Hello darling. I finished a lovely sweater. Yay!!! I knit it a full size too small. Boo!!! I have already waxed poetic about the Calliope Sweater, by Espace Tricot, the last time I knit it so I can mostly skip that this time. I will say once again, that this is a fantastic pattern and I feel is a great second sweater pattern for a new knitter. I knit this sweater using the Lana Grossa Come yarn that I bought at the good Pleasant Hill thrift store. The yarn is a bit splitty, but it knit up beautifully. I love the dark orange color and thought it would look quite nice on me. When I knit the last one, I chose the second size. I decided that I wanted just a tiny bit less drape this time, so decided to knit the first size instead. So, now she is a full size too small.

Mistake were made:

1. I knit a full size smaller. I am definitely smaller in the bust and waist than I was when I knit the last one. I am NOT smaller in the shoulders, however. With the shape of this neckline, the shoulders really matter and pull awkwardly if they are too small.
2. I did NOT read the part in the pattern where it tells you to switch from the size 6 ribbing needles to the size 7 body needles, and therefore knit the whole thing on size 6 needles.
3. I followed all of the pattern sizing, including body and sleeve length of the smaller size. So both the body and the sleeves are too short. I would have done the right thing and fixed the length issues if the shoulders weren’t messed up. Since the sweater is too small overall, I didn’t bother. It will be completely proportionate for the correct recipient.

So what went right? It will make a fabulous, beautiful gift for someone. Or for Feebs when she grows more. The sweater is beautiful. I did really good work and I washed and blocked it once she was complete. I am just incredibly bummed that it won’t fit me.

Yes, I have two more balls of yarn. Yes, I could rip the whole thing out and start over and ensure that it fit. Am I going to do this? No. I simply don’t want to go back over all of that work at this point. I will just put her in the gift basket and see what comes of her. She will find a good home eventually.

Loves,

M

Hello darling. Let’s dream for a bit. I am feeling the slightest spark of knojo coming back to me and it has prompted me to go to town on my Ravelry queue. I have been selecting and pairing like a crazy woman. I have some cold weather options and some put away for when things start to warm up. My soul is starting to yearn for something squishy and glorious to cast on. I am also all about using the yarn and patterns that I already have. My cold weather choices are The Snuggle is Real, Dry Martini, The Homie Hoodie, Fernwood Cardigan, Branches Cowl, and The Zipper Sweater. These project will use up the Wool of Andes Bulky that I salvaged from the weird cocoon with harsh wings (Homie Hoodie), the Ms. Babs Yowza that Abs gave me ages ago (Dry Martini), and the Cascade Eco + that I can’t seem to use up (Fernwood Cardigan.) There are other pairings too, like the Branches kit I bought at the last Stitches West, but nothing will need to be purchased to complete them.

I am equally excited about the warm weather collection. Oddly all but one are patterns that I have knit previously. Cropped Lace Tee, Short Row Sweater, The Levee Shawl, Ruegen (the one I haven’t already knit), Heartbeat Top, and Heart of Glass. I will be honest that the reason for a couple of the reknits are due to the fact that at one point I either knit the wrong size (Short Row Sweater) or used the wrong yarn (Cropped Lace Tee). The Levee Shawl is being reknit because I gave the one I already had to Sister #3. The Heart of Glass was knit using unfortunately yarn, but was also knit as a long sleeved sweater. This time she will be knit with short sleeves and cotton/ linen/ silk yarn so that she may be light and breezy. She may end up being knit for the Mother, but we will see. The Heartbeat is one of my favorite tops and I just want a second one in black. I also desperately want to use up the rest of the Berroco Glace yarn. And I saw Marce on Hey Brownberry knit a Ruegen, and I loved hers so much that I want to try my hand at one.

The last bit of knitting that I have actual solid plans to knit are Celtic Plait Socks and the Dr. Who Scarf. The socks are for the Female O and the scarf is for the Husband. There is a ridiculous story to go with the scarf, but that is just typical Mrs. Collins chaos. Once I can get started on the scarf, it will be for the Husband’s Father’s Day gift.

I am kind of loving this Dream Knitting. I want to cast on everything, honestly. I want to just get it all on the needles and work on them as they please me. I almost have a case of cast-on paralysis because I don’t know which darling to start first. Shit may be about to get real in the land of WIPs, stay tuned!

Loves,

M