row, I found it difficult to memorize.

8) There is a big paradigm shift on the facing. Study the chart before you begin, and notice how it differs from the main chart-look at how the diagonal travels, and what happens in the wake of the stitches. (Yes, I reknit this portion.)

9) I knit facing A and facing B separately up to the slant points. Then I photocopied charts A and B and taped them together. Then, I worked them concurrently, using markers to designate the increase sector (which I just worked in rib).

10) It might be easier to knit the sleeves in the round. I think I would like it in wool.

Edited to add: I slipped the first and last stitch of every row on the collar and front opening to give myself a springboard for a 3 needle bindoff to attach the collar. It worked great.

I did the same thing at the under arm, and that about killed me. The jacket had a very narrow armscye (is that the right word??), and the sleeve top was fairly wide. I just about screwed myself there.

Lookie!

Ok, I am not smart enough to manage a screen shot, so it's a good thing Marie hooked me up. Look at THIS!

It's freakin' magic, I tell ya!

When I was a kid, the toney subdivision in town was called Village 7. It had street names like Carefree and Serendipity. I looked Serendipity up in the dictionary when I was a kid, and had a little trouble with the concept. Nowdays, Old Webster defines it as "the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also : an instance of this."

These days, I seem to be finding a lot of Buffalo Serendipity. (Much nicer than finding buffalo chips, I'll tell you.) Last year, I asked Ron Miskin of Buffalo Gold if he was going to Kid 'n Ewe in Boerne. He wrote back and said "I wasn't planning to, but since you asked." And he exhibited.

Chris (aka Scullyknits) went to K'nE twice. WE went on Sunday. The day before, she went with her family. They stopped at the Kid 'n Ewe booth, where the Divine Miss M charmed the socks right off of Ron. He gave her a small buffalo toy, which she toted around all weekend. I thought that was just great, that the guy I asked to come 1) showed up, 2) had a busy booth (i.e. it was worth his trip) and 3) was flat charmed by Miss M. I happily bought my skein of laceweight.

Serendipity, right?

Monday, I sent my Prairie Star Buffalo Tam in to Wild Fibers as a contest entry. I really wanted the "runner up" prize of a basket of buffalo goodies. My entry bounced. (They must be changing emails at the magazine??) Anyhow, I thought "Oh, no, I just finished this, I am on time, I am SOOOOO not going to give up." So I sent a copy of my entry on to Buffalo Gold (the contest sponsor) , and explained that my entry had bounced. I got an Auto Response, and thought, ok, fine, it made it to someone. A few hours later, I got a phone call from Ron, who said "We were sitting around, admiring your hat, and we want to display it at TNNA next week. We'll send you some yarn."

You WHAT???? I wanted to do a butt-shaking happy dance, but had to sound reasonably dignified and coherent.

I mailed my hat today, and wrote up a little blah-blah for them to keep with a small yarn sample (leftovers!!!) that explained the method, the pattern and the results.

And he wrote me back and said

"Betsy,

Wonderful!!... Dad is truly excited about the Tam, and we are getting ready, and our display for this show is sort of an art gallery format. I have a canvas all ready for the hat, and it will be a featured piece. I am putting a bio card on the board as well, and I would love to put any information you would like on it.

Thank you again, and I will get some yarn on its way to you today.
Have a Happy New Year.
Ron"

I am absolutely beside myself with excitement.

THAT's serendipity.