wifeKnits

Busy Life

Ever since I came back from my vacation, I’ve been so buy that I’ve only knit one time. I made two squares for my crochet afghan. Ok, so that’s not really knitting, but it counts. I just got a new eMac, so I’ve been playing with it. I also joined a gym so I’m going there 3 times a week after work. Plus I’ve aquired some website projects that I’d like to get done. I’ve got pictures of my progress from my vacation that I still have to post, but haven’t had time. I’d like to get back to my knitting and crochet and I plan to after I finish the book I’m currently reading.

But seeing as how life is just taking over, I’ll probably not be updating this site as much as I used to. I’ve resolved not to try to compete with all you women who are speed demon knitters. I’m just going to go at my own pace. When I have progress to show, I’ll post. But I’m not going to try to do the marathon. My life just doesn’t allow for it. The site will stay up for now, so I can keep track of my projects, but it isn’t going to be “hopping” unfortunately. I do hope you’ll all still visit from time to time to see what’s going on.

If you are part of the Chamomile knit-along, please send me emails of your progress or completion. I’ve been so busy, I haven’t even really had time to visit my regular knit reads. :( I’m so out of the loop, it’s sad. But I’m having fun with all the stuff that is keeping me busy elsewhere. So I guess that is something.

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Retreat Update

I’m home from my vacation. I had a great time. Did a bit of knitting, reading, hanging out and I even went to a Keith Urban concert. I finished the second sleeve of Chamomile and casted on for the front. I also almost finished my first sock. Yep. I broke down and got some yarn and needles to do socks. I’m using DPNs, but it hasn’t been too bad. I can’t wait to finish it so I can start the second one.

I also received my copy of Rowan Mag #31. There are several patterns in it that I want to try. While on vacation, I bought the Family Circle Easy Afghans and my husband has already picked out which one he wants me to make for him. But I have to finish the one I’m working on, so he said I have to do 2 squares each night for the next week. That will finish off the squares, then all I’ll have to do is piece them together.

I’ve got photos of my two sleeves and progress on my first sock. Will post them sometime this week. I completely enjoyed my time away from the computer. I only came online once the whole week and that was just to check my email on Thursday. It was so nice. But that’s about all the news I have for now. If you want to read more about my vacation, check out my regular journal at http://wifetalks.com.

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Sleeve One Finished

And here is sleeve 1 of Chamomile. I just finished it and am very pleased with it. If I set it correctly on my arm, the length is perfect. Just where I like my sleeves to reach. I’m off to cook dinner and cast on for sleeve 2. :)

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Sleeve Issue Resolved

With Sarah’s help and one more look in The Purl Stitch, I figured out what was wrong. I should’ve been doing the SSP at the end of the row so it lines up with the SSK that I did at the beginning of the previous row, and the P2tog at the beginning so it lines up with the K2tog. I ripped those rows and redid my decreases (for a third time!) and it worked out like I expected it to. Finally. I spent the day frustrated because I couldn’t figure it out. But then I tried to visualize how the stitches would lay and it clicked. It also helped that the pictures in The Purl Stitch, shows them being worked in the correct places in the row. So it dawned on me what was going wrong. Now I can continue working on my sleeve and maybe I’ll have it finished this weekend. I think I will cast on immediately for the 2nd sleeve instead of leaving till after I do the front or back.

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Newbie Help

I’m at the top shaping of the sleeve for Chamomile and the pattern says to decrease at each end of the next 3 rows. So on the RS rows I’m doing K1, SSK, K to last 3 sts, K2Tog, K1 (Decreasing one stitch in from the edge). On the WS rows, I would do the opposite decrease: P1, SSP, P to last 3 sts, P2Tog, P1. But when I try to do SSP, my decrease comes out all messed up for some reason. I couldn’t find any videos or good visual references for how to do it, just what it should look like when it’s done. Even in all my books at home. I slip 2 sts knitwise one at a time, then put them back on the left needle by simply inserting the left needle into the stitches from left to right, then I do a p2tog tbl. I’m getting ugly results. :( Maybe I’m just doing the SSP wrong. Instead, I tried just a P2Tog TBL without slipping the stitches first, instead of SSP and my decrease seemed to look like it should (from the pictures in the books I have).

Will this make my piece non-symmetrical since I’m not slipping the stitches before doing the P2Tog TBL? Could I make it more even by doing K2Tog TBL instead of SSK? Will this affect the end result, since I will be seaming those edges together?

This decrease issue is where Sigma went wrong. It looks sloppy because of the SSPs, so I’m trying to make sure I got it right this time. I want Chamomile to look good. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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