So, Hourglass Sweater.
Despite this project not being anywhere on the Official Project Sidebar, I've been swatching and thinking about this one a lot lately. Because it's a long-sleeved sweater, and because it's for me, and because I am a selfish ho.
My swatch reveals that this beautiful green yarn -- Araucania's Nature Wool (a purchase from the Webs booth at Stitches, and a lovely price, too) -- is knitting up at 6 stitches to the inch on size 8 (5.0mm) needles. (I would like to take this moment to say that while I love this wool and this color [number 23], the ball band is a big fat liar. It says the yarn is worsted weight. To this I say "Ha! You liar!" There is no way this stuff is worsted, unless the knitting world is playing a big joke on me. Which is possible, I guess.)
Anyway, where was I? Gauge. The pattern suggests Noro's Cash Iroha (a yarn also claiming the "worsted" weight), which they say works up to 4.75 sts to the inch on size 7 (4.5mm) needles. You see my flabbergastedness at the vast range of "worsted" weight? See? Yes, you see. (Oh, sleep, I miss you!) Okay, so the pattern also calls for 900 yards of Noro for the 37" size. I have skinnier yarn, but more of it (1560 yards) so I think I'm all set to cast on, except for the math (The Math), which I will get to.
Monday night being Stitch-n-Bitch night, we all trooped over to Heather's and she generously wound our yarn into lovely little yarny cakes of goodness.
Five skanks of yarn decided to play nicely. Unfortunately, the sixth pitched a fit unmatched except by teenage girls who want to go to the dance and wear that cute dress and it does not make me look like a floozy and that's such an old-fashioned word and my god you don't even understand me and I'm going to fling myself across my bed and cry and turn up the music real loud and pout all night long, and that'll show you.
This is what we had last night. I came close to weeping, and also to throwing it across the room. The thought of cutting the tangled part, undoing the massive snarl, and spit-splicing the ends back together did occur to me, but it was scary and I refrained.
This is what I have now. A wee half-ball of yarn, with massive snarl. I tried to work with the other end to untangle it that way, but only got a little ways in (see the mini-mash above the wee half-ball in the picture). I hope I can get the sweater out of the well-behaved five balls and not have to deal with this mess.
And because the advil just kicked in, I'm going to try to get back to sleep (yes, I know. Empty gesture. But you really don't want to see what I've been typing). I will discuss The Math later. When I have a fully functioning brain.
8 comments:
Ooooh, ouch. That brings back memories of the first time I tried to wind a hank of Cascade 220. By hand. Without a swift.
Don't be afraid of the spit-splice. That ball of Cascade had at least six in it, and I never found a single one while I was knitting.
I just dipped into my Stitches stash a couple weeks ago, and it's the coolest thing--every time I pick it up I think of what a fun day that was. Yay happy knitting! :-)
Spit-splice is the most amazing thing.
And just so you know, the yarn requirements for Hourglass are a bit off. I made the 37" size (wearing it today, in fact!) but I needed a full 10 skeins and a couple rows' worth of an 11th skein of the Cash Iroha.
Ack! Nasty.
Floosy...lol...great word.
Yvonne - thanks for the heads up on yarn requirements. I may have to cut and spit-splice that last ball, but I'll hold off until I'm sure I need it.
just to let you know i read this EVERY day even if it is the same one for a couple of days... it always brings a smile to my face and makes me less homesick on days that i am! you crack me up :) Alright i must get back to rotting my brain with some crazy movie on HBO...LOVE YOU Call me sometime ((815.222.6700))
-becky
Oh, I so identify with the tangle thing--that has been happening to me a lot lately--maybe it is lack of sleep! Hope you got some sleep (and some detangling, eventually)
Oh, you are being challenged! I know you can do it - mind over matter --I've heard that somewhere.
Did I call you a floosy when you were a mooooooody teenager heading for the school dance? Well, there were some dresses .... :)
Happy knitting - go slow on the untangling it does eventually work its way out. Maybe having a friend help you with it.
I found your blog while researching Nature wool. I was thinking of using it for a sweater pattern i have. This info is just what I needed - thanks! And i like your blog so much I will certainly be checking in again!
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