True gauge is in the eye of the beholder

I found an adorable sweater pattern that I have been wanting to knit for myself.
I have been putting off knitting because I have been concentrating on spinning
and completing my master spinner #1 class.

Then I broke my foot and was scheduled for surgery the next day.
I found some icelandic yarn I had dyed this summer with madder.
I knit a 4x4 gauge and found that it was way too big...
the yarn was more bulky and the needles too large.
So I went down a size needle and chose the next pattern size down.

I happily cast on 341 stitches, onto 40" circular needles,
with a beautiful wrapped yarn I had been wanting to use.
p1, slip 1 across wrong side, K1, P1,
slip 1 to end, K1 across the right side, for an inch and a half,
then started stockinette knitting.

I took my project to the hospital with me,
and happily passed the time waiting on my surgery.
I was definitely a novelty with the nurses and aides..

I switched from the darkest to the lightest dyed yarns in wonderful stripes
throughout the sweater over the next three weeks.
Yes, I noticed some bleeding of dye on my hands as I knit,
But that didn't bother me too much until I got to the white yarn.
Not only was there a bit of bleeding onto the white, but it was a much thinner yarn.
I decided to rip out the two rows of white and double the yarn.

When I took the needle out, I wrapped the sweater around me to check size,
as it is really hard to find a true size on circular needles,
when you are knitting in one piece.

To my dismay, I discovered that my sweater was going to be 36" too wide!
Now, I was knitting the 2x size, so it wasn't going to be a small sweater to start with,
and I like roomy sweaters.
I ripped all 11" of knitting out and began again.

However this time, I rinsed the yarn until no color bled out.
This took forever, and I am not looking forward to my water bill.
It was kind of fun though, as I am writing my reports for my spinning class,
and part of the description of wool is that it is hydroscopic...
which means it holds 30% of it's weight in water before feeling wet.
This was made very clear to me as I held the skeins under a full stream of water,
and it was only trickling through the yarn into the sink.
Fun!

The skeins are still drying and I have cast on again.

 

This time, I cast on 220 stitches and am making the extra small size.
I love the yarn and hope that the size works better with the yarn.
If not, I have no objection to ripping out again
and spinning a smaller fingering yarn to begin again.

Change of direction

The holidays and New Year have brought many changes to our family.
We celebrated Christmas this year, for the first time in eight years,
without any boyfriends.
It was nice but different.
Mema was not feeling well, so we visited her on Christmas day
instead of bringing her to my house.
Terry was home for a few days and we enjoyed every moment!

December 28th, V and Hil and I began our trek to Austin TX.
V finished her Masters in English and her thesis,
and decided to move south.
She will write and begin her adult life in a wonderful city!
She is a most excellent wordsmith and I look forward to her musings.
A new dog will be involved as she has adopted a Besenji.
2 year old Roxy who is a rescue dog.
She is on the jogging team, so Roxy will be an excellent companion
as V loves to run!
Now the 35 stairs to her apartment may be a challenge at 5 in the morning
for puppy potty trips, but hopefully a two year old will be accommodating!

Hil just returned last night from an extended vacation:
Texas, a youth trip with LSC to Ohio, and a 30th birthday trip of her friend
to Las Vegas.
Oh to be twenty three/four again!
She was very lucky and plans to take me to Four Winds soon
to teach me the ropes of Black Jack!

I was very much looking forward to spinning,
exercising and continuing the etc of my life in 2013.
God had a different plan.
Lest Wednesday, as I was walking Charlie,
I slipped on some slushy snow.
Didn't fall, just a twist of the foot.
I thought nothing of it.
I finished the walk, washed dishes,vacuumed,
fed the birds, mopped the floor....you know every day stuff.
Sometime in that list, my foot began to hurt a bit.
Just a slight annoyance.
Later that night, I looked at my foot and the side of it looked a bit swollen and red.
Hil made me call the doc the next morning.

Now with my Charcot, http://www.foothealthfacts.org/footankleinfo/charcot-foot.htm
I feel no pain at all. So when I do feel pain, say a 3/4
for anyone else this pain would be a 9/10
I should have noticed and stopped my activity.
Doc was out of the office the next day so I stayed off my ever swelling foot.
Friday I went to the doc with an xray.
He walked into the room and said
"Shit."
Scheduled me for surgery the next day to put a plate on the metatarsal of my pinkie toe
that had broken in half.

So, here I sit, with foot raised, new rollabout by my side
(as crutches are hard to learn at age 48)
and spinning wheel sitting forlornly in the corner.
I have been saying that I needed to get my paperwork completed/started
for my spinner's course.
At least I have all of the sheep breeds spun,
and ninety percent of the other spinning done.
I only have to wash and spin the five sections of a sheep fleece,
and desrcibe the differences.
So now I will begin reports on the ten sheep breeds,
different ways to spin, my spinning wheel and proper posture for spinning,
wool processing equipment, difference between woolen and worsted,
and a glossary of terms.
Hopefully I will be able to spin soon enough to complete my final project:
wash, prepare, dye, spin and knit an item.
Thinking maybe a pair of fingerless gloves.
However, as I am sitting here, I am also knitting a cardigan for myself
out of hand spun and dyed icelandic.

Hil is taking very good care of me.
My mom was with me through surgery and recovery and took very good care of me.
(As my whole family was out of town when this happened)
I have the best friends and care team anyone has ever been blessed with!
We have so much wonderful food coming in!

I will be fine.
Again, I feel no pain, so Tylenol for the sore shoulders from crutches
is the only pan meds I need.
This is a blessing and a curse, because my mind thinks I can just get up and go.
My body won't tell me through pain that I must rest and heal.
I'm trying!
I'm blessed.