Knitting: Unprogressively

So last night... after much thought wrangling (?) I decided to try the OpRag in the DK Weight Ranco. I cast on (including the 20% extra stitches), I made a few rows... and then became perplexed. While I had calculated the horizontal guage needing 20% extra stitches, hadn't really thought about ROW guage... and at that point, it was a little more math than my tired brain cared to think about.

So, I decided to cast on for a bag I've been wanting to make, the Sipalu bag. This is the bag that came with the Knit Picks Palette yarn sampler. Cast on 240 stitches... YIKES! And it's a provisional cast on. So I'm thinking, hey what a great idea, I'll just cast on to a cable needle with that cast on where you like wrap the yarn and hold the auxillary piece (in this case the options cable). So as I get READY to do this... I realize, oh crap... this is on a size TWO and stupid knitpicks doesn't have interchange for size 2! DARN! So I stop, grab some cotton and start the cast on. I was about 15 stitches in and something happened. I couldn't figure out what part of the motion I was at, so I started over. Then I tried again... I kept losing count and starting over and then the stitches looked weird and there was a lot of "am I doing this right?"

So, after much thought and trial and error, I ended up doing a crochet chain type provisional cast on. Little bummed about it because I was trying to avoid it, oh well, it works, I know it does, so there ya go... now let me just talk about 240 stitches on a US2! HOLY COW!!!

But I started the pattern, it's not difficult, just time consuming. I didn't even make it through a whole row. I could have, but thought better of it because it was getting late, etc. Granted I COULD have stayed up and knit all night, but I used better judgement. I read a few more pages of Mary Thomas (man she cracks me up!).

So today, back to lunchtime knitting and working on the entrelac socks. I'll be taking these to my knit togethers this week as well. And hopefully I'll continue into the weekend with them. Dare I say maybe even get one finished? Ha! It's a long shot. Entrelac isn't difficult, but I've noticed it is definitely time consuming.

There it is, my un-progress. Oh yeah and I didn't finish seaming the sweater either!

Blogging: to Avoid Knitting

Crazy eh? Well, I've been knitting my fingers to the quick and they are a little sore. Today I did the crochet cast on for the FRONT piece of the cable sweater. I have 30-some rows done already. This works up so quick I can't believe I didn't finish it a long time ago. I'm so easily distracted.

Anyway, it's going along well and I hope to be finished and blocking it by Sunday. Of course that means no seaming until like tues or so once it dries. I still haven't decided on the neck either, but I do know I'm not making it as designed. I just don't think I will like all that bulk around my neck.

In other project news... I was really wanting my next project to be this cute cable/lace motif sweater called, Ode to Jackie O. It has a really cute boat neck and I even went so far as to buy the yarn for it. Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Jalapeno (green). Well, I've ready the pattern over and over for the past few weeks and I really am not liking the way it is written. I've been thinking about doing it top down, but I'm still not convinced I can pull it off like it should be because of the way the cable/lace pattern is set up. Call it, not enough confidence.

So, found another sweater in my queue that is aching to be knitted. Or is it me that is aching to knit it?! Anyway, its the Opulent Raglan by Wendy Bernard that I've wanted to make since that particular issue of knitscene came out. I bought all this gorgeous teal yarn for it, Arucania, but after I did this... I realized the sweater is knit in a heavier weight and the teal yarn is a dk weight. So, again, I could modify it and I was going to, but again I'm feeling a bit lazy on that end. So, I've decided on WOTA in the Amethyst Heather color. I really wanted to use one of the other purples, but they are all out of stock on those 2.

And while I was perusing the forums, I was reading on the Sipalu bag from Knit Picks. IT comes with the Palette samplers. I bought the Tranquil one back in December (I think). So after reading about it and such I really want to make it. My fingers are twitching to get back to color work. I really need to draft some more of my own designs and get stuff made as well.

Anyway, I am vowing NOT to cast on for that bag, until I finish one more project. It will either be a sock or the Verena cable sweater. And as far as color work, I have those gorgeous Entrelac socks to work on. They are my February sock project. I love the yarn for it. I played with the cast on the other day and did a couple of rows, but am considering frogging and starting over. I feel like they should be perfect. I'm not usually a perfectionist when it comes to these things, but I really think I can do it better, so I should I suppose.

I have about 4 inches done on Schooner Sock #2, so between that and the sweater front, I will hopefully have a productive weekend.