I'm kicking ass in Master's Land. I have six swatches done with references noted. I've written out long explanations on how to seam the swatches up and they are set for editing. I always write more than I have to and later take out the silly parts. I have learned that I love the mattress stitch and really enjoy sewing up seams. Any kind of seams. I guess being a seamstress in real life I should have guessed that. The perfection of a well done mattress stitch, especially with the purl side up, gives me a little tingle.
Here's my problem though. You knew there would be a problem, right? The vest. Damn. I decided to start working on the required vest because it is bitterly cold outside and I could stand a mass of wool on my lap right now. By the time I finish this whole thing I know it's going to be summer and I don't want to sweat all over everything. I believe that is not allowed anyway. No heathered yarn, no tweed yarn, everything labeled and no sweat. I'm to the point in the swatches where I want to stop for awhile anyway and I already had some yarn for the vest so it was all a go for me. I had my pattern set, my favorite wooden tipped needles set, my yarn in a nice bag and.....oh, hell....I had 5 balls of Rowan Felted Tweed in a lovely soft gray and I couldn't use it. I had read the instructions again and yeah...only knit in plain, smooth wool, please. Damn. I emailed my contact just for the heck of it but no...she was nice about it but no. The stitches needed to be seen clearly without any slubs or heathers in the way. It was back to the drawing board for me and the vest.
Here's my problem though. You knew there would be a problem, right? The vest. Damn. I decided to start working on the required vest because it is bitterly cold outside and I could stand a mass of wool on my lap right now. By the time I finish this whole thing I know it's going to be summer and I don't want to sweat all over everything. I believe that is not allowed anyway. No heathered yarn, no tweed yarn, everything labeled and no sweat. I'm to the point in the swatches where I want to stop for awhile anyway and I already had some yarn for the vest so it was all a go for me. I had my pattern set, my favorite wooden tipped needles set, my yarn in a nice bag and.....oh, hell....I had 5 balls of Rowan Felted Tweed in a lovely soft gray and I couldn't use it. I had read the instructions again and yeah...only knit in plain, smooth wool, please. Damn. I emailed my contact just for the heck of it but no...she was nice about it but no. The stitches needed to be seen clearly without any slubs or heathers in the way. It was back to the drawing board for me and the vest.
The requirements for the vest are seamed sides and a V or U shaped neck that has picked up ribbing. It's not that easy to find and I'm not up for taking a seamless vest pattern and trying to make it work. I'm also not up for designing my own pattern. Yet. That comes in Level 3. Another problem? I don't wear vests. I am not a vest person and I hate like crazy to knit something that nobody can wear. However, hubby is a vest person and has quite a few. He suffers in the cold of winter as much as I do in the summer from the wicked heat and usually wears a vest to work every day. Aha! Make a vest for him! I searched Ravelry and found the beautiful Dr. G's Memory Vest. Perfect. I just needed new yarn. Smooth yarn. So I took myself off to my favorite yarn store.
You know, some days it just doesn't pay to leave the house. I wanted that new yarn, I needed that new yarn but it was such a struggle to find a light gray yarn that wasn't heathered or tweeded that I almost had my mind made up to forget the whole thing and come back another day when I wasn't so manic about yarn. Seems all I had to say to the gal helping me was 'Master's Program' when some other customer popped up right in my face to tell ME all about knitting the Master's Level 1. She never took a breath during her long dissertation on swatching and the other requirements of the program. Why I am so polite sometimes is beyond me. I could have just interrupted her to stop the torrent of words but I stood there watching her mouth open and close as she listed off the swatches one by one wishing I could just smack her upside the head and tell her to shut up. And go away. I ended up buying some yarn but I fear it is too dark of a gray. I just couldn't concentrate anymore with Talky McTalkerson's voice in my head. I had to leave her and her noise of words still bouncing off the walls of the yarn shop.
I got home and promptly wound my yarn. I started the vest. I ripped it out because I had started with the wrong needle size. I began again and it seemed to be going along pretty good. I loved the cables and hubby loved the cables. I love my wooden tipped needles and the vest was motoring along when it dawned on me to maybe measure the thing. Oh. It's going to be too small. Damn it all to hell. I had measured him, thought I knew what gauge I get on Cascade 220 and just started in. I'm a dunce sometimes but I'm blaming the whole thing on Talky McTalkerson. I feel as though she spun me in a circle and twirled up my brain. The vest is still on the needles and taking a little time out while I knit more swatches, seam them up, and think of what to do. Do I knit it on bigger needles? Do I knit a larger size? How many times will I have to rip it out and start over? Will I kick it into a corner, stomp on it and then put a chair over it? Hard to say. It's Monday and I'm starting over.
You know, some days it just doesn't pay to leave the house. I wanted that new yarn, I needed that new yarn but it was such a struggle to find a light gray yarn that wasn't heathered or tweeded that I almost had my mind made up to forget the whole thing and come back another day when I wasn't so manic about yarn. Seems all I had to say to the gal helping me was 'Master's Program' when some other customer popped up right in my face to tell ME all about knitting the Master's Level 1. She never took a breath during her long dissertation on swatching and the other requirements of the program. Why I am so polite sometimes is beyond me. I could have just interrupted her to stop the torrent of words but I stood there watching her mouth open and close as she listed off the swatches one by one wishing I could just smack her upside the head and tell her to shut up. And go away. I ended up buying some yarn but I fear it is too dark of a gray. I just couldn't concentrate anymore with Talky McTalkerson's voice in my head. I had to leave her and her noise of words still bouncing off the walls of the yarn shop.
I got home and promptly wound my yarn. I started the vest. I ripped it out because I had started with the wrong needle size. I began again and it seemed to be going along pretty good. I loved the cables and hubby loved the cables. I love my wooden tipped needles and the vest was motoring along when it dawned on me to maybe measure the thing. Oh. It's going to be too small. Damn it all to hell. I had measured him, thought I knew what gauge I get on Cascade 220 and just started in. I'm a dunce sometimes but I'm blaming the whole thing on Talky McTalkerson. I feel as though she spun me in a circle and twirled up my brain. The vest is still on the needles and taking a little time out while I knit more swatches, seam them up, and think of what to do. Do I knit it on bigger needles? Do I knit a larger size? How many times will I have to rip it out and start over? Will I kick it into a corner, stomp on it and then put a chair over it? Hard to say. It's Monday and I'm starting over.
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