Thinking large.......

Apparently most 'real' knitters have several projects on the go at any given time..... This is what I've been told by some knitting friends of mine and I hold onto that idea as I watch the projects mount up around me. With at least two hats, a cat, a pig, and a vest for Little Pickle all on the needles already I decided to give in to a long term urge to knit something for myself.

The fact is I NEED to knit something for myself. I'm cold and I don't really like any jumpers or cardigans in shops even if I did have the funds to acquire them.

One particular knitting friend has been quietly encouraging me for some time to just give it a go. When I again lamented the fact that I simply lacked the courage....and possibly the commitment she stepped up to some much needed specific guidance: "Make the Shalom Cardigan. Wait for the next wool sale at Spotlight and buy the Cleakheaton Country Wide yarn and then just start".

So I did all that. She also said it would only take me a couple of days to a week.........?!
Well, I knitted the first eight rows four times and still wasn't happy with it. It just didn't look right. Though I was using the prescribed needle size for the yarn it looked gappy and loose.
At this point I remembered one of this clever friends key knitting rules - 'always knit the gauge swatch'.
I knit slowly. So, in my lack of infinite wisdom I figure that I just need to start in on the real thing and it will work out fine.....except it wasn't working out fine at all.
Instead of following wise advice I went to a favourite yarn shop and consulted the lovely knitting guy there (something really nice about a male who knits and works in a wool shop). He suggested dropping down a couple of needle sizes and suggested changing to a different type of circular needle.
I needed little convincing as I still remember watching with envy as my friend bought one of the lovely multi-coloured wooden needles with the tips that screw off and interchange with other sizes. So fancy, so professional, so pretty and now that I'm using it, so much easier and smoother to knit with.

Watching this actual grownup garment grow is very satisfying and I am determined to keep at it for as long as it takes to finish.....not a week.....maybe two....two and a bit? I'll report back.

Reading material around here at the moment is all very non-fiction in nature. Whilst knitting is certainly a source of calm in my life, I'm looking to find some other sources so hence the book on meditation.
We are also embarking on a new journey with a recent diagnosis for Big Pickle. So much to learn and happy to have the knowledge and expertise of people like Tony Attwood to help us.

This picture above is my first Dresden Plate for the quilt for my bed which I started a very long time ago. Something very soothing about sewing this precise and pretty piece, one down and about 10 more to go.... Perhaps this will be another long standing project to make progress on in coming months.

Joining in with Ginny's Yarn Along.