Back to original colors.
Almost caught up with what I had to rip back on the capelet. Went to Woodland Woolworks to pick some longer needles for the project and ended up spending an additonal $50 on yarn. You can never have enough yarn.
Happy Halloween, to those that celebrate it. Out here in the country we don’t get any trick or treaters so it’s a quiet night for us.
And finally, Ernest Hemingway wrote a short story in six words (”For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”), which he called his best work. Wired magazine asked a group of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror writers to give it a try. Some are *very* good. Very Short Stories
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What did I say about the worst that can happen?
My contact at KnitPicks got back to me today and K2tog,K2,L1,K2 has been shown to me to be 7 stitches. L1 is actually (Lift1,K1).
Soo… I get to rip back about 3-4 inches to the 1×1 ribbing and start again. Luckily it is an easy pattern overall and I should make up the ripped stitches pretty quickly.
Ain’t knitting fun??? 
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Two inches into the body of the Kilkenny Capelet, I started an increase row. Two stitch increase for each pattern repeat. Counted stitches when complete. 113. Crap… Pattern says I should be at 109. Try to figure where I went wrong. Give up and rip back to 1×1 ribbing. Start again.
Two inches back into body of capelet, counting stitches religiously. Increase row. 113 stitches.
Ok, something is wrong here. Carefully read pattern.
Hmm..? Pattern repeat says it should be 7 stitches + 1. But… K2tog, K2, L1, K2, repeat is only 6 stitches (L1 is a lifted stitch). Hmm?? Look at pattern again.
Cast on is 84+1. 84/6 = 14 repeats. Two increases per repeat = 28 increased stitches. 85+28 = 113 stitches.
Please tell me I’m reading this right (I know I am). Sent email to KnitPicks, but I don’t expect to hear from anybody until Monday. In the meantime, I’m going to assume I’m right and continue on. What’s the worst that can happen? I have to rip back two or three inches of work? Sigh…
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Yarn arrived yesterday and I was able to cast on and start the project this morning.
All kinds of new stuff to learn, including a new cast on. The project required a Tubular Cast On and I’ve never done one before. Thanks to Google I found a number of sites with instructions including this one which used a ‘Double Knitting’ technique that I wanted to try. Ended up with a nice round edge and a double fabric. So far I’m just working on a 1×1 rib for about 4 inches until I start the body of the capelet. Not very exciting so far, but here it is.
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I’ve yet to find anybody online selling these things, so I’ve recreated it. Not an exact duplicate, but it fits nicely into the bumper sticker template for cafepress and probably other online sticker makers.
I’m considering making some up to hand out, but in the meantime here it is to use as you see fit. Graphic linked to full sized file.
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or at least a good Saturday.
I spent the day volunteering at a steam powered sawmill. The head rig was built in the 1930’s. I managed to get myself volunteered to help the head sawyer on the main platform and rode the log carriage a few times for the first couple of passes of the log passed the saw blade. Quite a rush to be riding 16 to 24 inches from a fast spinning saw blade, with wood chips and sawdust flying in the air.
Still waiting on yarn and pattern for the work I’m contracted to for KnitPicks. I’m *really* hoping that stuff shows up early next week, because I only have until November 24 to finish it and I’m one of the worlds slowest knitters. And in the meantime, I’ve put everything else on hold. I really want this project to work out. Not only because I’ll be paid money to finish, but as a challenge to myself to finish a project under a schedule.
And finally, a new bumper sticker for my truck. Thanks Lisa…
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I just had to believe…
Ends still need to be woven in, but since I hate finishing, that will probably wait until I find it’s new owner.
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Oh my dog… Two posts in one day.
Thanks to itchy little fingers for the pointer
A book every male knitter should own, if only for the cover picture.
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Working on the multidirectional scarf and I wasn’t liking how it was finishing. The ends weren’t going to finish as mirror images of each other.
Barbara P pointed out another version that seemed to address that issue, but….
If I read the pattern correctly, it looks like the decreases all occur on one side – that is decrease, knit to center, ssk the two center stitches, turn and knit back, repeat. But my common sense says that the decreases should happen at both sides of the scarf.
Anybody tried this alternate ending? Anybody want to give their opinion?
On another knitting subject, I signed my first contract with KnitPicks to knit up the ‘Kilkenny Capelet’. And I even get paid if I finish it on time. I’m big time now… 
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Eileen and the boyfriend left yesterday for eastern Oregon leaving me with the nursery watering and animal feeding. My attitude is much better than the last time they headed east.
I was going to post a picture of the multidirectional scarf this evening, but I’m so close to finishing it, I think I’ll wait a couple of days until it’s through. Not completely happy with the way it’s finishing, but I’ll finish it as the pattern says.
It’s been a busy week at work, but I was off today and headed out to find a couple more geocaches. First one included a short bike ride and nearly 1/2 hour of searching when I got to the spot the GPS said the cache was located. I must have past the cache at least 1/2 dozen times before I noticed the unnatural pile of sticks that hid the ammo can containing the cache. Strangely, the second cache was much easier to find, even though it was only a 35mm film container. Then dinner in Portland and home to feed animals and a new DVD of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.
AND I’ve accepted my first assignment as a test knitter for KnitPicks. A capelet in their Shamrock Yarn. And I’ll find out how I work under a deadline. The capelet needs to be in their offices by November 24. Wish me luck…
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