Monday, September 18, 2017

Journey of 1000

Well, not quite.

The saying is "A journey of 1000 miles begins with the first step" and I wanted to transform that to "the journey of 1000 stitches begins with casting on" but I realized - and did a quick calculation - that the first five rows of this thing comprised 1470 stitches total (cast on: 294).

I started "The Great-Horn Rimmed" yesterday. Cast on all the stitches (and JUST pulled out enough yarn for the "slingshot" caston - this is one where you have to estimate how much you will need before you start, and woe unto you if you pull out a little too little). I've knit the first five rows of the "corrugated rib." This is ribbing done with two colors, which is more annoying than plain ribbing is to do. (Also, annoyingly, the first seven rows are done flat before you cast on the steek stitches and join to work in the round). I'm doing it as written as this is my first big colorwork project and my first thing with steeks, so I don't want to try to "outthink" the designer and then wind up with a big problem later on.

It will get easier, I think, when (a) I've joined and am working in the round and especially (b) when the ribbing's done and I can switch to all stockinette (that's partly the point of working in the round with steeks you cut later - so you don't have to purl. Especially so you don't have to work backwards from a chart). I think I've figured out a comfortable way to carry two yarns at once without too much switching back and forth (I tension one over my index finger and the other over my thumb - I knit what is sometimes called "English style," carrying the yarns in my right hand, which is actually a little tougher for this kind of work than carrying in the left hand, but I've never been able to keep a consistent gauge with Continental style....)

I'm kind of excited for this now. Oh, I have other projects going and I will probably trade off. But this was a good week to start - no exams to give this week (Well, I have at least one I need to write for next week) and NO evening meetings, so once I'm home and have completed my daily piano practice, I can work on this.

I like working with Palette. For a more-budget type yarn, it's pretty nice. (You do have to be careful; it's a two-ply and kind of loosely plied, so the plies will split if you're not careful). It certainly does come in a big range of colors, and so far, I'm happy with the ones I picked as replacements for the Rauma. (the dark orange, lighter orange, and turquoise. Orange and turquoise is a combination that sounds on paper like it should not work, but it does).

Of course it got hot again so thinking about wearing wooly sweaters is less attractive (but at any rate: I sincerely doubt this will be done for this fall, unless it turns out I'm a wizard at colorwork and somehow knit it faster than other things).

I do have another set of yarn for another colorwork sweater - the Prince of Wales slipover from Folk Vests, because I am somewhat of an Anglophile, and I also love the fashions of that between-the-wars period. (I THINK that was the Prince of Wales who was king only briefly, and then abdicated to marry the American divorcee? Maybe?) At any rate - quite a few years back I bought the yarn (the exact ones called for in the pattern - Jamieson's) and stored it away and never started it. Maybe if I AM a wizard at colorwork (or at least decide I enjoy it), I'll start that one soon.

(No, I didn't gauge swatch; I am living dangerously here but I figure I can give a quick check when I get to the point of the stockinette, and also, carrying loosely and blocking well can fix some problems....)

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