Lessons Learned

First off, I must thank Rebecca and Punkin for your comments yesterday. That kept me going until 10 pm last night.

I realized after I re-evaluated this whole vest mess that not only did I have to frog the front but I would have to frog the back as well. How does this happen? All I can say is that I am learning. I'm learning a lot, which IS a good thing.

This is when the Nihon concepts really take a firm grip in my brain/memory. It is exciting to really get it. It can just be very hard getting there. Like any valuable lesson in life, it can be hard but the payoff can be tremendous.

I had numerous fits and starts. First problem. The needle size I documented in my notes that I used were incorrect. I firmly remembered using size 6 (4.25mm) but my notes said 7(4.5 mm). I spent about an hour knitting, tearing out, re-knitting. Ok lesson learned. Be very careful in documentation (Lesson #1)

To re-knit I had used the yarn I had just frogged. That will NOT work. I looked at the knitted piece and it looked uneven. I frogged yet again. I should have taken a photo but I didn't. I don't want to keep that memory! :)

I have one(1) yes, one more ball of this yarn. I HAD to use this last skein because the yarn that resulted in my frogging was NOT going to work.

You can kind of see it in this photo. I knit about 4 rows using the bad yarn. I hope this will block out.

Where had I gone awry? Oh...it was in many places.



In the photo about you see two curved lines. The bottom curve is the original armhole curve. The second curve is the adjust armhole which is the one I want to knit to.

After I adjusted the armhole, for the back of the vest, I started decreasing at the beginning of the second, upper curve. My fatal mistake was for some reason I looked at the decrease numbers for the lower curve(Lesson #2).

If you look at the lower curve and follow the line up to the shoulder I somehow knit to that width. The width of the shoulder should be following the line of the upper curve. This is a huge mistake. (Lesson #3)

I took the frogged yarn and wound it around my knitty noddy and spritzed it with water in hopes of it relaxing back close to the original, unused yarn. I think I *may* have enough of the one skein to finish up what I have to re-knit. I will most likely have to use the frogged yarn for the neckline and armhole ribbing.

I have not like working with this yarn and this resulting frogged yarn pretty much puts the nail in the coffin for me with this yarn. Do not use Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran for a class project. It does not have good memory plus I'm finding it pills more than I would like(Lesson #4).

I have my weekend cut out for me. I will be locked in my office.

Since 5 is my lucky number I have come up with Lesson #5. Always put homework first. No more *fun* knitting for awhile(yeah, right). Get the homework done first and THEN you can do other knitting.

Wish me luck. I have a whole lot of work to do before next Saturday.

Since we only meet every 6 weeks or so it is really hard to pace myself in what has to be done. This is one big downside of the long breaks between classes. Up in Vancouver they meet every 2 weeks I think. This would definitely help with questions and pacing. I'm finding this pacing harder and harder the more projects we are juggling at once. Maybe it was the Christmas holiday's that put a crimp in my pacing as well. I did do a fair but of non-Nihon knitting.

I gotta run. Chase and Beanie just came up to my office to tell me to come down for breakfast! I've been up working on homework since 5:30 a.m. I guess I can take a break now. First I have to unchain myself from the desk!

Small side note. I didn't want to say anything but I was going to go down to see a dog in Gig Harbor today. He's a little Yorkie that needs rescuing. He is so darn cute. My heart breaks to know his story and I really wanted to meet him. I know Greg, Chase, Beanie and I could be a great family for him. Greg tells me he will find a good home. I just think our home is the best. There is just no way I could take the time out do see him today. Next week I'm in Nihon class all weekend so I couldn't see him then either. I guess it just isn't in the cards this time. Go check out Animals In Need. It is the start of another year. Start making your charitable contributions now. They could use the help.

If you look at the animals for adoption this little guy is Pito. He just arrived in the states two days ago and yesterday he had to have his hair cut short because it was so matted. How could anyone just leave this cutie pie in the back yard to starve? I'll be thinking of him all day long, wishing I could go meet him.