Tangentially inclined

Oh, right. wasn't i going to babble on about KNITTING here? rrriiiiggghhhtttt.

well, it's ON bitches! it is ON!

i went to Knit + Stitch = Bliss to buy the yarn that i needed for my undertaking of greatness. Stitch DC doesn't carry this brand (boo!) so i had to trek out to MARYLAND on my lunchbreak (i hurried, it was manageable) and bought $42 worth of Brown Sheep Company's Lamb's Pride Worsted.

I was pretty pleased with my experience, i have to say. The shop has ssssoooooo many nice things that once i found the right yarn i just ran my fingers along all of the pretty (read: pricey) stuff that i can't afford right now and just oohed and aaahed and hand-dyed yarn, stacks of mohair, and silk ribbon-y goodness, but i'm not really there yet, in terms of skill. For now, the $7 a skein (but ooh!! 15% mohair!) is a huge step up from lion brand homespun that i usually mess around with. the store was bustling when i walked in (with an older clientele, but younger women floated in and out) and they were all talking knit-speak trying to impress each other and i got a little intimidated and paid and fled to catch the metro and got serious double-takes for riding the metro with a HUGE clear bag full of purple yarn. Knitting is the new yoga, people--i don't understand why people still think it's strange to be seen Knitting in Public.


anyhoo-- here is a picture i snapped from my copy of Stitch N Bitch of the finished product. i am not SUPER wild about it being knit in bulky garter stitch, but i am going to work with it. Also that will keep me focused on shape and not distracted by ribbing or cables or whatever.

the challenges here (though the sweater is pretty basic)

1) shaping the fitted body of the sweater to not look like a rug hanging off me

2) shaping the shoulders

3) to make the cowl, you have to pick up stitches from a regular neckline and then knit with them, which is hard to make look neat

4) blocking the sweater (getting it wet and shaping it)

5) oh, i have SIXTEEN DAYS.

I start Friday! good thing i am going home for the weekend, and i have bus rides to take care of some business.