Adventures of a Desi KnitterAn academic juggles knitting, sewing, and other crafts in Kolkata

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§ April 5th, 2007 § Filed under Lace work § 5 Comments

I have frogged so much in the last few days that I could croak. Seriously. I decided to take a chunky wool skein and make a quick version of the Odessa hat with fewer stitches because I wanted to send a friend a gift, and I had to frog the whole thing no less than thrice. Once because I cast on too few, once cause it got too big (yes, I did swatch) and once because I twisted the join. Who does that, ever? Like anybody ever reads the pattern instructions every time there’s a circular join: "join, taking care not to twist the stitches." Evidently, I needed to this time.

(Aside: But these instructions are like the ones for cables: "slip x stitches to cable needle, knit y stitches, knit x from cable needle." I have never used a cable needle ever, and am convinced that the idea of cable needles was invented to make writing instructions easier. Otherwise we’d be reading something like "Now slip the first two off the needle, suddenly pucker up your knitting so as to not cause them to run, hold them with the base of left thumb, try to shove the right needle into the third stitch at the same time, put them all back on to the needle…" you get the idea.)

Anyhow, I used Elann Highland Chunky for this so-called quick project, and finally gave up. This yarn looks all soft and friendly but is really rough to work with! My hands really burnt after a few rounds; I’ve never had that happen with a yarn, not even Red Heart. Needless to say, no chunky Odessa. This thing will someday be felted. (like some life sentence!)

Also, I have frogged the Jaywalker sock several times too, and I’m barely past the heel. I don’t know what it is. I first made the foot too long. Then I tried to do one of those toe-up heel flap things and messed up a couple of times. Then I forgot to continue the pattern all around the cuff. Now I’ve realised that I forgot to increased stitches after the heel and I might have to frog yet again. It’s sitting in disgrace in my basket. It goes without being photographed.

But Malabrigo is much more well-behaved. Here’s the progress on my North Sea Shawl. I’ve done twelve repeats and will most likely do three more, before I start the center portion. Then it’s another 15 repeats done separately and the two pieces grafted together. I cannot *wait* to finish it.