New Project Alert

Kathleen-
Well the weather didn't cooperate with my desire to take modeled pictures of the shawl. Once again it was gray and snowy all day long, and I had no desire to leave my apartment. So more pictures will have to wait.

In celebration of the finishing of the epic lace project, I spent a good part of the weekend swatching. First I swatched for A Cardigan for Arwen. I was very good and even washed and blocked my swatch so that I would have a good comparison.

While that swatch was drying, it really looked like it wasn't going to make gauge, so in frustration I decided to swatch for Elizabeth as long as I was at it. I started on 4s, as I habitually go up a needle size due to my super tight knitting, but almost immediately it was clear it was too big, so I dropped back down to 3s. This is going to be a challenge- it's a tight gauge on 3s, and with the cotton content of the yarn, there's not a lot of stretch and forgiveness. That swatch is still drying, so I don't know yet whether the 3s were a good decision. I've thought about going back to 4s and making a size down from what I was planning. That might require the dreaded math though.

Once the first swatch was thoroughly dry, I carefully pinned and counted several times, and decided that I could use the recommended size 8 needles, which never happens to me. I'm about a half stitch off over 4 inches on both swatches, but I went up a needle size and no dice, so I think I'll go with it. I'll just be extra careful, especially with length, to make sure I get a sweater that fits. So last night once I collapsed from packing, I cast on for A Cardigan for Arwen. I'm just to the turning row for the hem in the back, but I love the yarn, and I can't wait. The back is pretty much a boring rectangle, and what I'm really craving are the cabled fronts, so I may cheat and start a front before I finish the back.

I still need to retrieve a needle from J to work on the mittens, so no progress there either.

So there is my text heavy post. I'll try and get some photos tonight so that I can at least enliven my post with pictures tomorrow!