Delusions of Grandeur

In January, I announced to my knitting group, the wonderful Pasadena Daytimers, that my New Year's resolution for 2006 was to make six sweaters. Six. These words from a woman who has previously only made one adult sweater in her life. Said sweater took two weeks to knit - it's a simple cardigan made from bulky Takhi Soho Tweed - and nine months to block and sew up.

But, whatever. So it took me a while. In the sparkly optimism a new year brings, I figured things would be different. In 2006, I'd show the world I have the ability to overcome my boredom with sewing seams, and would have no problem cranking out onetwothreefourfivesix sweaters. I'd become a sweater-making machine.

Now, do you see where this is going? Because, well, how many sweaters have I completed this year? Zip. Zilch. Zero. Granted, one of my secret projects is a sweater, but it, like my previous one, is stalled at the blocking/finishing stage. I hope to have it done by the end of the year, but of course I could be under the same yarn-sniffing delusions I was when I made my ridiculous proclamation nine months ago and thus totally unreliable.

But I hope not. I'd like to be at least a little trustworthy...and so, as I've been thinking about what I want to make for my fall/winter projects, I'm contemplating a sweater or two. First up is Marnie from Melissa Leapman's Hot Knits. A single button cardigan with an interlocking pattern, I picked it because it looks like a good choice for my first patterned garment. I'm using the recommended yarn, ggh's Samoa, in black. I swatched a few weeks ago and...sigh. Couldn't get gauge without going down four needle sizes, by which time the cotton blend yarn was unworkable. I was about to panic, but luckily Jillian came to my rescue and helped me figure out how to use one of the smaller sizes in the pattern to compensate. Thanks, Jillian, from teaching me a new math skill (eek) and saving the day.

The second sweater I'm considering is Knit One Crochet Too's Coco Cardie. This pattern, a simple button down stockinette stitch cardigan, uses K1C2's Petite Boucle, an airy mohair ribbon yarn that knits up as a dense boucle. While I love the yarn's construction, I also can't get gauge without going down...you guessed it, four needle sizes. By which time the yarn's...unworkable. Huh? More fiddling with the pattern sizing is called for here, too, so I'll probably just start Marnie.

Or maybe I'll go look for a swell felted purse pattern for this yummy colored Shamrock yarn in the Doyle colorway....

And the finishing I'm supposed to be doing? Oh, I'll get to that later.