Yeah, that was pretty awful. No, I’m not going to apologize.
So we are officially into crazy land, where I am actively knitting two cardigans at the same time. I’ll talk about Larch first, because there’s not too much to talk about. I cast on for the first sleeve last Monday and have been working away on that. Right now I’ve got about five more increase rounds to go, and my sleeve (when it’s not rolling up) measures about 10½”, so I’m over halfway to starting the sleeve cap.
I have this dream that I’m going to finish the sleeve by the end of the long weekend. Under normal circumstances that would be totally doable, except for this little thing called Delancey.
My yarn (Berroco Vintage DK; I’m on a Berroco kick with these two cardigans) arrived on Monday, and I walked over to my friend’s house to pick up my yarn (we’d gone in on the order together to save on shipping and to better qualify for the fantastic WEBS discounts). I swatched that night, and was surprised that I had to go up to the size 8s—again, my gauge falls to the looser side, so I usually go down a needle size at first. But this yarn is slightly lighter than the yarn called for in the pattern (Vintage DK gets 144 yards to 50 grams as opposed to Knit Picks Capra’s 123 yards to 50 grams), so I’m guessing that’s why I needed bigger needles than I expected. After washing, my stitch gauge is spot on, while my row gauge is a little bit off (my guage is 24½ rows versus the 26½ rows the pattern calls for).
This is a pattern that counts by rows, so one would think you’d want your row gauge spot on, but I am knitting this cardigan in size about 3″ too small for my bust and the fabric is knit on the bias, so the fact that my rows are coming out a big longer than gauge will actually work in my favor.
Being that I was a little over a week behind when I got my yarn, I thought it would take me a little while to catch up to Allyson’s Knitalong. I underestimated my insanity. I cast on for the cardigan Tuesday night, and by Thursday I was joining the two panels together and closing in on the first week’s goal (row 58, for those following along at home). This week’s goal was to get to row 108, and I’m at row 76 as of this blog post, so I’m thinking I will be caught up in no time. And that makes me happy, as I’ll feel more like I can balance knitting Larch sleeves and Delancey parts and don’t have to frantically stay on top of one more than the other.
I’d really love to finish my Larch sleeves by the end of next weekend, so they can block and dry while I start to work on the edging and then concentrate fully on Delancey, but I’ve also been having little twinges in my left wrist (which makes no sense to me, because I’m a thrower, not a picker, so I use mostly use my right hand). I have found that if I rest it enough—say, knit for 2 episodes of Community on DVD, sit and rest for 1—the twinges are much less prominent or non-existent.
Also, the next person who looks at me with pity and “informs” me that English knitters are slow is going to get laughed at. (It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.)
*blinks* English knitting, slow? Really? If that’s true, than I shudder to think how fast I’d be, knitting Continental lol. BS if you ask me. You know how quickly I go through my projects 😉
Love the colors you picked for your cardi’s
English, or right-handed knitting, is technically slower than Continental, or left-handed knitting. The motions for left-handed knitting are more economical and efficient than the way I knit—when I do knit left-handed, I do knit even faster, but it feels awkward and unnatural for me, so I keep going back to my right hand (but it’s very useful to be able to do both for colorwork projects).
I think I tried to learn Continental once, a few years ago, and it just never took. Like you said, it feels so unnatural. I might go back and try it again, for colorwork purposes, as I do want to learn to do those, too. But seriously, if I knit any faster… *eyes stash* I think hubby might kill me lol
They are both going to be fantastic–I can’t wait to see the FOs!
Neither can I! I need some house elves to come and knit them for me. I won’t give them clothes, I promise! 😉
Fair warning: I may try to stuff your finished Delancey down my shirt.
I will cut you.
LOL!
I too was going to state that I wanted them both, but then I saw that you are in the business of “cutting”, so I will just say both are looking fantastic!
Heh, Laura’s in my knitting group, this is just how we talk to each other. 😉 But I will still fend off sweater thieves with sharp needles!
At one point I had a badly-placed bandaid that meant I had to switch to Continental. It was torture, and I found it so much slower!
Back to English knitting while watching British comedies on PBS!!
Knitting in the round in Continental is pretty fast for me, once I get into the swing of things, but so awkward feeling. Thankfully we have two hands and many choices as to how to hold our yarns! 😀 British comedies are win! I watched the first season of the IT Crowd not too long ago.
Woohoo! You rock. I’m almost to where we bind of the neck stitches, I am SO excited! I am like “yeaaah, making progress, go me!” Look at you though. I’m excited to get to the sleeves – stockinette in the round yes please! Also, I am in love with the colors you chose for the delancey. Grey and yellow are AMAZING together, and I like how yours is very golden. I want to knit the delancey too but I can’t decide on colors at all.
I was stoked when I got to the neck shaping portion–It’s practically a REAL SWEATER at that point! Minus the sleeves, and the neckband and all that stuff. 😀 I’m starting the sleeve cap of the first sleeve. I think I may be crazy for thinking I can finish both sleeves this week, but stranger things have happened. Thanks for the kind words on my Delancey! It’s a really fun knit. I get really excited when I get to the stripey bits! 😀