Look! Lookit! Look what I made!

Tempting Like Chocolate Cake

Pattern: Tempting
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran
Modifications:I caved, skipped a few meals, and bought a ball of red Cashmerino from My Sister Knits. Then, about four rows before the eyelet row, I switched to the red yarn and to a 1x1 rib, which I then continued for ten rows past the eyelet row as versus the pattern's five. I was considering tearing the cast-on row on the sleeves out and knitting a 1x1 red ribbed cuff on each sleeve, but I think I like them at the length they are.


Tempting Like the Fruit of Knowledge

Of course, you might notice that the ends are not woven in yet. That's okay- I can't find my yarn needles, so I have to go to the store. You might also suspect that it has yet to be blocked. That's okay too- why block with all those ends hanging out? You might then suspect that with such issues still remaining this so-called sweater is not technically a FO, and thus this so-called entry is not technically a FO post. On that point I regretfully concede and ask your forgiveness. I simply could not wait. It's my first sweater, you see, and my jubilation is vast.

This means you can expect more pictures once all the weaving-in-and-blocking are complete. If you're wondering what it looks like on my person in its unblocked state, you can see here, but be warned: there's a reason I didn't include that picture in the post directly. I look even odder than usual.

If you haven't noticed (that is to say, if you're legally blind), red and black are a favorite color scheme of mine. Just look at my blog and my business cards. I even have this set lying around, which I might keep to go with the sweater, but will more likely post to Etsy in the ongoing quest to regain financial stability post-Tigger-bills (and be ready for future Tigger bills- there are still tests to be run, if I can save up enough for them).


They match!

Speaking of Tigger, he would like you to know that he helped my sweater-making ventures by sleeping on said sweater whenever possible and playing with/chewing on/slobbering over said yarn even while I was knitting with it.


Ooo, yarn.

What's funny? Tigger's not nearly as interested in el cheapo acrylic I've got hanging around as he is in the Cashmerino. My cat is a yarn snob. Go figure.

This shall begin with a story. I have this set-up for taking pictures that requires I take said pictures during the two or so hours of the day in which sunlight enters through a specific window. At the beginning of this window of window time, I placed Tigger on the photo-spot for the picture seen in the previous entry. Like any proper cat, Tigger responded with this:

If you could lick there, you would too.

Followed by this:


Nice spot for a nap.

And I haven't had the heart to wake him for anything less than a cuddle or pill all week. Whatever could I do?

Improvise.


First FO of the Blog! Don't mind the cat.

This was my first-ever cabling project. I'm hooked. I chose a darker Noro Kuryeon colorway -163- in hopes of hiding any beginner cabling mistakes. I failed to take into account just how horridly I would screw up, nor that (due to utter inexperience with cables and selective vision/comprehension) I would not recognize how badly I screwed up until I knit proper cables to compare to the improper.

What am I talking about? Look at the one on the left. Yeah, that one. The back might as well be straight garter stitch for how the cables kind of, well, don't exist. I had managed to convince myself that they were the sort of thing that showed up with blocking, like lace, but knitting the second armwarmer quickly taught me my error. Oops. Still, the dark colorway does do a reasonable job of hiding the giant issue from non-knitters, and I'm not sure if I could rip it out and re-knit it because I wouldn't be able to match the point in the colorway with the yarn I have left should a properly-knit armwarmer require more yarn than an improper one. This is because the scrap yarn for both balls went into the headband.

I didn't match the start points on the colorways for each yarn either. I blame a recent yen for a pair of gloriously mismatched knee socks, not laziness. Never laziness. (Actually, I couldn't find a matching start point in the second ball. They were the same dyelot, but cut differently and I just wasn't attentive enough when purchasing.)

I'm chalking this project up to a learning experience, both on cable knitting and picking out matching balls of Kuryeon, and that's the only reason I can stand to not tear out and re-knit, much less to wear them (and wear them I do- they're wonderful for keeping my hands warm in cold classrooms whilst still allowing me to take notes). Learning experiences should be proud things, I think, no matter how many embarrassing mistakes go along with them. If you can stand up at the end and say "I know how to not screw up anymore", it's a success.

It just means I might have to knit another pair later. Much, much later.

And I still want a pair of gloriously-mismatched knee socks.