When the latest issue of knitty was published, I saw the perfect sweater, Spoke. I love circular things, especially circular motifs in sweaters. It was the Annie Modesitt twisted float shrug that convinced me to buy my first knitting magazine and I’ve been hooked on circular knits ever since.

Also, I’m proud to tell you that today I even understand what “twisted float” means.

This Mountain Colors yarn could look very beautiful in a twisted float knit, but I decided to go with the newly published Spoke pattern because it looks interesting to knit, flattering to wear, and practical for the everyday wardrobe.

Swatch? No. I jumped in using a US5 needle. I do love swatching, but the back of the sweater starts with stockinette, then moves into 1×1 ribbing, so… that’s good enough for a swatch when you’re ready to jump into a knit. After I had knit about 10 or 12 inches worth, I stopped to take a look at my work. At that point I was knitting with my local knitting group, so, as usual, I got to borrow someone’s tape measure to have an official inspection. OK, I guess it’s no surprise here that my gut was right. The gauge was completely wrong for the pattern. The fabric was lovely, the colors didn’t pool strangely and I liked the thickness and tension. But I couldn’t continue to pretend that it would work because this sweater would be way too small. Say it with me:
B A R B I E . S W E A T E R.

I did what all strong knitters do, I calmly and simply pulled out the needle, ripped out my work to the knitterly chorus of “NO!!”, and created a new, round ball of yarn.

I decided that a US8 needle would be the best size to produce the necessary gauge. After I knit the first stockinette portion, I measured. The gauge was close enough for government work; I could definitely block it to the right size. I quickly knit up the whole back piece. While knitting, it suddenly occured to me that this yarn would be perfect for a skirt in my queue, Norah Gaughan’s Snapping Turtle Skirt. Was this yarn made for the Snapping Turtle Skirt? With it’s lovely shades of green and autumn colors, it looks like a turtle sunning itself on a branch in an autumn pond.

I remeasured the gauge. The stockinette is 19st=4in. The pattern calls for 16st=4in. I could block it to the appropriate size, but I don’t like how loose the tension is. It’s almost floppy and sagging. Also in this gauge, I don’t like the color pooling along the upper back.

Will I be happy with this sweater? Will I be proud of wearing it in public?

I realized that today was my day to officially become an experienced knitter, to use my previous experiences and knitting knowledge to make a good decision about my project plan. My previous experiences told me that I wouldn’t be happy with this sweater and I wouldn’t wear it much. This beautiful yarn needs to be displayed in a way that highlights its interestingness and colorful beauty.
So I’ve frogged it. It could be a great Snapping Turtle Skirt.

2010 is the year to focus on gettin’ ‘er done!

Don’t worry, I have another Christmas knit that I didn’t finish. It comes next.

I’ve wandered around Denver, its north metro area (Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, Superior), and Boulder. In summary, the good food can be found in lower downtown Denver and in Boulder. We have good shopping right here, down the street, in Broomfield and Superior. From now on I plan to avoid Westminster if possible. A side note here that I was mistaken in thinking that Colorado is a state full of rich, white people.

So what do you want to know about the place? Would you like to know where to peruse a full selection of French magazines in a warm, cozy bookshop? If so, I recommend Tattered Cover Book Store. Would you like to watch a movie at a theater full of teenagers, lacking in sufficient parking, and with an absent valet? If so, then I recommend AMC Westminster Promenade 24. Would you like to have a delicious and authentic Ethiopian supper? Then I recommend Ras Kassa’s Ethiopia Restaurant in Boulder. Would you like to shop for fabric and yarn in a locally owned shop that specializes in eco-friendly and socially conscious yarns? Then I recommend Fancy Tiger Crafts.

Fancy Tiger Crafts, in Denver on the border of Speer and Baker neighborhoods, is a fairly small shop with lots to explore. I especially enjoyed their sewing sections, including lots of books and patterns. They have those really cute Amy Butler patterns which I cannot afford. I loved all their unique and modern oilcloth, so come springtime, I plan to make an outdoor table cloth and chair covers on my balcony café table. For now I purchased some Cascade Yarns Eco Alpaca and a cute, cute, cute yard of pincord corduroy (22 wale per inch), printed with matroiska dolls and ponies. What should I make with my new treasures?

The Lamb Shoppe was busy, busy, busy on a Sunday afternoon. They have a coffee bar, serving Illy coffee, YUM! This shop is chalk full of yarn, from floor to ceiling. There were tables and lots of chairs for people to sit and knit, drink coffee, read, and hang out. While I was there, a beginner’s knitting class was in session. I overheard the teacher giving instructions for a long-tail cast-on. All in all, I grade this shop as one of my favorite stores in the USA. I purchased some gift yarn there, a new wool-winder, and some Noro Kochoran. I know, I know, Noro’s really not my favorite yarn, but it was exactly what I was looking for because I am making a Mesi hat to match my blue and grey ski jacket.

As you can see, it only has one pom-pom added, but I wore it on the slopes on Sunday anyway. The pom-pom is enormously attractive to snow and becomes quite heavy after I wipe out on the slopes. So I definitely need a second one.

This hat definitely has some maker’s marks in it, but I am happy with the result so far. The Noro is bulky weight yarn and the pattern calls for DK, so it is very dense and warm.

Next time, I’ll tell you a bit about Fancy Tiger and the yarn and fabric I found there.

Tonight I had planned to attend Wear-a-Skanky-Hat night, but things don’t always go as planned when you’re in the process of moving across the country. I’m writing to you tonight while sitting in the midst of many, many boxes in my soon-to-be-former apartment in Alabama. This morning we went to Penske to pick up the 22′ truck we reserved for moving week. However, the truck wasn’t ready. The last driver reported some problems, but the mechanic hadn’t had time to look at it. We took the truck anyway, drove it a couple of miles, then turned around to return it. It had major vibrations, the sort which dislodge your internal organs, so driving it to Colorado was not an option. Penske didn’t have any other trucks for us, so we left and decided to work on a different, impromptu plan.

Early in our moving plans we had gotten quotes from many moving companies. They were all very expensive, so we nixed that plan… until this morning. With no Penske truck and full of movers’ fatigue, we decided that hiring movers would be a better plan today. The first company we called offered us a good deal, only $100 more than renting a truck ourselves, so we decided to go with it.

The movers were scheduled to depart Atlanta at 1:30, therefore should arrive about 5:30 or 6.

We were pretty tired by 5:30 or 6 and expecting their visit at any moment, when Guillaume accidentally sliced his finger on a rough metal edge. There was lots of blood and screaming, plus panic-stricken cats. I’d already packed the first aid box, but managed to find it before he bled to death. After I got everyone settled down, he decided he didn’t want to go to the ER. The fingerprint on his index finger may be very different when the wound heals. In fact he may yet end up going to the doctor to get stitches, but for tonight some bandages and electrical tape seem to be sufficient.

The movers actually arrived at 8pm and told us they had come from Miami that morning. That’s quite a drive. They took a look around at our furniture and boxes, then told us that the quote was too low and they didn’t have enough space in the truck for our stuff. We negotiated for a while and I think we came to an agreement.  The head mover told us he needed to get some sleep, would get up in the morning to drop off his current load in order to make room for our load, and be back to pick up our stuff in the morning. He told us that a different crew would be unloading our stuff in Colorado, so I assume this means that it will go by train.

I’ll be glad to get all this stuff on a truck and see it away. I have lots of unfinished work on my checklist, but most of it is dependent on getting this stuff westward bound.