Having made another valiant attempt at the cardigan sweater, I still have not achieved the gauge goal that I need. The cuff ribbing was cast on and knit with size 2's and the arm was attempted with size 4's.
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| Silver size 2 circulars |
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| Green size 4 circulars |
Somehow the gauge is just way off, probably because this yarn has got to be worsted weight and not sport weight. I don't have a WPI (wraps per inch) gauge to determine my thread thickness, but it's abundantly clear that once I start knitting, the sleeves begin to billow like sails on a pirate ship. A little fullness is fine, but I'm getting way more than I need and that will surely mean I'll run out of yarn too soon.
So you know what that means don't you? I know - its hard to accept, but I'm gonna have to ditch this yarn and find something finer. Yarn comes in lots of thicknesses. Usually you begin with laceweight or fingering weight, then sock, sport, DK, worsted, chunky and bulky. To try to substitute is just fooling yourself, because in the end, it will be clear that the yarn you've chosen is too fat or thin.
Knitting is such therapy for me, I don't know what I'd do without it. I do love spinning too, and that's a close second on the therapy-scale.
Here's some lovely white silk I've been spinning.
It can be very difficult to spin if your hands are dry so I've got some serious hand cream nearby, to keep things moving. It gets like you're handling cobwebs, and can be frustrating if you don't know how to handle the stuff. But some good cream or even a touch of Vaseline will do the trick.
Okay, I will end this post with a few of my resolutions, beginning with the most obvious/common one relating to exercise.
1. I have upped my daily walking goal by one mile and upped my speed as well. I've also cut way back on the carbs in the last month or two and have lost a little over 5 lbs. I'm not out to lose a lot of weight, but I need to tone and keep things in check.
2. Another goal is to buy fewer books and read existing ones, either from the public library, my home library, or free kindle books. I'm really trying to economize and be more green in my choices.
3. I have high hopes to keep a real, true vegetable garden this year, in my own back yard. I've already started prepping a spot, and have moved the compost bin, having emptied its contents on the new site.
4. I am trying to be more selective in the things I say yes to, and in particular, allowing more "me" time throughout the week.
5. And another goal that's worth typing about is that I want to take advantage of more local culture. You've heard people talk about buying local, so this is my version. I have made plans to go to a museum (free to me because of my bank perks) this Saturday, one which I've never been to and I've lived here for 10 years! There are more goals and resolutions, but that should do for now. I have actually started most of them weeks ago, to tweak exactly what I could reasonably attain. I think I'm in good shape.