So work has been.... crazy. Usually I use knitting as my way of relaxing when work is crazy, but it's been so crazy that there hasn't been all that much relaxing. I still knit on the bus on the way to work, but really that's about it. I even had to work some of the weekend, but let's talk about more interesting stuf... knitting!
Last weekend one of my knitting pals came over for a yarn, fondue, movies & wine. We had a grand old time, and since she's an advanced knitter, I asked for help with starting my hat. I hadn't knit in the round before, and I definitely hadn't made a hat. She introduced me to something I hadn't done before: gauge. For scarves and even baby blankets it isn't necessary, but for something you're really going to wear (unfortunately) you need to make sure the gauge is correct.
So I started according to the needle size the pattern called for. I knit four inches and then showed it to my friend, so she could measure. Well. Apparently you aren't supposed to knit every row when you're doing gauge. You're supposed to do a row of knit, then a row of purl (aka stockinette). CRAP! I undid the whole mess, and started again. When I was done doing stockinette for four inches, I handed it over to my friend again for the second measurement. Nope, not right. I needed to use smaller needles. I had started with 11's, so she suggested 9's. I gave it another whirl. Take three and...Nope, not quite right. CRAP AGAIN! This was getting old, fast, and we were almost through a movie and a half! I tried 8's the next time and... success. Finally. Thank God, or I would have stuck a size 8 needle in my eye and cried. Now we could focus on what the real goal was - learning to knit in the round (and use a stitch marker). We had enough time for like two rows and that was it, but it was enough. In the round is easy peasy so far.
And boy do I have a story about stitch markers...
Keep on knittin'
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