Sedna-sedna-bo-bedna

(apologies to those who now have the Name Game stuck in their head)

I started my cotton cardigan with the cables and bobbles a few days ago. It's called "Sedna" and is in issue 8 of Yarn Forward magazine. I was trucking along nicely until it came to the establishing of the cable pattern when I noticed I was short a few stitches at the end. Not really worrying, I increased the few (around 3) and kept going. I ended up a few stitches too many at the end of the next row.

Uh oh.

I also noticed that the cables were a few stitches closer to the sleeve on one side then the other. This made things look a little funny because when you looked at the back of the sweater where the sleeves are, one side's cable will be nearly hidden by the armpit but the other side's cable will have plenty of room. Let's not even mention the front where one cable looked a little more crammed/scrunched than the other.

Double oops.

If anyone has done cables and/or sweaters there is an idea that sides should mirror. There is also an idea that you can't just adjust stitch numbers willy-nilly because usually those numbers are there for a reason, like something that will need those 13 stitches to fit into 7 rows down the line, or up the chart, as the case may be. This is my first cable chart project, and first serious cable project ("c5p2b", for instance), and I am praising the glory of ravelry.com for having their pattern definition information and allowing me to be a member. But even ravelry.com can not chuck me over the head and offer the suggestion that instead of barging into things, I might have planned and checked to make sure my numbers were right and marked the stitches to check for symmetry before doing it in order to not have to frog anything. Frogging cables are not fun.

I did frog it. I backtracked and checked my numbers, finding a mistake in the pattern for how many stitches my size (and all larger sizes, by the way) should have when you place the sleeve stitches on the holders. I moved on after voicing my wrath to the gods (I've taken to singing spirituals instead of cussing; it really amuses Hubby, especially when he came outside to find me cleaning chewed up bubble gum off my car floor mats and peddles after I STEPPED IN SOME FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 24 HOURS with Goo Gone, singing "Praise Jesus!") and marked the divisions where there is 2 pfb, p8, 4 pfb, p13, etc. and found that this time I only needed one extra stitch at one side and to move things over 1 stitch around one armhole.

Note to self (and any other curious persons): Use stitch markers (DON'T JUST KNIT IT) and read ahead when establishing any detailed important pattern. Keep the 2 year old out of the room when doing this or someone/thing might get hurt. Saves frogging and brain cells. And, by the way, you might want to leave the stitch markers in to save time later in the cable pattern.

If I really wanted to...

I would love to tell you tons of stuff. I'd love to write about all these socks I've decided to start and how I am slowly finishing them. They aren't all that innovative, they are for a charity event, and they are cleaning out the lessor wanted skeins from my stash so I am grateful. I'm in a down-sizing, keeping only what matters mood. Hence, there is a huge stack of odds-and-ends to take to Goodwill in a corner of Little Guy's bedroom. Will haul that away soon... I hope.

I'd love to tell you about Hubby's recovery from his shoulder surgery. Everything's fine, just needs time to let it heal, as in at least 4 weeks before even thinking about therapy. Good news for him, he gets out of doing yard work for 6 weeks, possibly rest of the yard-working season. News for me, I get to mow on Saturday mornings.

I'd love to update you about my job. There's nothing going on. Which should mean tons of knitting time but somehow that is not developing. I have to drive Hubby everywhere so that means extra outings with sprogs in tow (including getting him to work at 7:30 am... ouch) and taking care of all these little nit-piddley errands that have developed. I had to go to the DMV yesterday and sit for 40 minutes before they called me to straighten out the fact that I no longer have the lease car I traded in several months ago, etc.etc.etc. Joy of all joys. SuperGirl was sitting very patiently with me and Little Guy was asleep on my shoulder for about 20 minutes when she looked at me, sighed, and said "This is not fun at all." I agreed.

I've been eyeing some sewing projects but haven't started them. I haven't taken any pictures of anything. I have been really tired and unmotivated. The good thing is my errands seen to be waning for the moment and hopefully this weekend is relaxing and full of lovely knitting. One can always hope. I'll settle for on the boring side with a little bit of work and tons of Joan Hickson being Miss Marple. Tried to watch the newest Masterpiece Mystery Miss Marple and couldn't get past 5 minutes. Acting was crap. I'm spoiled.

Phoebe!

She is finally here! Born Saturday, July 11, weighing 7 lbs., 10 oz. She is beautiful, her mommy is beautiful, and the world is beautiful. We are ecstatic, finding new and fun baby things to knit. I'm reminded of the Phoebe blanket (an old knitting project versus the new) that I've been avoiding but LMSS assures me that it being a 1st birthday gift is just fine.

I'm back in Shreveport, getting updates from them every day while Mom is there doing the Nana thing. We're plenty busy here. Hubby had shoulder surgery 2 days ago from where he tore a muscle diving for a softball. The shoulder had been giving him trouble for years, lots of pain depending on how much he worked out. The surgery went really well. They found some extensive damage when they went in, some of which had been there for years, so I guess it's a mixed blessing he dove for the ball and did something bad enough to it it required surgery. He's trying to recuperate and I'm keeping busy trying to keep him from being busy.

New sock knitting classes have started and I've been whirling through socks like crazy, trying to get examples for the different stages of the classes and have the socks ready for a charity event for Granny. I've also been working on the wrap I started the first trip to wait for Phoebe and have neglected the others... I'll get around to it. Someday. All I have is time, now.

Toesies...

Finished the second pair of socks for LMSS. Did I mention I was learning how to knit socks from the toe up? It's coming along nicely but I feel like I'm saying that a little premature; I haven't finished the toe on the first sock yet. I can already see that I'm going to need to learn the figure 8 cast on. The long-tail/pick up cast on leaves a ridge at the toe. I don't mind it for me but I would mind it if it was on a pair of socks for someone else.

Still waiting on the baby... Contemplating what other projects to finish... and not sure where to stop. I'm dangerous when I'm left at home without something official to do.

Thursday's child has far to go

The scarf is finished, blocked, and looks lovely. I am glad to be finished with it, only because I was running out of places to sit and pay attention to the multiple row repeats.

I have been to Austin and back, but there is no baby yet. Still waiting for LMSS to call. Mom is still there and she is helping LMSS nest, i.e. organize all those hand-me-down baby clothes. Baby blanket is still for the baby's 1st birthday but LMSS has got a pair of socks with another pair I'm working on, nearly 2 nursing wraps (Mom's almost finished with the 2nd one), and she's knitting like a nut on 2 different baby outfits. They are lovely and I'm totally jealous she's the one with the little one to wear them. Well, jealous until I realize I have a 2 year old nearly fully weaned, thus my nights are almost mine, all mine. But the little dresses are SO CUTE!!!!

Little Guy sang to us every morning at LMSS's house. I'm not sure what tune it was but it sounded like a combination of the Imperial March and the ending chorus of "Hey, Jude".

I picked up some cotton yarn in Austin to carry on the wrap-knitting theme. It's 8"s long, 42"s to go. Light blue and dark blue, using a "bee stitch" which uses the "knit one below" idea. Interesting. The pattern in the book was wrong and I looked it up on Ravelry. I'll have more on that later...

I did finish both quilts at LMSS's friends house. Long arm quilting is fabulous for those projects that need to be finished and out of the "to do" pile. I still have a soft spot for hand-quilting though...

I'll try to get pictures up of everything as soon as I can. I'm no longer working at the in-laws so their computer isn't as easy to access but I'll see what I can do. Plus, any day I might get the call and go running off to Austin again. Weekend trips to Austin (5+ hours, depending on how you drive and how much you stop) will wear you out.