Sweater Update

After letting the Tangled Yoke sweater relax overnight, and myself too, the fit had improved!  I've given up trying to understand the whims of The Harsh Mistresses Gauge and Wool and just go with it.  There's the usual yoke sweater excess at the underarm but not a big bubble like the first night.  The fit is generally great, and I'll be able to steam out the few remaining bubbles under the cable.

I've been really sick so have no photos.  Tomorrow I'm hoping to sew the steek* and insert the placket.  I'll try to take photos of the process.  I started trying to sew tonight with grey thread on blue tweed wool and it just wasn't working.

*Steek: A slit cut in a column of knitting to insert a sleeve or to create a cardigan opening.  Lines of machine stitching can be sewn on either side of the slit to prevent raveling.  I'm inserting a henley placket via this method.

Sweater Failure

I was 98% finished with the Tangled Yoke sweater, tried it on (again) and realized that it's a total failure a mess up top.  The cable turned out ok but the fit of the yoke is poor and not something I can fix without major surgery.  There's a bubble of extra fabric above each underarm, more than is typical for a yoke sweater.  Adding a few decreases, a la raglan sweaters, would probably eliminate that.

I'm very upset that a designer's bad choice messed up something I've been working on since June.  I took many measurements of myself and my favorite sweaters, compared them against the stitch counts and schematic, and thought I had a winner.

I'll try to post photos tomorrow of the problem spots.  Even the magazine photos show the excess fabric at underarm:

interweavestore.com

The gathering under the cables:

yarnwidower.blogspot.com

The Cable is Vanquished!

I win I win I win I win :D  Sure it took me two tries, but that's the beauty of yarn.  You make a knitting mistake and it's completely reparable.  Now I just need to finish the bit above the shoulders, and the finishing-up, and the sweater she is done.  More of the Tangled Yoke saga.

The center back, where things went wrong terribly wrong the first time

I apologize for the terrible photo, it's dark.  And one of the cats tried to stand in the light.

I thought I'd share a super quick and easy "dinner".  It's also a side dish if you have higher aspirations than me.

Easy Yummy Lentils

1 cup lentils

1 smallish onion, cut into 10-12 wedges

1/2 tsp salt

dash cayenne pepper, if desired

Pop the lentils and onion wedges into a small pot and just cover with water (approx 3 cups).  Bring to a simmer and add the salt and cayenne.  Cover and cook, still simmering, for 20 minutes until the lentils are cooked through but still firm.  Serve hot or cold, seasoning to taste with more salt.  We add some salt during cooking so the lentils aren't bland, but too much salt (i.e., enough) and legumes won't soften.  One of those fun food chemistry facts :)

Knitting Mishaps

It's not been the best week here.  I was very excited to finish the cable on the Tangled Yoke sweater.  Then I realized that I'd somehow lost 2 stitches early on in a crucial place, so the entire center back was off center.  The only way to fix it was to rip out most of my work and reknit it.  I considered undoing a portion, enough to add back the stitches, but 1) lots of work and 2) finding the mistake isn't easy.  The sweater is in time out for now.

My hands and arms are very sore from arthritis and I need a new rheumatologist.  This one isn't concerned that osteoarthritis is destroying my hands, my last functional part.  Also my elbows, wrists, toes..  Insurance changes are afoot in the next few months, and then I'll be able to see a couple rheumatologists who specialize in connective tissue disorders, which is me!

Mostly I'm tired, hurting, lonely, and dating has just been another source of unpleasantness.  I'd rather find out the guy turns nasty before meeting, but it still hurts.

Let's Yarn Bomb a House!

What would it look like, you may wonder, if someone did yarn bomb a house?  A little like this:

capitolhillseattle.com

I was walking to the grocery store on Fri night, past an abandoned house/store, and was amazed to see it almost covered with knitted goodness!  I went by today and even the porch roof and gable were bombed.  It is truly amazing.  The exhibit will be up for 2 months so I'll have to stop by during daylight and get some photos.

I love my neighborhood!

They have a Facebook page