Wednesday 10 December 2014

SAL Wednesday : Intervention

Tarot of the Magical Forest



I have been absent because I have been feeling very low and dejected, owing to a combination of circumstances - not least of which was completing Mini Diva's Wilde cardigan and being quite unhappy with the result. I might be brave (or resigned) enough to post about it on Friday.

My MIL is our Secret Santa recipient this year, and I determined to make her a gorgeous cardigan. After overcoming such obstacles as picking the color (I took advice from two of my SILs, so I have others to blame if it is wrong) and measurements (again, a devious SIL achieved this - you may admire and envy my foresight, see previous brackets), spending hours searching for exactly the right yarn in terms of weight, color etc to find it and then discover JUST before I clicked the 'buy' button - thank the gods - that it was handwash only .... as I say, all this was overcome, and I selected 9 balls of Sirdar Wool Rich Aran in 'Powder Blue' at what I thought was a really reasonable cost of £43.

So, given the (reasonable yet expensive-for-me) cost of the yarn and for whom it is destined, I spared no effort, and did this:




No, it's OK, I'll wait while you pick your jaw up from the floor.

Yes, it's another swatch. The third in as many months, at least. 

Is it a sign that I am irrevocably doomed to a sensible and unexciting future of being an Engineer rather than an Artiste ? 

Might there be hope for me yet to go back to those freewheeling days of yore when I cared not a snap of my fingers for gauge, where I revelled in the thrill of living right on the Raggedy Edge, when we did not know if something would fit until it was actually Put On.

Oh yes - the swatch results: I got 19 st x 24 rows on 4.5mm needles when the pattern requires 18 st x 28 rows.

What do you mean, did I do another one on different size needles ? 

Are you CRAZY ? 

I'm too busy swigging gin and waiting for you to do an Intervention.





Pop over to Gracey's, to see what else is going on in the mad dash to Christmas .....


7 comments:

  1. I think it's very sensible that you do a swatch - saves a whole load of heartache later on. My mac has suddenly decided not to show me any images today. So I shall just have to imagine the loveliness. Sending (((hugs))))

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  2. I love that Knight of Pentacles!

    And wow. I've never knitted a swatch. Good for you!

    Bottoms up x

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  3. Yep, swatches are a pain, which is why shawls are so fabulous because the gauge doesn't matter :D

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  4. You're a goof ball! LOL. Don't swig too much gin or you might not see straight while knitting.

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  5. Don't drink too much gin now, you might decide that doing another swatch is a great idea. ;)

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  6. Feeling low at this time of year given your year.... yes. Very reasonable. Things will change again. I hope you will write again and keep on knitting and ... well... just breathing in and out. Much support!

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  7. Have to admit, my MIL is the last person I'd like to get the measurements wrong for, so a swatch sounds like the height of good sense :) Hope it goes/went well...

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Thanks ! I love comments :-)