Audrey Challenge

The Audrey sweater is turning out to be a challenge for me. I love the yarn and how it feels. I am enjoying working with the thicker yarn more than I expected to like it.

The pattern still charms me, but we have had our moments. Before I started knitting it I did some web research to see what other blogs had to say about it. From this I learned there was an error in the pattern for the front panel. But errata were nowhere to be found. It was encouraging to read that other knitters found the error easy to correct. But when I got to that point, like a dufas, I completely forgot about writing down the corrections so I could post them for future Audrey knitters everywhere. That is an opportunity missed and gone. After re-working the top eight inches of each panel twice I'm not about to rip and re-knit again without dire need.

I have knit all the pieces and attached and shoulders. The next step in the pattern is to pick up stitches for the button and collar band. But I don't like the way the piece is so floppy right now and I don't want to stress the shoulder seams, so I attached the sleeves instead. Next I'll sew up the side and sleeve seams. That will leave the button and collar band for last. It should also give me some time to go haunt some stores in search of the right buttons for this project.

Audrey doesn't look like much yet. The lifelines are still in place from where I had to re-knit, the cast on tails for seaming are still dangling where seams will be sewn and the shape is largely absent because the seams are not together. Balls of yarn are still attached just in case...And there is the lingering fear that this sweater will need to begin again at square one. I'm hoping this is because I have not made a fitted garment like this before and because the button and collar band are not created yet. But I'm beginning to fear it will be a little too small. But I'm still hoping it will not. I did follow the measurements before I began (repeat to self ad infinitum).

Much smaller on the challenge scale, I made bread yesterday for breakfast this morning. And Look what I found in the refrigerator: The most slender column remaining from a stick of butter. It might melt into a half teaspoon of butter. I cannot spread it thin enough to cover half a slice of bread. I suspect the same person who habitually leaves one or two sheets on the toilet paper roll to avoid having to change the roll.

Soliciting Advice

Hello Readers! Last night I could not hold back any longer from the luxurious Cadena yarn Rick and the kids gave me for Christmas. I have the pattern choices narrowed down to one, a fitted, button front cardigan. (To see it click "look inside this book". Direct it to search for Audrey.) I need to buy more yellow yarn before I can move forward on the sweater I wrote about last week. So there was no better time to get out some needles and begin making gauge swatches with the new yarn.

The fabric of the swatch looks and feels wonderful. This will be such a nice garment when it is done! But alas, I am at a loss as to what to do about my swatches. The gauge required is 13 stitches and 20 rows per 4-inch (10 cm) square.

I achieved exactly 13 stitches using a size 11 needle. But that only gave me 16 rows. A size 10 needle yields exactly 20 rows for me, but has me over shooting the stitches per inch, at 14. Going down to a size 9 needle gave me 19.5 rows and 14 stitches. How in the world do I get the same stitch-per-inch count on 9s and 10s? I have given up on solving that mystery, because it happens to me so frequently. In the past, I have always been able to find some needle that gives me the gauge I’m looking for.

I suppose I have conflicting desires of wanting this sweater to be perfect and to be easy; a great fit without having to do the math. Go ahead and laugh, you are laughing with me!

The part where I need advice is here. As it seems I’ll have to do some calculating, which way should I calculate? Should I work with the needles that give the number of stitches per inch needed and leave me guessing on the rows? Or is it easier, better, more convenient, (I’m not even sure what to ask) to go with the needle size that gives me the rows per inch required and make adjustments for the number of stitches per inch?

What have your experiences been with this dilemma?

Drat!

Oh Drat! I took a lovely photo of my Easter lilies in bloom in the garden and I cannot share it with you.

Oh Drat! The family PC has most definitely breathed its last. Rick and our friend Die Schreiben von Schrieber have been discussing the symptoms and Dr. Die Schrieben has an idea where the problems may be. At present, the CPU is unscrewed and all its innards are exposed. It underwent a thorough vacuuming yesterday. It will need to wait for the rest of its surgery! Perhaps we can replace a bad part rather than replacing the whole thing. That would be nice, right now I don't have access to any of my school documentation, any email addresses, etc.

Oh Drat! The sweater I am working on for Rick is, at this moment, exactly where it was last time I wrote about it. I had completed several more rounds when I discovered an error. But I could not find the source of the error and the best way to accurately pinpoint the last good row was to rip back to the lifeline. Frustrating though it is, that is easy enough most of the time. It becomes complicated, however, when 54 stitch markers need to be kept in their places!

Thankfully, I did not have to rip back as far as this photo shows,

it was just the most convenient re-tread photo to show the stitch markers.

So my ripping back was done in 3-, 4-, and 8-stitch segments for about five rows. No wonder it took me a week! Tonight I'm ready to move forward with it again.

Truly now, if these are the things I have to complain about, I've got it made!