I did it. I finally launched into knitting my spring’s grace cardigan.
I decided to ignore my gauging troubles from last week and try it with my smaller needle. I’m okay with a little extra room in the cardigan (is what I’m saying now). *
The pattern, from Jane Richmond‘s Island, is clear although because most of my knitting happens close to midnight – after kids’ bedtime, blogging, and clean-up – I’m a bit of a dunce about following the pattern properly. I keep missing yarn overs so I’m counting and recounting. Hoping I get into the swing of it and can stop staring quite so closely at the espresso wool! Despite my slow learning curve, the lace looks beautiful. I am excited to see more of it come together.
While I was fumbling to keep track of my stitch count on the grace, I took a break to choose and sew on buttons for two of the little sweaters which had been awaiting them. As fortune would have it I have a friend who is easily distracted by buttons so I threw my button jar at her and she helped me find some combos that work. The in threes I began at some forgotten time, and the smoky pebble I recently finished have buttons! Two pebble vests remain on the shelf but the buttons for those are ready and waiting also.
It feels so good to get that finishing work done! I put it off for so long but it is rewarding when I get there.
I sped through the rest of The Midwife (known as Call the Midwife outside of North America). It was wonderful (as I wrote here last week). Now I’m waiting to get my hands on the second book in the trilogy! In the meantime I went searching through my bookshelf before settling on a tried and true friend, Northanger Abbey. I scanned the first few lines in a couple of books but it was good old Jane Austen that grabbed me.
Now the sun is shining, the kids are playing, there’s still popcorn in the pot, and I’ve got itchy fingers ready for knitting.
*Ack!! I got some gauge advice from sweet Rebecca of nook and it looks like I’ve got to try another swatch or I’ll be knitting a behemoth of a sweater. My fingers are less itchy for that…especially if it means I’m starting this sweater over. *sob* I think I’ll be adding some chocolate to my snack…
::
How are you for finishing projects? Want to come help with mine? I’d love to hear what you’re crafting and/or reading these days!
:: joining Ginny for yarn along ::
I’m finishing up a classic and your Austen book sounds like it should be on my to read list. I hope your gauge is fine and all is well. Get that chocolate out just in case.
Oh, I’ve never read Northanger Abbey! I’ll have to put it on my (ever-growing) list. I always do gauge swatches reluctantly, but they seem to be worth it in the end… Good luck with it – and if nothing else, you’ll already have the hang of that lace pattern next time around, right? 🙂
I haven’t read Call the midwife books, but have seen the first season of the series – and I loved it!! You have to see it 🙂
Grace is beautiful. I might have to knit it someday 😉
yes! i’m certain you don’t need a behemoth of a sweater. so worth the time to swatch again!
That yarn is a wonderful chocolaty color, Do you find it hard to knit so late? I’m terrible at dark colors in the evening. Love the stitch marker!
AKKK! Hang in there… chocolate will definitely help!
it’s totally going to be worth your re-swatching.. i promise you xoxoxo but chocolate is a very very good thing too. xoxox… i think it’s time i picked up a good book again 😉 xo
oh no! swatches! well, i hope you can get it right so you can enjoy the knitting. lol
i agree with Erin: chocolate
That reminds me I should really check the gauge on the cardigan I am knitting. The one I didn’t do a swatch for… ahem… I might need some chocolate too!
I’m just watching the second season of Call the Midwife here, and I read one or two of the books last year. Makes me glad that I wasn’t around having babies in the fifties..!!
oh no, start over? sorry! it’ll be worth it though, i’m sure!
i saw the movie “call the midwife” is available on netflix, i wonder if it’s any good or if i should rather read the book.
enjoy the rest of your week!
i tend to make things too big, it’s not the gauge, i like roomy clothes (sometimes i overdo it though!) good luck, you’ll get it!
i have been confused about the midwife, the different names and all the books. so it’s a triolgy? thank you!
Okay – first, I love the yarn, and the pattern. You really do love Jane Richmond, don’t you? 🙂
Second – is that bowl Butterprint? I have some here I picked up at flea markets here and there, but I’ve never found the bowls. (I have my mother’s old bowls, but they’re not the prettiest pattern.) Such loveliness you have there… xo
Yay for starting your Grace sweater! I know it’s going to look great on you. 🙂
NORTHANGER ABBEY! I loved that book when I listened to it. It’s number three in my list of favorite Austen novels. P & P (of course!) is number one with Persuasion following behind.
Like Meghann, I noticed your Pyrex bowl, too. I ‘inherited’ my set of the vintage bowls from my husband, Matt’s, grandmother and would not part with them for the world. I use them all of the time.
That dratted gauge will get you every time 😉 I do love the espresso yarn. Such a yummy color. I hope you don’t have to start over. I’m sure if you add the chocolate, everything will work out just fine.
What a beautiful colour of wool. Haven’t seen the pattern but I’m sure it will look great on you. Better to gauge now than later especially if it ends up being way too big. Mmm chocolate – tiny nibbles can’t be all that bad! How’s your finger?
[…] and neighbour who saved me three times in one day – delivering new needles for my now-frogged sweater, the missing pepper for our chili, and later, the eggs I’d neglected to account for – […]
[…] stayed focused on my main project – the grace cardigan. The troubles I feared in my last knitty post were not unfounded. I had to shrink my needles down two sizes to get gauge and frog what I had […]