Hmmm... I've had my Fall 2007 issue of Vogue Knitting for two weeks and I'm still a little nonplussed by their selection of patterns for the season. I realize that this is the 25th anniversary issue and the main focus is depicting the evolution of style and design, not just of knitting but of the magazine itself, but, with the exception of two or three patterns, I'm not really inspired by anything featured in this issue. The patterns that did catch my eye are the Michael Kors cape featured on Page 161, the James Coviello cardi featured on Page 159, and the Mari Lynn Patrick hoodie featured on Page 155. Each of these patterns is unique in its own way and would make a great addition to my wardrobe, but they're not high on my list of projects at the moment. I guess I'm just surprised by the overall blahness of the Fall patterns after such a great Summer 2007 issue -- I'm still copying patterns out of that issue! Still, I guess it's good that I'm not really motivated to make anything from the latest issue, at least not right away. I already have too much going on as it is.

Speaking of which, I volunteered, and was subsequently chosen, to test Stefanie Japel's latest pattern "Petal". This sweater is worked from the top down and has a two-button closure at the neckline. I'm actually pretty excited about this opportunity because I've never tested a pattern before and it's kind of cool to be able to give the designer feedback about a pattern before it gets released to the masses. Plus, it forces me to use some of the yarn in my stash! I wanted to knit the sweater in this inky-blue Elann Peruvian Highland Wool (I think the color is actually called Admiral Blue), but didn't have enough yardage; I ended up using an Antique Blue in the same line. It's not ideal, but at least I'll use up a couple of balls of yarn that have been sitting around for two years.

In other knitting news, Sleeve #2 is almost complete. The increases are done, but I still have a few more rows to work before it's long enough. My goal is to attach the sleeves to the body before the end of the weekend, but we'll see if that actually happens.

The first Pea Pod is moving along nicely. I've worked two 10-row sections of the Leaf Lace pattern and things are really starting to take shape. I've been throwing around some ideas for buttons and am currently leaning towards making bobbles. It seems a practical way to eliminate a choking hazard.

I tend to have the TV on when I knit in the evenings. This summer I've been thoroughly entertained by Season 3 of So You Think You Can Dance. My favorite performance of the season was danced by Sabra and Neil:



Check out these other great performances from Sara and Pasha and Lacey and Danny.

Is it any wonder that I wasn't focusing on the Pea Pod pattern?

I ran into some problems with the Pea Pod cardigan this week. The source of the distress is clearly outlined in my latest post on the Knitty Forums. Once again the knitting community came to my rescue and I've been able to get back on track. As Angela pointed out, the designer's phrasing is a little tricky. I found I had to read through the entire pattern a couple of times before I fully understood how to work the increases. I did find it helpful to look at photos of finished Pea Pods. There are plenty out there, but I found Angela's to be the best because the color of her set is so vibrant and the stitches so well-defined. Check out some of her earlier Pea Pod posts as well.

With all of this fuss over the Pea Pod, Sleeve #2 of the Ariann cardigan has seen no action. I'm thinking I might make this a weekend project because it's too finicky to work on during the week. Hmmm... I just realized that last comment made no sense whatsoever given that the Pea Pod cardigan has some intricate lace detail. Whatever. The point is that my timeline for completing the Ariann cardigan will need to be revised given my obsession with the new project. I was originally aiming to have Ariann done by the end of August, but I figure I'm now looking at a completion date of mid- to late September. That's what I get for starting another project with one still on the needles. So much knitting, so little time.

I've been more than a little distracted this week thanks to all the stuff that has been going on in my personal life so it hasn't been a great week for knitting.

The Good News
Sleeve #2 of the Ariann cardigan is back on the needles! Yes, after last weekend's frogging/ yarn unkinking episode everything is progressing very nicely. I'm not anticipating any more problems for the next 75 rows. I'm sure things will get interesting when it comes time to attach the sleeves to the body, though.

The Bad News
Silly me. In the midst of all of my turmoil I decided to start work on the Pea Pod Baby Set. For those not familiar with this pattern, it incorporates a little bit of lacework, so it's kind of important to pay attention to those charts. Amazing how you can miss a detail like that when you're lost in thought. To make a long story short, I had to frog through about eight 127-stitch rows once I realized my mistake. That was truly more painful than frogging Sleeve #2.

I'm taking a well-deserved break from the Ariann cardigan this weekend. For those unfamiliar with my trials and tribulations associated with certain portions of this pattern, my angst is partially documented here.

Well, after about a month of never-ending frustration, Sleeve #1 is finally done and ready to be attached to the body. The piece that is now being considered Sleeve #2 was actually worked before Sleeve #1. In other words, it was done before I fully understood the pattern and now a prime candidate for frogging. Of course, given that the wool had already been worked and reworked a couple of times (thanks to the initial issue with the provisional cast-on) it was in serious need of some TLC. Surprisingly, Debbie Stoller's Stitch n' Bitch was very informative on the subject of unkinking yarn. I followed these steps:

1) Take the unraveled yarn and wind it into a hank. Use scrap yarn to secure the hank in at least three places
2) Fill the sink with warm water and a little bit of soap (I used Woolite). Immerse the hank(s) and swish them them around a little (I also let mine sit in the water for about five minutes)
3) Rinse the hank(s) and hang to dry (Debbie recommends attaching some kind of weight to the bottom the the hank to stretch out any additional kinks -- I used a Rubix cube)
4) Wind the hank into a ball when dry

Done. The entire process took about 24 hours and couldn't have been easier. I now have a usable ball of wool for Sleeve #2, which will be picked up again once the swatch for the Pea Pod Baby Set is finished.

Today's lesson in a nutshell: Yarn is like a computer -- sometimes the memory needs to be purged to ensure optimal performance.

Someone recently asked me if I had a blog. Given that blogs are a way of life in the knitting community, I was ashamed to admit that my blog has been defunct for about two years. In my defense, though, I have been firmly adhering to my principles as a serial hobbyist by not finishing what I start.

Anyway, I have had thoughts about starting up the blog again, although this time around I'm thinking that I might skew it more towards knitting and leave all of the other stuff out of the equation. I've grown so much as a knitter over the last two years that I should probably document more of my experiences in this area. It will be interesting to see how long this motivation lasts.