So, this is basically an ill-conceived project on several different fronts, and I don’t think I’m going to like the results, but I’m committed. I started by deciding to use size 3 needles, mostly because I have DPNs in that size that are six inches long, rather than 4 inches long. I also decided that since the pattern was a bit unspecific about the weight of the yarn, I could use this rather nice cobweb weight cashmere/wool/synthetic blend of which I have 4,000 yards, which is enough to complete the pattern. My rationalizations for this involved the idea that it will make it ever so translucent, like a stained glass window, the pattern maker said that she knits very loosely, and they were the materials I have on hand, and how bad can it be? Well, I guess we’ll find out. One of my quirks is that I can’t not finish things, and that I only work on one thing at a time. This is not a choice, it’s brain weirdness. If I don’t finish something, I can’t move onto the next thing. So, I’m stuck with this.
I had forgotten how very, very, very much I hate DPNs. I like the Emily Ocker cast-on method rather well. However, I found the first row to be just entirely too much, so after many, many attempts (The Process is in fine form, dear gods, such fine form) I cast on 16 stitches instead of 8. Which, you know, worked, I think? Maybe?
I lost count of how many times I started over. Upwards of 15, possibly less than 30, but I don’t really know. Also, I keep on making mistakes, some of which I am willing to correct, others of which I just can’t even.
As I said, Mistakes Were Made. Mostly by me.
I will also say that while the pattern is comprehensible, it would not have been to me a year or two ago. It’s a bit…spare, and assumes a level of knowledge I have only recently gained.
I just finished row 40. It looks…well, like tangled yarn. The yarn overs seem very, very big. I am worried. Nevertheless, Excelsior!
04-17-2019
I moved to circulars at row 70, and instantly felt better about the project. It was almost too soon, but I managed. And oh, how I’d missed my lace point Chiagoos! I’m now at row 105, but snagged the work on a zipper, and there’s this huge loop that got pulled, and I can’t seem to massage it back. Arghhh!
The color is pretty. It’s going to be really too lacy, I think, but whatevs. All praise the circulars!
05-20-2019
Ok, I am nearly done with Chart 4. I have three rows of simple knit, (bad math, 2,880 stitches) then a transition row, then chart 5. So, well done, me. Then I have to fix the huge snags that I managed to get by taking the work out of the work bag but getting caught on the zipper. Not once, not twice, but three times I managed this. Gods, I“m clever. (I have since bought a simple muslin draw string bag to keep the work in. Which goes inside the zippered knitting bag, which also has All The Things. And I do mean all. Needles, stitch markers, crochet hooks, measuring tape, allergy medicine, a tiny hairbrush, hair sticks, 3 types of analgesics, and So Much More. Seriously, if the apocalypse comes, I’m grabbing my knit bag. It’s actually a go bag with knitting.)
05-30-2019
Yeah, I’m in chart 5, and today I have torn out six rows (6528 stitches), which took about a week to knit, because one of the symbols on the chart was not identified, and I guessed wrong. So, now I’m pretty sure it means “knit front and back” and not “slip stitch” but oh, lords, what a damn mess. I have significantly more yarn than I need for this project, and after a brief moment of frustration, I just cut away the tangled, previously knit yarn, and spliced it to the the skein. Because, honestly, I had just spent an hour getting the work back on my needles and was not up for another two or three hours of untangling.
Excelsior.
Did I mention that Mistakes Were Made?
06-08-2019
That’s a wrap, people. I even managed to deal with three snags, including one absolutely enormous one. The trick, of course, is to follow the path of the thread IN ONLY ONE DIRECTION! For a while, I was just pulling the snag back and forth. In my defense, lace is confusing.
I also want to add a shout-out to the designer, fuzzylover, who responded almost immediately to my query about the symbol in the chart that I misread, and confirmed that it should be a kfb, not a slipped stitch, so that when I got back to that row, it all went very smoothly. Thank you again, denise!
We’ll see how this blocks up. There’s at least one dropped stitch which is really fucking obvious, but there’s no real way to fix it. That I know of. But, well, proves that it’s handmade, right? Right?
It really is a lovely pattern. Mistakes were made, but it was worth it.
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