Knitting Foul

Last week, I lost one mitten that I had made. While I still plan on making another one to replace it, I thought I should try Bella’s Mittens.

Quick Disclaimer: I do not endorse Twilight or any related vampire novel.

I always thought they looked really nice and their popularity only made me want to make a pair myself.

Here’s where the problems began:
I wanted to make a shorter version so I looked at others’ modifications. The first time, I chose a modification that started at row 28. This was just a bad time because at first I tried the magic loop method as the pattern suggested. For some people the magic loop method really works but for me it just resulted in dropped stitches that were too tight on the needle or too loose.

Then I decided to go back to the DPNs but still had a hard time making the stitch count work. When I finally finished the cuff, I moved on to the cables which were twisted the wrong. Then at the thumb gusset the stitches got wonky and the pick-ups were out of control.

Blehhhh….

For some super weird reason, I’ve always hated the way 1×1 rib looked so that on top of everything else made me frustrated with the way it turned out! I think there was a period of five minutes where I was ready to rip all the stitches out very viciously. But by then, though, I had gone through the pattern enough times to have figured out exactly how it works and could make it how I wanted with the techniques that I felt comfortable with.

I decided instead to do about an inch of twisted rib and start on Row 40, repeat it once, then continue on in pattern. I think the results turned out much better too:

What was supposed to be a fun, simple project turned into a headache, which completely contradicts the reasons WHY I knit at all. At least now I know how to knit the other mitten and can relax.

Comparisons:

I think it’s because I’ve had a stressful week at school, too, that this just sent me over the edge. Now I just need to let out a big sigh and keep going. Expect a project page soon on Ravelry.

xoxo Jenny

P.S. Yarn = Cascade ECO + bought in NYC.

New York Knitting

At the beginning of December, I went to go visit my best friend who goes to Columbia University in New York City. While I was there I was trying to think what I was going to get as a souvenir for my trip. I had never been before and I was very overwhelmed/awed/inspired/scared/excited to be there and I wanted to remember it somehow.

Now, I’ve always loved Purl Bee and it wasn’t until last summer that I actually realized it was a store too. In New York City no less. Even though my friends don’t knit and probably found it unbelievably boring, I begged and pleaded my way into having them come with me to the store. It was really very beautiful in there. They had yarn and pretty fabric and embroider floss and books. It was pretty obvious how much my excitement outweighed my friends’ enthusiasm, but they sucked it up for me.

My idea was to get yarn in New York City, knit a scarf out of it, and then every time I worked on that scarf and eventually wore it I would be reminded of my trip!

Even though I love knitting so much, I always have a hard time spending any serious money on it. But I gave myself a break this time – I was in New York after all – and bought two skeins of yarn: Cascade Ecological Wool and Eco +. In reality, at about $16 each for 1000 yds all together it actually was a really good deal. No need, then, to feel guilty!

They even wound it for me! Which was very nice, too, considering the sheer yardage.

SO ANYWAY….

I chose an easy scarf pattern that still looked nice. I’ve always been very concerned about reversible patterns for scarves so I chose one that, in this case, looked exactly the same on both sides.

(And as a side note, this yarn is listed as bulky, but it’s definitely some kind of heavy worsted, maybe chunky yarn).

Pattern Name: One Row Handspun Scaft
Ravelry Link

(Posture, posture, posture!)

Thanks for reading!