She Was Twisted

Let’s see how many P0*RN hits I get from that title.

I was too lazy to drag out the camera only to find that the batteries were dead again, so I utilized the web cam instead. (Very handy, I might add.) I finished the left and right front of my Rambling Rose Sweater! Woot, woot. It is insane that after almost 3 years of working from home with my kiddos in my care, I would go back to an 8-5 office job and find myself with some knitting time every day. Alas, the lunch break is a wonderful thing. So next up we have the 2 sleeves, then I get the join the whole darn thing and work the yoke.

I’m still EXTREMELY skeptical about the sizing. Since it is mostly lace knitting, it will change shape quite a bit once blocked. However it is going to take a lot to convince me that this puppy is going to fit an adult size Small, without looking like a naked body, painted purple Catwoman suit. (Come on boys, you know what I’m talking about.)

Did I mention that this is my very first adult-sized sweater? Yep, it is! It will be a major accomplishment if I can actually pull this off.

It was nice and overcast today, perfect for snapping some photos, so I got some better ones of the blocked Rambling Rose Cardigan back.

MUCH better! It is amazing what a little natural light can do for a photo. (see 2 entries below to see how a flash can zap out the stitches.)

And a closeup. Isn’t it purtee?

I’m not so sure about this Rambling Rose cardigan. I have the back completed and it looks WAY too small. Even when I stretch it out to what I think it will block to, I’m still left with a knot in my gut. I guess the only way to know is to throw this baby in the tub and block it out for real. I’m scared. What if all this knitting is for nothing and I end up with a 12-year-old sweater that I can’t wear? Oh the horror.

Well let me show what I’ve done. The lace really is pretty. And I just love this yarn. (Debbie Bliss Merino DK) So it does have 2 big points going for it.

This is the back without any bocking or stretching. I just flopped it down and snapped the pic. Next up is the closeup.

It looks really different when it is blocked. Really. Bigger. Yes. Like for an adult. Yes. That is what we will all chant together. Ready?

It is not too small.

It is not too small.

It will work out just fine.

Now go get some ice cream and be done with it.

Hum, what do we have here?

Why it’s a box. A really cute suitcase box.

And inside? Why there’s knitting!

What knitting to be exact? It’s the start of the Rambling Rose Cardigan from Interweave Knits Winter 2006 issue. My first attempt to knit a sweater ever. Yes, I am a sweater knitting virgin. (I’m not counting the few baby sweaters I’ve knit.) Let’s see how many YEARS is takes me to complete this one!

There has been a lot of negative criticism on this sweater all around. And I have to agree with most of it. The original sweater is 2 colors which makes it quite hideous in that “baseball jersey” kind of way. The second thing it has going against it, is the model they choose to wear it. The sweater stretches on her like a glove, and accentuates all the wrong parts. She is completely popping out of it. Beautiful model, not so beautiful in a sweater 2-times too small. But the RR has so many nice things. I love the lacework. Interesting, daring, different. If you can look past the 2-tone thing and the way it looks on that particular model, it is a really beautiful sweater in my opinion.

So I started it about a month ago using Debbie Bliss Merino DK wool yarn that I bought at Little Knits. (LOVE this store btw. I got all 10 balls of DB for under $30!!) The color was much brighter than what I was hoping for, but I decided to truck on anyway.

Then I ran into a huge snag after knitting what you see in the photo. The back width looks like it is going to be teeny-tiny. (oh please don’t make it fit me like it does the model.) I checked my gauge and it was right on. I had to remind myself that this is lace, so it will need to be blocked and will become much longer than what is on my needles now. When I stretched it to what looks right, it does become the total 30″. Well I still wasn’t convinced. The last thing I want is a sweater too tight for me to wear. I put it aside for about a month while I tried to decide if I should go up a needle size or two or start hunting for a new pattern. Finally last week I pulled out a stretchy, fitted cardigan I forgot I had to wear. I loved the way it fit me. So I compared it to the knitting I had so far for the RR, and lo and behold, they matched almost perfectly. That made up my mind to leave it alone and keep going. Over the past fews days I’ve gotten a few more inches done. So far so good, and I’m really liking the patten so far. Fairly simple, yet complicated enough to keep me interested.