In full knitting mode

 

The Tops, Tanks and Tees KAL at luvinthemommyhood started up last Wednesday and I am in a knitting frenzy! Since my last post about it, I kinda had a change of heart (and pattern). I started off by knitting a swatch like a good girl - my first time ever! Knitting a swatch that is, not being a good girl ;)  I even knit it in the round using this tutorial from Jane Richmond's blog. The first time doing it took some finagling before I discovered the soft case for my interchangeable needles was the perfect size to loop my yarn around. But I did not get gauge. Boo. So, undaunted, I frogged my swatch and tried again with smaller needles. Again, no luck - but in the other direction! I had introduced myself on the Ravelery thread for this group, so I decided to ask what to do and got some wonderful suggestions. In the meantime, however, I downloaded this:

Interweave Knitscene Summer 2012

And immediately fell in love with this amazing tee:

Quinn Sweater by Amy Gunderson - Knitscene Summer 2012

Even more amazing? Somebody on Ravelery had already knit it using the Cascade Yarns Ultra Pima that I bought for the original tank! And I got perfect gauge! And I had enough yardage! It was meant to be.

I was a little nervous - after all this is my first garment EVER. I had picked the original tank because it was simple, and I figured I should start with something simple. Quinn is not simple. But. While I like the Summertime tunic, and may try to make it one day, I didn't love it. And I really think if I am going to spend all of this blood, sweat, tears and, let's face it, money on something, I need to love it. And I really do love this - the shape, the simple lace on the yoke, the little asymmetries. I have done pretty much everything in the pattern before, in one project or another. So I have decided to be brave, throw caution to the wind and knit me up a Quinn.

And you know what? So far, so good!

My Quinn

I haven't had any real problems. It's all about taking it one row at a time and making sure I read the next section of pattern until I understand what I'm being asked to do. I'm hoping it's not going to be too big. I may have to figure out how to do modifications if it is, cause there's no way I'm starting over. But I'm loving the color, the sheen and everything else about it, so I hope it turns out. And I feel pretty good about taking my chances.

I have done a little sewing too, and I am mailing my friend Lesley's quilt tomorrow, so I WILL finally be able to post photos of that. I was supposed to have had a girls' weekend with her this past weekend and give it to her in person, but the stomach flu visited our house and it was not to be. So I am mailing it because I just can't wait until June, when we rescheduled. Cross your fingers that it makes it there!