Girl Who Knits

It has been a long time coming but I am finally done with Forecast.  Finally.  I casted on for this sweater in the beginning of April.  It might have taken awhile but I am glad I finally buckled down and finished it because now I get to wear this...

This is one of those patterns that I never would have noticed were it not for seeing several pretty versions knit up in blogland.  I am so glad for people who have the vision of what a pattern could be.  I am also grateful for blogs and the endless inspiration found in them. 

This pattern is fun and easy to follow.  It knits up quickly--don't take my 7 months to finish as this being a difficult or time-consuming sweater.  It is a warm sweater though so you might not want to knit it in the summer.  Just FYI.

I found the buttons at my LYS.  I love how they look a little tortoise shell like.  I didn't have the pattern with me so I bought 8 buttons thinking, surely that would be enough.  But no, the pattern calls for 10.  Instead of going back and buying more buttons I opted for just using 8 buttons. 

I also LOVE the yarn.  It is Cascade 220 in this great deep green with a yellow undertone (I wish the pictures showed the true color better but alas, the sun was just not cooperating.  Just trust me, it is a deep color.)  I was looking for something tweedy but I found this instead.

I love how it fits and the style and the texture of the material.

Here are all the stats:

Pattern: Forecast

Source: Knitty (pattern by Glampyre)

Yarn: Cascade 220

Needles: US 7 and 5 circs and dpns

Mods: I made the popular mods for this sweater (changed from 5 to 3 stitch bobble, started ribbing on arms just under the elbow.)  I also lengthened the body of the sweater.  Initially I made the body really long but I had some problems fitting it over my hips.  So I frogged a couple inches and while it is still longer than the pattern calls for, it is not as long as I had initially envisioned. But I think the length worked out well in the end.

All and all folks, it is the perfect fall sweater.  I just love fall.

I think I was 13.  My friend and I were talking to a nice older woman at church.  For the life of me I can't remember how we got on the subject but I remember her referring to my VERY petite friend and then turning to me and saying something to the effect of "now you have child bearing hips."  I was 13.  I have never forgotten what she said. 

The thing is, she was right.  I suspect my hips would suit child bearing well.  Of course, these are not realities an insecure 13-year-old should have to face. 

Recently, I picked up Forecast again.  I am gearing up for the fall so out come the fall projects I ignored over the summer.  I finally finished the body of the thing, bound off and then tried it on.  It fits perfectly...everywhere but my hips. 

There is still a button band to be added and I can close the cardigan but it stretches out the ribbing at the bottom.   So why does it work on her?  What is wrong with me?

Here could be some reasons:

• I made the sweater a bit longer to be more flattering on me so the pattern was not written to accomidate for too much hip.
• I bound off too tight and it is restricting the pull of the sweater.
• I am a odd shaped freak.

I am leaning towards the latter. 

I really do love this sweater.  So I think I am going to undo my cast off (I HATE doing that) and re-cast off.  What do you all think?  Maybe I should just keep going and see.  Sometimes I have a hard time visualizing the fit of a knit before I am done.  I do love it though.  Don't you just love fall?

As I write this post Kara, her (and my) friend Meredith, and I are singing Karaoke Revolution for the PS2.  Could there be a more amusing pastime?  What is funny about it is we are all singing slouched on the couch and I am blogging when it is not my turn.  We are very relaxed and efficient revolution-ers.  Right this second Meredith is singing "You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman".  Darn her, the crowd seems to be liking it.  Just as in American Idol, this game is all about song selection.  Kara is now singing Michelle Branch's "Everywhere".  A song she would never in a million years listen to on the radio.  She is doing good too.  Oh, it is my turn now...

...Aw yeah everybody.  I got a perfect score on "Time After Time".  I had to go with a ringer.  I am song selection queen.

So what have I been up to knitting-wise?...lots and lots of ribbing. 

First, there is Forecast...

This 2x2 ribbing actually goes pretty fast but since the warmer spring weather I have lost my motivation for this sweater.  I still want to finish it and love it but there is no way I will be able to wear it until fall.  So I am okay with a slow pace on this one. 

Next, there is Rambling Rose...

Okay, I am LOVING this sweater.  I know I am only on the back but the yarn is so soft and is knitting up so pretty that I am very hopeful this will turn out well.  I actually just finished the back ribbing last night.  This 1x1 ribbing knit on 1's was not so fast.  It would have taken me a lot longer if I wasn't so in love with the garment it is creating and am really excited to get to the front.  I want to wear this sweater while picking flowers in a field.  It seems like a sweater I could have deep, romantic, and meaningful thoughts in.  That is just how I feel about it.

So I am about to sing the final song in our last round of the game.  The problem is this round is random.  Meaning the game picks the song for you so forget about song selection.  Kara is singing "Pain"—a crap "hard" rock song.  Oh it is amusing watching her try to belt the chorus she doesn't know.  My turn again...

I got..."Play that Funky Music White Boy".  Junk.  This game was mine until I had to sing that one.  Kara won.  I was robbed.

I never really understood the idea of size 0.  Doesn't zero mean nothing?  So how can someone wear a size nothing pant?  And don't get me started about size 0 needles.  I casted on for the Simply Lovely Lace socks from the Spring 06 Interweave using size 0 double points last night.  I am only a few repeats into the cuff and I have to be honest...I am hating it.  I don't know if it is the sock pattern or the size "nothing" needles.  Knitting it has been painstaking. 

I love the yarn.  Sweetgeorgia superwash sock yarn in Moss.  Love it.  So soft and the color variation is so subtle—it is just beautiful.  But I am seriously debating continuing.  Doing a simple sl 1, k2tog, psso takes forever.  I am thinking about frogging and re-casting on using 1's.  Do you think that will be better?  I can't imagine it would change the size too much.  I just don't want to knit something that I am not enjoying.  I don't know.  I think I will try again another night and see how I feel. 

Forecast is coming along nicely.  Here is the upper body finished:

I feel like it looks like a little child sweater in that picture.  I am loving this sweater.  So much.  First off, I have tried it on and at this point I think it will fit well.  I LOVE the texture of it.  All the purl stitches really work for the style and feel of the sweater.  The color is much deeper in real life and has some great yellow undertones to it.  I will try next time to get a better picture of the color.  The pattern is easy to remember and it has been really fun to knit.  I knit the upper body several inches longer then the pattern calls for and I am going to knit the ribbing at the bottom longer too.  I am wagering that the sweater will not be done in time to wear before it gets too hot but I am going to keep working on it anyway. 

This weekend I am going casting on for Rambling Rose.  So that should be fun.  More small needles.  Just as long as they aren't 0's. 

My title is a quote from last night's Grey's Anatomy.  Man I love that show.  Isn't the line so true though?  No matter what else is going on in life, I've got my knitting.  Yes, that sounds a little cheesy and perhaps depressing but it is still something.  On the show Meredith decided to gave up on men and take up knitting.  Heh, heh.  I am pretty sure my Mom just groaned at that comment.  It's okay mom...I still believe I can have both.  Someday.  Soon-ish.  I promise. 

So it is official...I ran out of yarn for my vest.  I knew it was going to happen but still got bummed when it happened before the yarn I ordered arrived.  So instead of finishing the vest this weekend, I casted on for a new project.  Forecast did not inspire me at first, I didn't catch the vision until I saw Winnie's version.  So pretty.  Plus it is made with Cascade 220 which is a pretty inexpensive option for a sweater (although I am skeptical I can make the whole sweater with the 4 skeins it recommends.)  I bought some yarn from my LYS in a deep olive color and casted on last night.  Here is a peek at the start:

Due to a stupid pattern reading error on my part, I had to frog and restart 5 times (yes, 5 times! Grrrr) but I am now on my way.  I love the feel of the yarn and it is an interesting pattern so it has been fun to knit so far.  It is knit top down so what you see above is the sweater collar.  This is more of a fall sweater but I am hoping I will finish before the spring is over so I can wear it once or twice before the heat of the summer.  I joined the KAL too so hopefully that will keep me on track.

Once I get my yarn from KnitPicks I will finish the vest so I look forward to that.  I have also been compiling a list of projects I want to knit and will share the list soon.  There is so much I want to knit now it is crazy.  In order to get it all done I would have to quit my full-time job and focus 100% on knitting.  But I know myself.  If I did that I would turn into a crazy lady that only goes outside to collect the mail and has piles and piles of handknits that never get worn because I never go out.  Yes, I think having a job is good for me.