The Red Knitted Coat

Here is the story of the red knitted coat. The picture is not posted because I do not want to get in trouble with anyone. Instead, pictured is a pair of basic socks, wth 1x1 twisted rib, made with Plymouth's Happy Feet yarn.

All the pieces of the coat were knitted. The fronts seemed a little narrow, but I thought that could be taken care of with blocking. Nope...too narrow. What happened? The stitch guage is fine, the back and sleeves are the correct size. Did I cast on the correct number of stitches? Yep. What did I do?

I fretted over this for more than a week. The coat was beautiful, except for the narrow fronts. Too much work had been done to just put it away and forget about it. Then, late one night while in bed still wondering what happened, it hit me.

About a year ago, it came to my attention that a certain publisher does not use pattern testers. Instead, they use math to check things like shaping and number of stitches. In the case of the red knitted coat, the mathematicians failed to allow for the ribbing and cable patterns on the fronts. The number of stitches to cast on would have given the correct width, but ribbing and cables tend to shrink the width. Allowances must be made in order to get the required width.

Once the fronts were frogged (rrrrrripit!), I added 1-1/2 inches worth of stitches to the sides. Some adjustments were needed in the shaping so the shoulders would match for seaming. I now have my beautiful red knitted coat, folded and put away for next fall.

The moral of this story? Publishers are human and do make mistakes. If a pattern is not working, chances are the problem is in the directions. Many caft publications have websites where corrections can be found. Unfortunately, the red knitted coat was not listed for corrections.

There are no changes in what I am reading. I've been too busy with the red knitted coat.

I'ts So Pretty!

Classic Lines Cardigan

designed by Alison Bockus exclusively for Knit Picks

Knit Picks Shadow Papaya for the main color and Shimmer Sherry for the contrast color.

This cardigan is the the result of the knit along I did with Knit Picks. I learned so much! The sweater started with a provisional cast on so that the hem could be knitted in. There's two new things. I've knitted in the round before - socks with double pointed needles - with this I learned how to use the magic loop method for the sleeves. That was so much easier than double pointed needels. I learned wrap and turn for the short rows at the neckline. The last thing I learned was steeking. Now that was scary! After knitting my beautiful sweater, I sewed two lines up the front, then cut (yes, with sharp scissors) between the lines. The sweater came out perfect and I can wear it now as it was knitted with two strands of lace weight yarn. I will defnitely make at least one, two, three...ten more! It was so easy and quick to make. However, the next time I will not add the stripes and perhaps make the neckband a little narrower.

The red knitted coat has been frogged and the fronts are re-knitted. My corrections seem to be working. I'll let you know if the corrections work when the coat is finished and wearable.

Still reading:

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, from the podcast CraftLit.

Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, from the podcast Forgotten Classics.

Roots, by Alex Haley, from Audible.com.

David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens, from Librivox.

Plus:

A Deadly Yarn (A Knitting Mystery), by Maggie Sefton.

Baseball, Hot Dogs, and Knitting

If it weren't for allergies, this would be my favorite time of year.

Grandson #1 is almost halfway through Little League Baseball and this grandma goes to as many games as she can. So far, I have only missed one game due to cheerleader tryouts. His team is tied for first place. So what if there are only four team in his league! The boys play hard and with every game there is improvement. The last game they finally got the idea of "tag him".

Baseball is also on TV several evenings over the week. My husband and I are Cincinnati Reds fans so we watch them whenever they are on TV. There is also a minor league team here that we like to watch. We try to go to a game at least once a month. The stadium is great, ticket prices reasonable, no bad seats, delicious hot dogs, and we always have a good time.

So what does all this have to do with crochet/knitting? It's a funny thing. I can crochet or knit while watching baseball on TV, but I can't if I am watching live. The atmosphere at a home game, even if watching eight-year-olds, is fascinating. I am looking everywhere and noticing everything from the right fielder talking to his family in the stands and how the umpire calls strikes, to the children dancing to the music and the bald-headed man sitting in the stands behind the dugout whose head gets redder as the game progresses. Needless to say, I don't get a lot of needlework done.

On my needles now is the cardigan knit along I mentioned in the previous post. So far I have learned how to knit a sweater in the round, knitting sleeves using the magic loop, provisional cast-on so that the hem can be knitted in, and short rows using wrap and turn. I am now ready to steek.

By the way, the red knitted coat is on hiatus. The fronts did not come out right and it is definitely an error in the pattern. I needed to get away from it before I got angry enough to throw it away. After I finish the cardigan, I will be ready to frog the fronts, figure out what I need to do, and finish it.

What I am reading:
The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, from the podcast CraftLit
Uncle Tom's Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe, from the podcast Forgotten Classics
Roots, by Alex Haley, from Audible.com
David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens, from Librivox
Death by Darjeeling (A Tea Shop Mystery), by Laura Childs