So yesterday I decided I'm going to start knitting the tunic from Takhi Stacy Charles. I have enough yarn at 70 cents a ball that it would cost me less than $10 to make. Which is good, because if I screwed it up that would not be a problem.
I do have a problem though.
I knit a swatch.
(Yes. Me. I actually knit a swatch!)
But that is not the problem.
I got gauge, as I suspected I would. The gauge on the ball band was identical to the one listed for the ($11 a ball) Zara Chine yarn the pattern is designed for.
No problem there.
Unfortunately, my bargain stuff resulted in a fabric that's too stiff to contemplate for this tunic.
That's the problem.
I also tried Rowan Cashsoft, but all I have is the Aran weight. It is softer yarn, and by changing needle size I can get close to gauge, but the resulting fabric is, of course, too bulky. Perhaps Rowan Cashsoft DK would work, but I don't have any of that -- certainly not the 10-11 balls (at around $9 a ball) I would need in order to complete this project.
Other disappointments -- okay, I realize that knitting-related disappointments are not a big deal as far as real life goes, but theoretically anyone reading this is a knitter and will understand where I'm coming from -- my other disappointments have to do with a couple of scarves I knit last year.
First, my Ribs & Ruffles scarf that I knit from Misti Alpaca Handpaint Chunky. It's so soft and smooshy I was looking forward to the cold weather so I could accessorize an outfit with it. Alas, when I wore it next to my skin, I could only do so for about half an hour before it started feeling ITCHY.
I'm not supposed to itch with animal fibre next to my skin. I'm a real knitter, dammit! (The discomfort was on the same level as when I wear mascara. Sooner or later my eyelids start to burn. I wear mascara on special occasions anyway. I suppose my scarf will be like that too.)
And then, the first thing I ever knit, my garter stitch scarf knit with Lion Brand Incredible. It took me a while to find it in my closet but I was so happy when I did find it to be able to wear that one too. (It didn't itch.)
Unfortunately, it appears to be falling apart. I'm pretty sure the cat has something to do with that, along with slippery nylon ribbon yarn and my novice knit stitches. But still. I love that scarf. It can't fall apart. I want to be able to wear it for the rest of my natural life. It's the first thing I ever knit and it's beautiful.*
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* You know, the way your own child is beautiful, because you were responsible for bringing it into existence. Etc., etc., gag, barf, puke.
2 comments:
I hate it when the yarn you have in mind just won't do. It's a conspiracy to ensure that your stash never shrinks
I feel for you all the way around! Maybe you could take a crochet hook and fix your pulled loop on your scarf, it is so pretty!
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