KO Frustration..and more...

[Cristy]

Well, I didn't get to swatch as I had wanted to (planned for this morning) b/c I realized at the last moment that I only had really long size 8 straights and I wanted some shorter in length for such a narrow project (Irish Hiking Scarf). I decided that I'd go to Michaels, meet a friend for lunch, and then be back at home with an hour or so to spare before I needed to cast on.....

Michaels didn't have the needles I wanted...a minor inconvenience since I found a pattern book I had wanted. I decided that after lunch I'd make a quick stop by walmart to get the needles I needed and then head home. I'd be short on time--but I'd still have enough time to swatch....

Walmart didn't have them either...and on the way home our agent called w/ good news--we got the house! The seller had indicated that they might rent when the appraisal came up short...but they changed their mind. So it was good news...

The loan office called as I was entering my apartment to tell me that I needed to decide on my homeowner's insurance so that the agent could send him the needed info if we were going to the papers finished in time to close by the date we set. So instead of swatching...I called one more insurance company and took care of having the apraisal sent over.

I finally started my IHS but frogged twice b/c of errors. After finishing up about 12 rows, I decided that I had chosen a bad yarn or something b/c the picture on the pattern looks thick and warm and what I was knitting looked very thin and not at all warm--plus...it was much narrower than I had envisioned.

I decided to count what I had done as my swatch and start over with a different yarn. I went to my stash and everything is either too thick or too thin...I don't have much in the middle. The yarn I purchased fits the pattern (Paton's Classic Wool) but it seems thinner or less fluffy than even my wool-ease worsted. I tried it with a very thick yarn and it was WAY too wide...so I decided to knit it double stranded. For a few rows, I was happy. Then...I noticed how worn the wool was just from rubbing over my fingers...Then...I noticed a mistake.

I started to try and correct my mistake but ended up doing more harm than good.

So I'm back to square one...I don't know what to do. Do I change over to wool-ease worsted and see if I like it better, do I just start from scratch...do I change projects alltogther?

HELP!

[Ingrid]

If you use a thinner needle, you'll get a denser fabric.

Wonderful news about the house, though!! :cheering:

[Cristy]

yes but wouldn't it be even narrower? I couldn't work on it any more last night...I would keep going if I could just fix my mistakes--I didn't frog it..I just layed it aside.
I started a baby blanket but didn't get far b/c I got really sleepy. I figure I could change projects for the KO but there is no way I'll get a baby blanket done in time, I fear. :(
Thanks for the suggestion Ingrid.

[nicolethegeek]

A thinner needle won't make *that* much difference in the width of you scarf, not as much difference as it will make in the drapability/stiffness of the finished fabric anyway. I'm sending you mental and virtual hugs though... I stumbled big time out of the starting gate with my project, and had to go work on my son's pullover for a while last night to regroup, so I can totally relate to how are feeling.

I've got a cute anecdote though: While working on the pullover last night, my husband walked by as I was knitting, and asked me if that was my Olympics. I told him no, since I had started it last weekend. He asked me why I was working on that when I had said the other day {to a friend on the phone, which he must have overheard} that I wouldn't be working on anything but Olympics after Friday! :roflhard: :thumbsup:

Congrats big time on the house... a whole new reason to buy yarn... you have to make new stuff for the new house and it all has to coordinate! ;)

[Cristy]

Thanks...I think I've decided to change my project--and my new choice is even more challenging--it's a baby blanket. It's more challenging b/c of the size of it (especially now that I know I'm moving for sure in less than 2 weeks! We are closing on the 21st!)
It's not that I don't want to do the scarf...I do but if I'm going to put the time into it--I want to do it right and with yarn that I'm going to like, ya know? Also--I hate to sound ignorant but I wasn't aware that cables are single sided (makes sense though now that I realized it...) and I like double sided scarves so I don't have to think about which side goes up when I throw it around my neck.
I appreciate the virtual hugs--I feel better about it now that I slept on it and since I'm really liking the looks of this baby blanket so far...(it's only the edging right now..but it's pretty!)