Things seem to be moving along at a snails pace here. Sometimes that happens, it feels like I’m knitting and knitting and knitting but the progress seems slow. I’ve got a secret make that feels like it’s been on the needles for forever, one day I’ll be able to show that one off. If I ever get to the bind off, that is.

I’ve also had a fair bit of knitting that I ripped out. Below, notice the two skeins not attached to my sweater. The top was destined for a pair of socks, the bottom for a sweater swatch.

I cast on the swatch first. The yarn is that beautiful Madtosh that I’ve already swatched with once. I’m thinking now that it will be a Kirigami by Gudrun Johnston. I finished the stockinette portion of the swatch, and got out a ruler to do a gauge check. Too big. The gauge was too big. Since, in my experience, wool rarely shrinks when blocked, I pulled the whole thing out. Just ripped it right back. We’ll return to that swatch on smaller needles soon.

After that frustration, I thought I’d cast on a pair of socks. I’ve been dying to knit up the Beekeeper Socks by Jenn Emerson. Even purchased that lovely skein of Legacy Fiber Artz–Macaron colorway–to knit them in. Well, I cast those on, got through the ribbing and started on the cables. Frustration ensued. I’m teaching myself to cable without a cable needle, and the stitches just seemed to slip apart like water. The yarn has a healthy dose of cashmere–and is some of the softest MCN to grace my needles–and that seemed to not be the best choice for learning a new technique that involves letting your stitches freely slip off the needles. So I ripped the whole thing out.

I went straight to my stash and pulled out some good ole’ sticky BFL. Hedgehog Fibres Twish Sock in the Teacup colorway to be exact. I cast it on, finished the ribbing, and got to cabling. I’m happy to report that it is going much more smoothly.

That wee cuff represents hours and hours of knitting. Ah well, at least yarn, project, and needle are all working together to make me happy. The Legacy Fiber Artz yarn might just have to become a cowl or something–it’s so soft! Speaking of soft, my sweater is still going.

I left sleeve island last night and now have only the massive collar to go. I picked up 323 stitches and have 20-something rows of ribbing to go.  Forget sleeve island, I think I’m lost in collar canyon.

Hopefully the sweater and the secret will both get bound off this weekend. I need to get back to swatching!

Happy making!