Quick...Before it dies!

I have been experiencing no end to the technical difficulties in my life recently so alas my blog is one area which has been sorely neglected. But! I wanted to share with you (quickly...before my computer dies [again]) where part of my afternoon today went / is going:






To be continued....

Done!

Ms. Marigold by Zephyr Style.

Needles: Size 7 for body / 5 for neck detail/ size f crochet hook for ruffle
Yarn: TLC Cotton Plus in Lavender
How long: 3 weeks

Overall, I think Zephyr Style designs their patterns for size small or extra small and then just increases the stitch count proportionally all over for larger sizes. This probably works alright for mediums, but by the time you get to Large and Extra Large based on chest size, things get a little wonky between the chest size, waist size and arm hole size. Knowing their patterns run large, I knit with both a tighter gauge and one size smaller than I should have for my chest size and it still came out about 1 1/2 inches larger around so I added some waist decreases and then took it in on the sides a smidge (it looks like a partial seam) to make the arm holes smaller.

Currently on the needles: Pomatomus

Last one I promise...

...and then I'm going to bed.

I just wanted to show you guys my progress on Ms. Marigold.

Yesterday at Knit with Grey's, I was able to almost finish Ms. Marigold Lavender but got so carried away during my last KIP session that I had gone about an inch-and-a-half too far and it was already perfect length w/o the 2 inches of ribbing.

I tried to do short ribbing for just 8 rows but it looked silly and so now I have undone my bind off and am going back and laddering down at each purl section to drop the ribbing down another 10 stitches. It's simple enough but is taking a long time. I'm about halfway done going around the ribbing and then will just need to add sleeves (well, the arm hole finishing and the ruffle), weave in the ends and block.

I'm really hoping I'll have it done to wear to church on Sunday if for no other reason than I've been working on it during the large class Husband has been co-teaching and last week he was telling some people who had come over to ask what I was knitting that I was really good at socks and baby clothes but haven't had much luck with sweaters (I'm not joking. He said this. Out loud. I don't think he realized it was mean) so boo-ya! Take that Mr. "My wife has a hard time knitting sweaters that fit." Ha!

*cough*

I mean, look at my neat top, honey. ;-)

Redemption!

BOO YA!! TAKE THAT YOU RUFFLY NECKLINE SCUM!

*cough*

Um, I mean, I fixed my neckline. :-D

I frogged the first one, re-picked up the stitches further apart, knit and used a different bind off method and now Ms. Marigold (er... Lavender? Freesia?) is shaping up quite nicely. Just in time...as my husband is beginning to think I'm hopeless for anything but baby and sock knitting.

I'd say I'm about 75% done. this is my progress as of yet:

Don't let the wavy side of the neckline fool you. It just needs to be sewn down to the center of the V. It fits beautifully.

What to do? What to do?

I, while not as oddly garment-monogamous as Jenna Adorno, prefer to not have too many knitting projects going at once. I try to keep to one at a time unless that one project gets too big to carry around (or I'm trying to hide it from my husband), in which case, I may start something small like a sock so that I can knit during my lunch break without having to haul a whole sweater around in my bag.

But now I have the classic monogamous knitters dilemma: I want to do so much that don't know what to knit next! I thought I had it figured out last night, but my knit picks order arrived furthering my dilemma.

This is the scoop:

+ (a bit more grey-ish than this picture...but you get the idea)

I'm currently working on Ms. Marigold by Zephyr Style in TLC Cotton Plus (color: Lavender). I'd say I'm about halfway done. It's knit top-down and I'm about 2 inches below the V. I need to finish the body then add the ribbing to the V and the arm holes, weave in the ends etc. So between it being a bit large to haul around and I'm doing some waist/hip shaping, which requires trying it on every 4 rounds or so, it's not a really good traveling project any more.

So! I need to start something that can be my "small project" for a while. Now, while I know some of the options I'll show you below aren't small in the end, even sweaters start out small and if I do something like that, hopefully by the time sweater #2 gets too big to carry around, I'll be done with Ms. Marigold and can pick up another small project.

Option 1: Lacy summer top A

+

Lacey top from Spring/Summer 2007 Vogue Knitting Magazine (I think I'd add sleeves) in Knit Picks CotLin in Desert Turquoise

Option 2: Lacy summer top B

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Different Lacy top from Spring/Summer 2007 Vogue Knitting Magazine in Knit Picks CotLin in Desert Turquoise

Option 3: Pomatomus Socks
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The very popular Pomatomus socks in Patons Kroy sock yarn in the Winter Eclipse colourway


Option 4: Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern

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Another popular sock, "Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern" from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks in my brand new Knit Picks Dancing in the Hula colorway. (picture of sock borrowed from GFTC on flickr)

Option 5: Something with this

(Lion Brand Magic Stripes sock yarn)

I'm thinking hiking socks for our camping trip this summer but I only have 1 ball and I'd need a second one to make a pair.

Option 6: My Second Hedera sock

I know I really need to do this or I will have a lonely sock but I need to buy another ball of yarn in order to do this one, so it keeps getting put off.

All that to say.....HELP!

What do you guys think I should do? Please place your vote (and include rationale if any) in the comments.