hale-frickin'-lujah!

Right side of the neck with the cable decreases.
















Left side of the neck with cable decreases. Can you see the pattern error???

















My solution: avoid the (s)uckers altogether.
















I wrangle past neckline issues and begin blocking on corkboard, only to discover it's really wonky. I had been considering marking lines on the corkboard, but was concerned about where the ink would end up, so I bought a fabric cutting board for more accurate blocking:





















Wonkage remains.

I frog back to before the neckline split.

I refresh the yarn, having absolutely no idea how to do this, but someone else (?) mentioned on their blog that they did it, so at this point, why not????

Weekend in Review

This weekend FLEW. It went so quickly that when my alarm went off this morning, I thought it was only Sunday and rolled over.

Remember that book by Richard Scarry, "What Do Busy People Do All Day?"?

I dusted every flat surface.
I dusted my car's insides.
I vacuumed.
I made cilantro chutney, pork vindaloo, indian-style rice pudding from scratch, and a chicken dish with tomatoes and cilantro (my own concoction. They say the best chemists are also the best cooks.).
I began drying fresh mint bundles.
I rearranged the front closet to make room for winter gear (rearranging leads to the domino effect--my place is small, so if I rearrange one part, I usually have to rearrange everything). I then rearranged my closet, under the bed, bathroom cupboard, and cupboard under the kitchen sink.
I bought a mortar and pestle--I've been waiting a year to find one.
I visited a new international food store, where everything is in a non-English language.
I administered drug to my mice in the lab.

Did I knit? Um, sort of. I began blocking (the zillionth incarnation of) the front of the Teriokhin braid and discovered a split stitch, oh, a good TWO-THIRDS of the way down the front. Reason #457 why I HATE stockinette stitch, you don't have to pay attention to your work. Deep breath: I repaired it. Does that count as knitting?

Letdown/Let Down

Well #$*@.

Why didn't I think of that? Laritza took the logical approach and just shifted things 2 stitches on the offending side. Rock on.

I was hoping a project of mainly stockinette stitch would be easy and calm(ing) (that I found the pattern in VogueKnitting should have clued me in otherwise, but I digress). I've been in the lab until nearly 1 am on several occasions this week (and every weekend for the last 4), so my brain was too fried to troubleshoot this neckline issue. I'm sorry I let you down, Laritza. Hopefully you can throw me a bone here.

I'm feeling a bit. . . inadequate that someone will actually be knitting the garment exactly as specified, and I'm not!! I feel like an artist painting a shoddy copy. My only snippet of solace is that the yarn color does not show cabling well, so the small neckline cable decreases probably wouldn't show up anyway.

Sure, that's it. Shut up. Don't say a word, this is the only thought that is keeping me from becoming a pile of snot and tears.

Holy my Cow!

Laritza writes, "I see you are knitting the cable pullover in VK Fall 2006. I started the neck cable decreases and find that the CR dec is different from the CL dec. One crosses 2 stitches from the border, the other one AT the border. Any ideas? or is this the way it should be? "

Wow! This is the first time anyone has EVER solicited my knitting advice. Allow me to bask in the moment just a sec. . .

OK. Thank you, friend, for thinking I'm knowledgeable enough to consult. I noticed the same thing and have been meaning to post pix and get help (for the knitting, not me). Work in the lab, however, is coming out my ears and other body orifices, and my internet access at home seems to be questionable at best, so this has been delayed.

Bottom line, I haven't figured it out. I'm avoiding those CR(L)-dec 2s and improvising with simple decreases slanted right and left (slanting towards the neckline). I'm still decreasing the rows by 2 stitches (are these called dec-2 or dec-3? losing 2 stitches, but three are on the needle, how is the nomenclature?), and I've convinced myself that the simpler edge keeps the focus on the braid around the neck (which I haven't knitted, have you? how is it?).

Readers, let me speak on behalf of Laritza when I say that we will appreciate any input you may have! Thanks in advance!