NaBloPoMo

November is National Blog Posting Month, and I think I'm going to give it a try. It will come as no surprise to anyone that I am terrible at posting to this (or any) blog, and I am not super optimistic that posting every day for a month will get me into the habit of blogging, but it will be an interesting experiment, in any event.

I am also participating in NaKniSweMo, working on Connie Chang Chinchio's fabulous Mountain View Cardigan (Rav link). I'm using some sport-weight alpaca I picked up at the CT Sheep & Wool Festival I went to last spring. The fabric is really lovely, and I'm hoping since it's knit at a fairly tight gauge (25 sts/4") there won't be too much stretching and sagging.

I want to wear this sweater at Thanksgiving, and so to give me a little help, I actually cast on October 26th. That gives me exactly one month to get this baby finished. I don't anticipate any problems - I've finished the back already and am about 3" into the fronts.

The pattern, as usual, is flawless, although I did have a problem with the ribbing on the back. After reading and re-reading the pattern, I messaged Connie on Ravelry to ask about it. She responded that she'd knit the sample in the size I'm making and there shouldn't be a problem. I was all set to argue with her when I looked down at the pattern and realized I am a complete moron.

The pattern was written as follows: "K3 (K1, K0, K0....), *p4, k2; rep from *..." etc. I am knitting the second size. Any beginner knitter can tell you that means I am supposed to K1, p4, k2, p4, k2 etc etc. But no, I K3 and then K1, p4, k2 etc. So I had to rip out 2" of ribbing. What a dummy.

Erin and I took a trip to M&J not long ago and I got some really wonderful buttons for this sweater. The color is off, here - the yarn is slightly warmer and deeper than it looks.