The children have been playing outside a lot these days. They like to sweep the driveway or dig in the dirt and I, for one, have been there, done that.

So, I spend my time spinning on my spindle. I never thought I would say this, but I actually prefer spinning on my spindle to spinning on my wheel. I'm in no hurry and spinning has become the goal, rather than spinning for something specific...it's lots of fun. Mostly I've just been practicing making even yarn and a balanced ply.

Here's what I've been working on these past few days:

Yes, I'm insane. I ripped out a perfectly good hood all because a few puckery double decreases were bugging me.

So, I undid the back 15 (or so) stitches grafted to the cables and ripped down 12 rows, which would be enough (more or less) to decrease all those stitches with single decreases.

After working the first row, I started to realize that decreasing at a different rate would result in different amounts of yarn used up for each row.

So, while the single decreases looked much better, I ended up with this mess when I'd finished redoing them.

Despite this, I was feeling pretty optimistic (in denial) and thought I could fix it somehow. How? Not a clue! Details!

First thought was, "Oh, I'll just redistribute the extra yarn across the row!

Nope

Then I thought, "Maybe somehow I could cut them and sew the ends in."

Didn't seem prudent.

Then I thought, "Steeks? Sewing machine?"

Huh? No. (was only kidding myself in desperation)

The only solution was to rip it all back. So that's what I did.

Sorry, I couldn't resist a pun. Even a lame one.

Ready to close!

See, I really am working on Rogue. I spent the past few days fiddling with the double decreases.

My goal was to reduce more stitches than called for in the pattern (blah blah, I know what you are thinking if you aren't making rogue--what the heck is she babbling on about...)

Originally, when I worked the decreases I ended up with 3 stitches not being worked outside the 15-stich block inside the markers.

After knitting up the cable part, I realized that when I grafted the two cable parts together, it would not be long enough to accommodate those 15+3+3 stitches. Augh. Row gauge strikes again.

It wasn't a big fix though, just ripping out a few rows and doing an extra double decrease.

So, I've come to the hood grafting part.

The kitchener stitching part doesn't really have me worried, just ever so slightly frustrated. Last night, I worked through the first 20 stitches 3 times (who's counting?) and always ended up with the cable bits one half stitch off.

Click for a closer look

Cotton has been calling to me. I see cotton. I buy cotton. Of course, I'm loathe to admit that the cotton yarn I'm buying is 40-50% acrylic.

Yes, get out!

Acrylic. Can you believe it? I'm not sure I can.

Anyway, this is the back of the "cotton" hoodie pattern I'm using from Phildar's Layette 2003 (Autumn I believe). I'm using some old recycled Idena Cotton Sport, which I originally was using to make the Chickami. I had 5 balls of the yarn, but after finishing up the back, it looks like I will need 2 more.

So, yesterday I went off to the yarn shop and lo and behold, she had 2 more balls of the yarn in the exact same shade and dyelot. How lucky. And we can probably surmise that they have been there in the same spot just waiting since last Summer when I bought the first 5 balls. Yay, local yarn stores.

Well, I'm off on another knitting tangent. There is a Debbie Bliss sweater I want to make and unfortunately the recommended yarn (DB Cotton Silk) is discontinued. Kerrie sent me a ball of this yarn a few months ago and I just fell in love with it. I need to hunt down 21 balls of the stuff. Ebay, here I come.

The mailcarrier walks under this tree everyday before she gets to my house.

Yes, the Cable Box arrived today! There's some nice stuff in there, but I'm not sure what I will take out yet. Karen, who is next on the list, and I will meet up this weekend and go through the yarn together. There is snow in the forecast so we'll see.

Here are some pix of the loot!

Picture 1 (Bug is plastic and courtesy of Noel.)

Picture 2

Picture 3

And in the yarn category of "What Tha...," we have:

This

You've got to be kiddin' me! Fortune is smiling down on me tonight. I've been yearning for an appallingly-discolored, dirty, partially-used ball of ecru cotton. It's just what I've been looking for to add to my stash! You know, I've only used stuff like this to tie up tomato plants or bundle recycling, but maybe now's the time to reconsider and use it for actual KNITTING! And I'm sure you know that patina takes TIME to develop. I'm tellin' ya. Last place I saw something like this was in the back of my Grammy's utility drawer (circa 1985) next to the mason jar used to store old rubber bands and paper clips. I'm snatching it up right now! Don't ya'll be sad now.

So far, so good. I ripped and redid the cabled part and left shoulder. The gaping increase holes from the first try were still gaping at me after the second try, so I decided that was enough. Cinching them together with some magpie bits did the trick.

Thanks for all your comments last week on which project I should start next. I know I did state that this would be a project started after Rogue was completed. WELL, Rogue is sitting armless and hoodless in the knitting basket at this very moment, but I'm sure you will understand when I say, "I started anyway!"

What's my entry in Alison's Spring Fling?

The cotton hoodie! It's from a pattern in Phildar's Layette, Automne/Hiver 2003/04 . (Thanks Kerrie! We are planning a knitalong for Brooke and Becky with another pattern from this book.) I couldn't resist using the cool markers my Secret Pal sent. (Thank you SP--you really made my day--I loved everything!)

The hoodie version* I am doing calls for wool yarn, but I will be substituting Idena Cotton Sport, which is like Rowan's All Seasons Cotton, only skinnier. I love this stuff! It will make a nice little hoodie for Becky to wear on cool nights in the Summer (Arts Fest!).

Goodbye to the zipper and buttons. Who needs so much finishing? Not me, that's for sure.

Could anybody help me out with what "m. double endr sur l'endr." means? I tried translating it in babelfish but it still wasn't clear. (It's for that single stitch running up the front on the cable pattern edge. Right now, that stitch is being worked as a twisted stitch.)

*Interesting Thing: This hoodie comes in 2 versions--a wool one and an acrylic/cotton one. There are 2 patterns written up in different gauges. Kinda skimping on the designs there, but it's nice to have the range of gauges to pick from.

Young apprentices hard at work.

I'm happy to report they did not breach the closet door of the yarn stash.

Becky

Polly Pocket Dress, Louisa Harding, Miss Bea's Seaside, Rowan Denim(Nashville, Tennessee). Finished: June 5, 2005.

Harry Potter Weasley, Rowan/Pride & Joy, Rowan Felted Tweed (Bilberry/Corn). Finished: January 31, 2005.

Mendocino, The Children's Collection, Alice & Jade Starmore, Classic Elite Bazic. Finished: October 7, 2004

Anouk, Kate Gilbert in Spring Knitty 2004, Cascade Pima Tencel. Finished May 27, 2004

Hortensia, Bouton d'Or catalog, Hors Serie #11, Cecil cotton/acrylic (!) yarn from Schoeller+Stahl. Finished: 2004

Wrappy Dress, Debbie Bliss Book 6, Debbie Bliss Wool Cotton (Mallard and Forest). Finished January 2004.

Bella Cardi Court, Phildar Pitchoun Autumn 2003, Patons Bella Tape Yarn (Blush). Finished: September 2003

Falaise Tunic, Phildar, Phildar Falaise. Finished: July 30, 2003

Smocked Dress, Jaeger Handknits for Kids, Debbie Bliss, Rowan Wool Cotton (Clear). Finished: March 2002

Secret Garden, The Childrens Collection, Jade Starmore, Jamiesons Soft Shetland (Purple Heather). Finished: January 2001

Harry Potter Weasley, Rowan/Pride & Joy, Rowan Felted Tweed (Midnight) & Donegal Scottish Tweed (Gold). Finished: January 7, 2005.

Lavoisier, Virtual Yarns.com, Jade Starmore, Hebridean 3-ply (Sundew). Finished: September 27, 2004

Red Zipper Sweater, Phildar Pitchoun #403 Printemps/Ete 2004, Phildar Aviso (Rouge). Finished: July 2004

Lavoisier, Virtual Yarns.com, Jade Starmore, Hebridean 3-ply (Spindrift). Finished: September 2002

Daisy, Stephanie Pearl McPhee in Summer Knitty 2003, Classic Elite Cotton Yarn (sorry, I'm guessing there). Finished: October 7, 2004

Demi Demi, Kim Hargreaves with modifications by me, Vintage Style, Yorkshire Tweed Aran (Purple Heather), April 2005.

Accordion, Leigh Spencer, Peace Fleece. Finished: July 2003.

Rogue, Jenna Wilson, Rowan Magpie (? ). Finished: April 2004

Must Have Cardigan, Patons, Harrisville Designs Yarn (Olive). Finished: April 2004

Everyday Cardigan, Peace Fleece, Peace Fleece Worsted Weight Yarn (Grassroots). Finished: March 2004

Ribby Cardie, ChicKnits Free Pattern, Bonne Marie Burns, Bartlett Yarn (Bracken). Finished: October 2004.

Phildar Stripey Sweater, Phildar ?, Rowan Cotton Glace (?). Finished: July 2003.

Another thing I might do is switch gradually from 4.5 mm needles through to 4.0 mm needles as I move up the body of the sweater to create some A-line shaping and reduce the amount of fabric around the armholes.

Here's the back part:

Awaiting Sentencing

After working for 2 nights (really only 2 hours--remember the schedule?) on Rogue's neck cable, and arriving at the shoulder shaping, I have decided to rip it all out.

There are 3 things bugging me about my work so far. The first is the beginning of the neck cable. I'm not sure if I was on the correct row when I began or perhaps I made the lifted purl increases too loosely. At any rate, I don't like the 2-row garter stitch gap at the bottom of the cables. I left it only because I thought it would get better with some steam blocking, but unfortunately after a heavy dose of steam it just loosened up the more.

The other 2 things bothering me are the gaps at the beginning of the rounded cables. I used Alice Starmore's increasing/decreasing techniques for the beginning and ending of closed cables on rogue's sides. That worked out well. I don't know why I didn't stick with that. Guess at the time I didn't want to get off my butt and go to the bookshelf to make sure I was doing it right.

Here is a picture before I ripped. Lest you think I'm inordinately picky--no the gaping holes are not showing up in the picture. But trust me, they are there.

Thanks for all your advice on which project I should work on next. I am leaning towards the Phildar hoodie and hope to start it soon.

I need your help! What should I start once I finish Rogue?

1. This Phildar hoodie in Idena Cotton Sport (color: off white, will possibly garment dye it light blue) for Becky. I will also omit the off-center zip and the buttons on the collar, as well as make it slightly larger.

2. BPT in the reclaimed Jo Sharp yarn (color: Summer)

3. A new ribby tank for Becky in some old Phildar Licorne (orange and pink striped)

4. A basic raglan out of the ripped Accordion yarn--Hemlock Peace Fleece!

Rogue's side cable

Here's how my nightly knitting schedule goes:

8:00-9:00 pm Work 2 stripes of PIPPI SOCKS
9:00-10:00 pm Work 5 rows of Must Have Cardigan (doing fronts & back combined)
10:00-11:00 pm Work Rogue

So, all my projects are progressing to a point where all I will be doing is finishing from 8-11 pm.

This also means that as soon as I finish my current projects (hopefully before MDS&W) I will allow myself to buy the pattern and yarn for a ski sweater (the blue colorway) from Dale 132.

Click for another view

I finally finished the Everyday Cardigan. It was fun to knit, somewhat mindless, and that was exactly what I needed during the dreary days of January and February.

Now that it is done, it's kind of a let down. I do like it, don't get me wrong. I just keep looking at the few things I'd change if I could. Perhaps, the only way to please me it to knit a sample and then completely knit it again.

Yeah, right. That will never happen.

The few things I would change would be:

1. I would widen the sleeve cuffs. Perhaps I would make them wide enough to flare out slightly.
2. I would make it even longer so it's more like a jacket. For me, there's not much opportunity to wear such a heavy sweater.
3. I would try raglan shaping.
4. I would make the ribbing symmetric. It called for casting on an even number of pattern repeats, when it should have been odd. So, the piece begins with a 2-stitch knit rib and ends with a 2-stitch purl rib. This translates to the front pieces as well. I thought about going back and fixing that when I realized the problem on the first row, but thought I could live with it. Now I am regretting that.

And the moral of the story is: Always go back and fix it!

Added Note: For anybody who is interested:

--When I worked the button bands, I simply followed the rule of "pick up 3 stitches for every 4 instead of the directions.
--For the collar, I didn't follow their suggestions for how many stitches to pick up. I picked up wherever it made sense (to me). I believe I ended up with 10 more stitches than suggested.

Hmmm, not sure about the colors I chose, but they are growing on me. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I did buy another colorway for another pair of Pippi socks (pink, red, orange, yellow or cream) and maybe those colors will excite me more. I'm also knitting this yarn at 7 sts/inch rather than 6.5 sts/inch and it seems okay so far.

I am also experimenting with a jogless round by slipping the first stitch on the second round after a color change. A long time ago, I remember reading about Elizabeth Zimmerman doing her jogless rounds (or is it her daughter Meg Swansen?) by slipping a stitch somewhere. Unfortunately, I can't find where I read this. (I know, Google.)

It seems to be working out nicely, but I'm curious if anyone else has another way?