TEAMKNIT EMERGENCY!

Julie was rushed into the hospital early this morning with what docotrs deemed a classic case of appendicitis. That's my Jules, classic to the core even in illness! I imagine she's having the emergency surgery quite soon. Remembers that Simpsons episode where Dr. Hibbard performs an emergency appendix removal on the street and tosses it away right before it bursts like a grenade? Yeah, don't want that to happen. I'm sure a lil positive thought couldn't hurt, so if you're reading this..please send those vibes to my partner in crime =) -jsun

NEXT

I finally decided what to do with all my Debbie Bliss Cotton DK that I bought from a sale way back when I was on a yarn spree. I knew I'd need cotton for summer wear, and the beaded cami from Black Dog Designs leapt out at me. I had seen the pattern a while back but it was a post and subsequent knitalong on craftster that movitated me. (side note: I really like KAL's having many people work on the same project provides encouragement, advice and bonding) It's small now, having only completed the first two knit rows but I have lots of travel time in the comming days (ROAD TRIP!) to chip away.

A Fabulous 4$ FO

Pattern: The Shopping Tunic by Twinkle, published in Vogue Knitting Holiday 2006, size small Yarn: 4 (42yrd) balls of Berroco X-Press - 60% merino 40% acrylic Needles: 10mm/24" Le Collection circular needles Modifications: After lurking around blogland I decided I wanted a tunic that was tighter and more dense than the ones I had seen. I chose to use #15 needles instead of the recommended #19. I didn't add pockets to keep it streamlined and made the collar smaller in length and circumference. I also knit the entire piece instead of purling, mentally switching the pattern. The persnickity knitter in me had to sub in matching decreases/increases also. Notes: This pattern is fantastically easy and satisfying. Need a gift in a matter of hours? Ply up a few yarns to achieve gauge and off you go! Watch out for a few more of these around christmas ;) I'm glad I chose my stash Berroco from Knit-o-Matic's gigantic sale, as this tunic cost me only $4 + needles. I feel compelled to mention, as I'm completely embarassed at the pictures, that I had a hell of a time getting a good one but even more so laughing at myself viewing them afterwards. I now understand why there are so many washroom mirror pictures, it's impossible to capture it all without looking like one's myspace wh*ring. Here's lookin at you twinkle!

My Bedside Reading....

In addition to being a full-blown knitting geek, I'm also a full-blown book geek. Nerdiness just comes naturally to me, really. I tend to approach things with interest in how I can learn more, what else I should be doing, and how am I going to learn to be better/wiser/nicer to people who walk slow, etc. So, in my endless quest for improvement, I do what comes naturally to me. I research. Lately I've been reading:


I got into Elizabeth Zimmermann through brooklynweed's ongoing EZ projects, and his general opinion that she is amazing. Since I think BrooklynTweed is pretty amazing, I thought that I'd check out his source. And suddenly all the math that Jared goes on about for his sweaters made a hell of a lot more sense.

Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's blog is so addictive, I've carefully combed through every entry (that's research, NOT stalking!) and laughed and got a bit teary-eyed and really understood why she's so popular-- it's that total honesty, that self-depricating humour, that very Canadian slant that I adore. I think I may have sat next to her on the subway earlier this week, pulled out Thermal, and entered into a large conversation about knitting. She looked a lot like the Yarn Harlot, if the Yarn Harlot has recently gone dirty blonde, cut her hair into a fetching bob, and put on a bit of lipstick..... but then everything on her blog tells me that she doesn't wear make up. And don't people who want to hide from their adoring public try to look less glamourous? But then if you wanted to hide from those who knew you never wore make up, lipstick would really throw them off the trail. So I'm not sure. She did talk a lot about socks, though. And when we talked about the Toronto Knitter's Guild annual Knitter's Frolic- which she had written in her day planner. Hmmmm.

Regardless, she proclaimed my Thermal "gorgeous" and asked where the pattern came from (that would be the lovely Laura), and the we parted ways. I hope one day I'll meet her in person (and be sure about her identity) and sort this whole thing out. In the meantime, I'll keep reading. It helps me feel sane when the knitting threatens to make me crazy.

Fixing a Split Stitch

It is, as the Yarn Harlot says, tempting the knitting gods to feel smug and self-satisfied with your knitting. Even if it is just for one small moment. Here's Thermal so far:
(Let me say that the Interweave Knits magazine has no relevance to this story, other than it is on my sofa, as is my knitting.)
I paused for a moment to appreciate the lovely waffle texture, the fine stitches, and just generally to feel good about my work. And a few happy seconds later, I saw this:
(that isn't white string- I drew on the digital file so you could get a better idea of the delicate blue thread of yarn that is holding that together)

I can't just leave it like that- the tiny thread holding that stitch will eventually snap, the stitch will drop, and it'll become a huge mess in what I had hoped to be a perfect sweater. Gaaagh!

Usually I'd let the stitch drop until the error, then fix it, then ladder it back up with a crochet hook (okay, okay, with a cable needle because I can never find a crochet hook when I need one). But I didn't want to do that. I knit tightly, and my experience in my own knitting indicates that if a mistake is more than a few rows down, I can't manage to successfully recreate the stitch for twenty or so rows. Seven rows, okay. But this is long past that. So, I opted for a little duplicate stitch embroidery to save the day.

Go needle go!


And then:

There. I feel much better now. The waffle pattern is happy and flawless again.

New Yarn!!!

I got my yarn for the Central Park Hoodie!
Knit Picks Peruvian wool in 'Cranberry'. Love it. The colour is exactly what I wanted-- a deep, lipstick-red. Perfect. I was so excited, that after I swatched for gauge (and went up a size on my needles, so good thing I checked!), I started on the back.

I'm pretty excited about this project, and thanks again to Carrieoke for the inspiration!

Next up in today's yarn porn, we have something I've been coveting for a while:
Oh yeah, baby. That's 800 yards of 100% cashmere. So soft, I have to stop myself from constantly fondling it. So soft, I'm contemplating knitting myself cashmere sheets, I need to be surrounded in this bliss. Nothing is softer- not babies bottoms, not fluffy kittens, nothing. Since knitted cashmere sheets are not going to happen, I was thinking of something to sleep in made from this lovely pale pink softness. I'm still trying to decide between a camisole and short set, or a lovely and lacy short nightgown, with tiny, delicate straps. It's a shame I sleep alone, I tell ya!

mini post

There is nothing more joyful than finding out a favourite label has knit something so absolutley stunning that you are willing to pay anything to own it. Heck with the knitting it, this already is exactly what I want! Etnies Tenderfoot Sweater

A tale of another kind....

Friday was payday for Team Knit at work, and like any sane person would, we rushed to the nearest mall. We started in H&M, where I found two handbags I fancied. A chic cream/white one and a brown hobo which looked kind of blah until I stuffed Lelah in it to get an idea of the normal shape. Then, with knitting inside, it was absolutely perfect. I hesitated though, still wanting to make the rounds while Julie shopped in case I saw anything better. I didn't. Julie also had purse issues, I had to convince her Julie to return the first gorgeous purse in favour of a smaller, equally gorgeous but more "Julie" one. Then we trotted back to H&M, I bought my purses, and we began the subway trek home. So what? You're probably thinking, I go shopping all the time. Why mention this in your knitting blog? Here's why. I opened my bag to pull out my Lelah, only to discover she wasn’t there! LELAH'S GONE! My mind races at where she could possibly be and then I remember- The brown hobo! I never took it out! And it had been three and a hlaf hours since I 'tried' it in the purse! And I hadn't thought of her since! I just finished the freaking decreases! F*&#$!!!! I was flipping out because not only do I have lelah in there, but also three sets of needles- two addi's and 1 knit pick circular. I was nearly in tears when we get back to H&M, like a mother frantic to find her child. And there she was, sitting safe and sound on the cashiers mantle just as Julie predicted. Julie suggested we take a photo. The rush of relief is comical and soon I'm laugh/crying over how worked up I just got. I hadn't realized how much a project can grow on a person before. I really felt as if I'd lost my baby.

Reunited at long last

Needle fix

I mistakenly bought #15 circular needle a while back when I wanted to make quick chunky slouchy hats for everyone around Christmas. Never happened, I was too busy with other wip's. Last week I whipped them out again and cast on a huge cylindrical swatch to see if I could get gauge for the Twinkle Shopping Tunic. Big snag, however when I realized I bought the 31" length instead of 24"! D'oh! (Good thing I didn't make those hats) So I picked up a pair of Collection's bamboo #15/24" at Romni's on the weekend. I could have gotten plastic ones for cheaper but I'm quite partial to bamboo. Especially Addi Natura Bamboo circs, of which I now own four pairs. I find that the join is ever so smooth and the tapered tip is sharp enough for lace but dull enough not to hurt my thumbs. My metal knit picks needles(although faster and sharper) hurt my thumbs as I tend to push down on the needle tip to move the stitches along. But enough needle talk, here is a shot of my progress on the shopping tunic. I'm using Berocco express as a twinkle substitute. It's a bit thinner than the recommended yarn but I like that it's 60% merino and 40% acrylic. I do not want an entirely wool tunic in the summer no matter how much I covet Another Shopgirl's urchin version.

I am already envisioning my first tunic outfit. White cuffed capris, gold+white dangly earrings, hair messily pulled back and lots of blush. With the ease of this pattern and thickness of wool, I'll be done very shortly.

Dashing, out of Season

Even though it's summer and really not practical, may I present Dashing, from the Spring 2007 issue of Knitty.

These are a gift for someone (now a friend of ours, but then a remote friend-of-a-friend) we met under strange circumstances that also include the story of how Jen and I got the name Team Knit (it wasn't cooked up just for the blog), but we'll tell that story another time. Anyway, the pertinent details of Dashing involve being in the hotel bar at the Holiday Inn in Boardman, Ohio, and our new friend saw me wearing a pair of hand warmers I made from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. He wanted a pair, but with a thumb. I may have had a lot to drink that night and agreed to knit something for someone I had only met an hour earlier (boy, do I ever keep to my word or what?!). Coincidentally enough, Dashing came out in the new Knitty a couple weeks after that.

I was bored witless knitting them, but EVERY guy that saw me knitting these wanted a pair. They wanted to try them on, they wanted to touch them, even guys who don't normally wear gloves like these. I really dragged my heels on this project, because I was in the mood for something more stimulating, pattern-wise, and all that ribbing bored the hell out of me. But for a quick low-key knit, these were perfect.
These are being modelled by our kind co-worker Jonathan, hours before I packaged them up and shipped them to Team Knit's friend in California.

My Vogue Knitting magazines arrived! I have been waiting and planning for this, so I immediately cast on for the first sand dollar-esque part of the capecho. And here it is, in all it's unblocked glory: The capechos I've seen have been huge, and I wanted something a bit more form-fitting, a bit more like the way the cover looks (even though I realize that really, that model has a capecho bunched and pinned behind her back). Also, I knew that this bit of experimentation might go horribly, horribly wrong, so just in case, I didn't want to be using my priciest merino for this. It's basic DK weight acrylic, done on 2.5 mm needles. Yes, that's right- 2.5 mm. Now, here's my confusion: The pattern calls for 5.5 mm needles. And the schematic in the magazine shows that each sand dollar is about 5" across (for the xs size). So explain this:

The sheep says that my unblocked sand dollar is only a smidgen under 5". How on earth did I get gauge on 2.5 mm? I'm completely flabbergasted. My stealthy plan to knit this on tiny needles is going to need a re-think. I'm going to block it tonight. For acrylic, I just give it a good old fashioned steam-and-press with the iron. This makes acrylic limp and drapey, which is exactly what I want it to do, since I have no desire for the capecho to make me look like a linebacker for the NFL. Once blocked, I'll see how big it is, and then decide how many of these it would actually take to fit around me. This one will be an experiment right up to the bitter end, I think.

To Nupp or knott to Nupp?

I don't remember the first time I saw Nancy Bush's Madli shawl, but instantaneously I was in love. The I watched on as other experienced knitters churned out that heavenly stole in varied weights. I never dreamed I'd have the necessary skills to complete lace, let alone a full stole- due to sheer commitment. Well my friends, that day has passed twice over and I'm determined not to miss it on this third round. In particular it was Joyblogging's and All Tangled Up'a that game me the final push.

This one is Joyblogging's Madli. Look at that, gorgeous! Or like I usually say in my Little Britain voice- GOOOOOORRRRRRGEOUS! But alas, nupps aka bobbles, were something I vowed never to do again. *que dream sequence* In 2006 my roomate Jena Gatto was completing her degree in fashion at Ryerson University; in which, all designers must complete a 7 piece line. Jena's influences were her italian roots and created haute coture pieces based on the sicilian godfather-esque theme. (Here's where her bestfriend Kate and I come in) Jena designed garments with a lot of handknit details- cuffs, waistbands, kneepads etc. The bobble rib stitch pattern she chose complicated what Kate and I thought was easy knitting. Alone, a 6inch cuff would take 4+hours of solid knitting a whole waistband would take days and days. I think you may see the problem- knitting isn't fun when you are rushing to make a deadline. I won't even go into the pain of explaining how we had to remake pieces when they were a few centimeters off. Such is a labour of love, and in the end, boy oh boy were we proud. My boyfriend Tobias Visualbass agreed to lend his photography skills in the master photoshoot which resulted in the following shots. And because Jena's garments won a giant contest- two of the pieces were displayed in HOLT RENFREW'S main Bloor Street windows. Amazing, I know! My handiwork- at HOLTS. Crazy. I even managed to convince Jules to model with me for the second part of the shoot.(she's going to kill me- i know it!) Hot. Like. Lava. So what do you think? Go nuppless and finish it faster? Yeah I think so too! Check out www.visualbass.com and www.gattodesign.net for more pictures and info on both collaborators.

A Typical Morning for Team Knit

This conversation was conducted via email, over the course of four hours of work (we really do work at our jobs!)

Jen: The Summer Knitty is out!
(Team Knit goes and investigates all new patterns on knitty.com)

Julie: I like sophie, zinzin, wisp, and unmentionables- they look like comfy house pants for lounging around in.

Jen: I like coachella, but would want something sexier in the back.

Julie: Too. Many. Socks. I like knitting socks, but not that much.

Jen: I would have liked to see something for the house. Like that Knitted Chandelier you showed me?

Julie: Ooh, yes. The chandelier on Anthropologie . But you told me I was insane. It's still on my mental list though, of things to knit. I'm still looking at zinzin: I think I would use smaller ribbons. And I would need to live with someone, so they could do me up. (moment of self-pity).

Jen: Or you could invent a bow tying robot.

Julie: Not a bad idea. The robot would need to be able to do buttons, and dress zippers. God, that would be brilliant!! I've been looking at Sophie a bit more-- I think I would make another slash in it, in the body, just to up the sexiness.
(I imagine the black slash that I added would be cut out, like the neckline).
It would compliment the neck slash a lot more. Thanks for the rice krispie, by the way. Yummy!

Jen: I think it would look good on a manequin, because of the way the top sits. Keep in mind, tummy is taboo these days- remember how out of place that girl looked yesterday? Ps. I want a robot who can compute my outfits for temperature, comfort and occasion.

Julie: Right.... (remembering girl wearing tummy bearing shirt and looking like an idiot) I meant as a bar top, though. Not a Saturday afternoon top. You know how some things look right in a bar, but look slutty elsewhere. I don't know, I'll think about it. Wisp looks really functional, though. I've got that Rowan kidsilk I've been hoarding for a wrap. Did you decide what you're going to work on when Lelah is being difficult?

Jen: I have a ball of white mohair haze that I need to use up. Wisp looks like a good use. Not a lot of yardage needed. I worked on Lelah last night completely changed how I said I was going to do the decreases, the new way looks much more chic. But I do need a few more somethings on the go. Tonight I'll cast on for the shopping tunic. I'm torn between fuschia and navy blue- what do you think?

Julie: Hmmmm. I vote Navy. More versatile. And I can't wait to see the Lelah decreases. Want to go knit in the park at lunch?

Jen: Yes! Lets go now!

In the meanwhile...

Julie brought her copy of Knitting Lingerie Style into work for us to pour over last week. It's a gorgeous book with pictures that compliment the patterns in a casual, yet ladylike and elegant way. The designer, Joan Mcgowan-Michael infused her items with lace and delicate stitching details resulting in a sexier, overtly femme book. I'm not sure what I'll knit first- there are so many choices!~ Below are a selection of the patterns I adore. Mind the grainy shots- I didn't take them. I'm also upset that I couldn’t find a picture of my favourite pattern in the whole book- A top with a lace bust and attached silk slip. When you see the book, you'll know the one. Fabulous! Retro Ribby Twinset Fit and Flare Trumpet Skirt Bed Jacket Lace Top Embroidered Stockings Basic Bra and Panty(thong I think) Both of us, being keeners that we are- prompty joined the Lingerie Style Knit Along, moderated by Robin - who also has a Fitted Knits Along for anyone interested. And because every KAL needs a button (or four), over the weekend I made a bunch for us and the crew! I haven't had the chance to post them yet- but give me another post or so and they'll be up.

Lelah, the difficult little wench

I'm mad at Lelah- we are barley on speaking terms at the moment. I had carefully done measurements and calculations to consider how to get the lace to work with the fact that I'm starting with a lot more repeats than I'll end up with, and not have any bunching. I got to the point where I was starting to do decreases to get to the empire waist, but suddenly I needed to take 40 stitches out. Yes, 40. That's a lot of decreasing. Especially if you don't want it to bunch in that billowy, pregant way. Suddenly, near the empire waist, I relaized that I couldn't do all the decreases the way I thought. I need to frog, substantially, and try again. Frogging sucks. I feel like I've frogged so much since I've started this project- I frogged the first version, when it was too small, and I've frogged inches and inches along the way. I feel like I've knitted enough lace to make 10 Lelahs, and ripped it all out again. Like Cyn my Craftster-Tank/Tube-Along-buddy says, It eats away at the soul! Especially when it's the only thing I'm working on. I need to pick up another project, something to soothe the soul when Lelah has played too many mind games with me. So, when I gather the emotional strength to pick Lelah up again, I'm going to do the decrease like before two on either side of a stable pillar. To also cut down on sts, I will decrease the two purls between the lace to one, and of the purls between the merges to a single knit stitch. It will make the joining decreases smoother I believe. We here at Team Knit believe no entry post should be without pictures. Enter my favourite new necklace, happy in a field of clover flowers.

Phildar Shrug, the Recreation

I have a funny feeling that the pattern for the Phildar shrug that I covet is nothing more than a circular shrug in feather and fan stitch, with ribbing at the 'sleeves' to give it a more sleevy look. I noticed this when I saw on Angel's blog her lovely Phildar shrug, and it reminded me so much of the circular shrug. What do you think?

My version wouldn't have the ribbed sleeves, but be edged all in picot. Despite the fact that picots are a pain, I think it would be worth it. Of course, I imagine I'll get to this right after I finish all my other projects, quit my job, solve world hunger, become emperor of a small sheep-filled country, and learn French. Although I might do a little doll-sized prototype sooner just to see if my instincts are right on this.

Damn You, Dye Lot!!!

See that? Where the lace and the stockinette meet?

That's my personal hell, right there. I can't believe it. I don't know what to do. Especially since I'm convinced that I had another skein of the original dye lot, and I can't find it anywhere. My mind is playing cruel tricks on me, I tell you.
Now, there is a possibility that the average non-knitter will never be able to see the difference. I'm also *really* hoping that once I thread a ribbon through the eyelet row, you won't be able to see the difference. There is also a possibility that the yarn ages and changes colour-- the stash yarn was at least six months old. Also, I'm hoping that blocking might cause it to mellow, and hopefully decide to be more like it's friend, lace edging. I'm going to persevere, and if worse comes to worst, only wear the skirt at night. In dark, candle-lit restaurants. Which doesn't sound that bad, now that I think about it.

On to happier subjects... I cast on for Thermal on Saturday (see 2 posts below for a photo of me knitting the first rows alfresco), and I'm almost done the first band of ribbing. It's still tiny enough that it fits in my purse, for on-the-go knitting.

I'm using Knit Picks gloss, in 'Dusk', on my new 3mm circulars. I really love this yarn, but I wish it would have been available in more colours (only 8- none of which were a rich forest green, which would have been my first choice). I chose Dusk, a lovely dark, denim-y blue. Now that I'm looking at the photo, i'm falling in love with it all over again. I started to panic a bit about an inch into the waistband, thinking it would be too small, but I bound off the stitches, tried it on, and was pleasantly surprised by how stretchy it was. So I undid the cast off row and carried on.

Little Red Riding Hood Fetish, Anyone?

I love a good cardi, no question. Nothing makes chilly weekends comfy and cozy quite like a great cardi. I'm suddenly crushing on the Central Park Hoodie from Knitscene, thanks to Carrieoke's Knitting Blog -- There it is, red, cabled, perfect. I even love the buttons. I suggest you go have a look!

I really wish that magazines allowed you to order PDFs of certain patterns that are more than a year old- I would love to knit that cardi, but I didn't really see anything else that I loved when I checked out other patterns from that issue. So, the dilemma- do I order the magazine anyway (and pay hideous shipping fees) or do I just sit tight and see if sometime this fall, a lovely and similar pattern shows up in Interweave Knits or Vogue Knitting? Hmmmmm. Especially now that I've seen it in Red, I've got a sudden Little Red Riding Hood fetish. It doesn't help that there is also a great KAL for it, too!

The object of my affection du jour, only in green. But imagine how innocently sexy and comfy you'd feel in a little red one.....

Public Knitting

Team Knit spent Saturday afternoon in line at the Royal Ontario Museum, to get free tickets to the opening of the new addition, the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal. It's been a fairly contraversial addition to the ROM, but I like it. It's gutsy, it's brave, and I think an addition that mimicked the architecture of the original building would be acrylic pretending to be cashmere. I like a good old-fashioned juxtaposition of eras anyway.

So, while in line for the two hours in the blistering hot sun, we did what Team Knit does- we knitted.

Jen's working away at Lelah there, and I'm on the second or third row of the newly-cast on Thermal. I had to put down the Lacy Skirt from Greetings from the Knit Cafe, because I ran out yarn. I checked my yardage when I first cast on, but I'm apparently waaay short. I've stopped just after the lacy repeat, so since there is no way I'll be able to match the dye lot (old stash yarn), I'll have to get something very close, hold my breath, and hope it fools the naked eye.

I'm using Knit Picks 3mm circulars. I love Knit Picks needles-- like Addis, but way cheaper. Here's a recent shot of my newest babies:

That's 2mm, 2.5mm, and 3mm. I love small needles!

Error: brain unable to process

Last night was crazy. Pretending to be someone else at a party of strangers is retarded fun. I'm sure we'll get around to posting the proofs soon. Here to soothe the hangover is my latest crop from Phildar. sleek drape and subtle accents soft and cuddly nix the bobbles on the sleeves and waistband a suprising front that is begging to be evened out i want to have babies with this coat. i would change nothing.

Troubles with Tubes

A few weeks ago I decided that -Lelah- is my must-have top for summer. I want to wear it riding my bike on a sunday morning, to after work drinks in Yorkville and especially want to show it off at work. I reviewed the pattern and felt competent that it has all the attributes I was looking for: easily memorisable lace, flowy empire waist and very little seaming/sewing. This is a small commitment project that I would recommend for anyone forging beyond accessories. I do recommend heavily, that one takes ones body shape into consideration before casting on. The pattern as written is not suitable for all in my opinion. Before you whack me with your needles, hear why. I am a classic pear shape, the bulk of my weight gained or lost is contained below the navel. Simply, I have wide hips and a rather (sexy) shapely bottom and thighs. Enter the godsend of empire waist, able to flatter a variety of figures including the pear. A major component of an empire waist is the gentle flare from bust line to hips that allows a top to float rather than sit. Still with me? Ok. In my opinion (a pear's opinion) the written pattern permits not enough float necessary to look chic. Especially when lengthening the written pattern. A person with less hips/butt could pull this off easily.. pears? No freakin way. It will stretch out the lace and you will look fat and wide even if you arent. I learnt this the hard way, 8 lace repeats, kicking, screaming and much pouting later. What I have done to correct this is cast on for two additional vertical lace panels. These panels will be merged and decreased later, of which I will describe at length and what changed I would still make in the FO post this weekend for those interested.

Until then, here she is in her current state. Lace repeats done, onto the eyelets and decreasing/stockinette tonight.

NEVER Enough Knitting Patterns....

I have a subscription to Interweave Knits, which I adore and pour over every time it shows up in my mailbox, but I do not have a subscription to any other knitting magazines. I buy when I see something I really like, or I order the far-flung Rowan magazine when I'm feeling rich. Recently, I have come to the conclusion I should just break down and get a subscription to Vogue Knitting. Because yesterday, I found myself ordering two back copies:Now I'm feeling a bit dumb. These were magazines that were in pretty much every magazine shop and drugstore in Toronto for the entire winter season. I thumbed through them, observed everyone's blogged Vogue capecho problems from a cool distance, and decided not to buy them. Why? Because I already had tons of knitting magazines and patterns, and there was already no way I'd ever manage to knit every knitting pattern I had at home, so why add to the collection? Except now, I'm kicking myself. Because NOW I want a capecho, NOW I want the scarf and great cardigan from the Holiday 06 issue. NOW I want them all:


So of course I had to order them, and pay extra charges for shipping. When really, if I hadn't talked myself out of them in the winter, they would have been cheaper. Serves me right for trying to NOT buy knitting magazines. Sigh.

I adore that lavender-coloured belted cardigan that's in the Holiday 06 issue. I'm thinking it would be great for work, in a deep grey. It would say: I'm professional and look fantastic, and why yes, I am a kick-ass knitter. So nyah nyah nyah.

The capecho: yes, it's a tricky knit. And there are construction issues and sizing issues and all sorts of well-documented horrors related to this fascinating piece of modular knitting. But I've somehow convinced myself that a) it will look good on me and b) I'll be able to knit it better, since I've already seen so many blogged-about and scary-looking capechos. And even if I fail miserably, I'll post all of it here, so you can have a chuckle at my pain and torment. By which I mean my knitting.