Movin' right along

Bonus points if you can identify where the title comes from.

I am moving! My mother is coming to help me--a thousand blessings upon her head--and we'll be busy-busy packing all week. Come Saturday, with the U-Haul all full up, we'll venture south to my new underground lair home. Then of course comes the unloading.

Anyway, that's where I'll be for the next week or so. In the meantime, I leave you with this mysterious lace teaser:

Query

So you've gotten to the end of a row and realized there was a mistake. Which is worse: counting stitches and not finding until just before where you stopped . . . or finding it at the beginning of the row?

A patterned purl row, no less. *sigh*

Designing thoughts

I've launched an ambitious project (just in time to start moving . . . I really have the world's best sense of timing): I'm designing a lace shawl. It was inspired by the recent purchase of several KnitPicks Lace Samplers, which have lots of yummy laceweight.

I'm using Shadow (100% merino) in "Jazz." And here's what I have so far:


Bad photo is bad, but you can see the gist. I think it's going to be pretty . . . if I can work out all the math.

The concept is pretty simple--I wanted something watery (inspired by the "Atoll" colorway sampler), so I chose this fishtail pattern. Looks appropriately ripply, no?

This designing thing is interesting. This is not only my first real effort at designing lace, but it's my first time thinking about the flexibility and readibility of a pattern for other people. Nyx and Aspen have already demanded volunteered to be test knitters, so there's a guaranteed audience for this one. Just thinking about really formalizing the pattern makes me a little dizzy, though. I don't know how Anne does it. Speaking of which, I read a fair number of knitting blogs, but Anne's is the only one that really delves into her designing process. Anyone have a recommendation for another designer's blog that gets into the knitty(hee)-gritty?

Note

Whoever invented purl 3 together was a sadistic bastard.

Also purl 2 through the back loop.

The Endless Sweater, Part One

So I mentioned that I was knitting a sweater. The sweater in question is the Boyfriend Sweater from Hip to Knit.

I love this book. The patterns are very clear, and her instructions are excellent. Thus, I have only myself to blame for the rocky start I had. First, when I bought the yarn (Bemidji Woolen Mills Original Homespun), I didn't have the pattern on me, so I guessed on how much I'd need.

I guessed wrong. And when I ordered more online . . . I bought the wrong color. /facepalm.

No problem, I hadn't planned on using a contrast color, but it would still look nice. I soldiered on and swatched. Enter much swatching angst. We'll pass over that as both boring and aggravating. I was ready to cast on. But . . . I didn't really like where the cables on the sweater were placed.

This is why I shouldn't knit other people's patterns. I only mess with them anyway. Math complete, I finally cast on . . . and promptly made a mistake in the ribbing. Rip rip rip. Ribbing done! Hmmm, wasn't I supposed to switch needles after the ribbing? *sigh* Rip rip rip.

So you see before you the sum total of my progress. This thing is going to take forever.