Learning curve

I've been ripping and knitting like mad the past several weeks -- I guess you could say I'm reknitting through the recession. What better time to take apart all those projects that weren't quite right and learn how to make them better? With this in mind I unraveled a gorgeous (albeit HUGE) shawl knit with Lana D'Oro (now discontinued, but very yummy!) and have 21 cakes of yarn with which to knit a luxurious throw -- without spending a penny.

I also knit, ripped, and reknit the sleevelss Soleil from Knitty. I won't say just how many times I knit, ripped, and reknit; suffice it to say I can now knit this top from memory. I've not finished it yet, as I think there's more to learn from this curvy top. The last lesson will be adding sleeves.

Next on my list was a soft and warm beret knit in Cascade's Cloud 9, a wool/angora blend. I had already knit, ripped, and reknit several times. I had put it up for almost a year and figured it was time to try again. Three times I knit, ripped, and reknit -- over four days. Using Ann Budd's The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns I thought I could finally get this thing right. I measured, checked my gauge, and knit -- only to find the brim was too loose. Okay, recheck, cast on fewer stitches and reknit. Still too big. Take out the colorful stuff I ran with the Could 9 in the ribbing -- maybe it made the rib gauge too large? I thought I had it this time. Fewer stitches, just the Cloud 9. And here is the result: You can imagine what fun the family has had with this. :)



So. Here's what I learned:

Lesson #1: Always check for errata. Sure enough, I eventually found on the 'net some conversation about this very pattern and the fact that there were several corrections to this book. (FYI: the decreases for the swirled top were incorrect in the book -- thus, the "conehead" shape and a wonderful opportunity for poking fun at Mama's new hat.)

Lesson #2: No, angora does NOT have a memory like wool. Therefore, no matter how small I made the circumference, the hat stretched and did not "bounce back."

So, for the price of dipping into the stash (of yarn and of completed "misfit" projects) and several hours of leisurely knitting, I learned some very valuable knitting lessons. Not bad, really. "But," you may ask, "where's the finished product, then?" Well, the Cloud 9 is back in the stash -- perhaps to be a scarf some day (what else does not need memory?) -- and the beret (or tam, as it's called in the Ann Budd book) is in process (with a wool yarn from the stash). Pictures to follow. :)