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Thursday, July 19, 2018

Knitting Challenge

I learned to knit in April of 2017, so of course I decided it was time to tackle my first sweater. Mostly this decision was made because I fell in love with a pattern and wanted to try it, however, the yarn the pattern calls for cost more than $100 and there was no way this could be my first project. It was a top down, seamless sweater and since there was an online class for a top down, seamless sweater, I signed up for that and bought much cheaper yarn.

My first hurdle was swatching. This is where a knitter tries to see if their stitches per inch matches what the pattern requires. The pattern for the online class wanted it washed and dried the same way I'd wash and dry the sweater, so I made one large swatch and tested out the size knitting needle called for, one smaller, and one larger.

I finished this after laundry day and I waited an entire week for the next load of clothes. I came out spot-on for gauge, BTW, which I almost never do. (The picture is of my swatch.)


With the size needle I needed settled, I opened my pattern and prepared to knit. Only to discover I needed a 16 inch circular needle to cast on. Guess what I don't own? The disappointment was major.

Now I'm on hold while I wait for the necessary needles to arrive. I'm impatient, not only because I want to start my first sweater ever, but also because I don't want to start another project and have to put it aside, so no knitting for the past couple of weeks. :-( I suppose I could have worked on a couple of projects I had hibernating, but I didn't feel like it.

Come on, needles! I need to cast on!