Well, this isn’t fair! After the grocery store this morning, Mom and I stopped at the bookstore … you should be proud of me, I resisted all temptation. But that’s not the point. I know this is a blurry picture (I didn’t want to use my flash in the store), but see that book on the top shelf? It’s the Yarn Harlot’s newest book (Free-range knitter). The one I’ve had pre-ordered at Amazon for MONTHS. And that they tell me STILL isn’t available to be shipped.

Um, but clearly the book is in PRINT though, since I held a commercially-available copy in my HAND!

Sigh. I know. I could have bought this copy at Barnes & Noble and come home to cancel the Amazon order, but … it’s cheaper on Amazon, has free shipping, and no sales tax.

Oh, but the book next to it on the shelf? AlterKnits Felt? I was surprisingly impressed with it. I don’t usually stop to really think about things I could felt my knitting into, but this had some really nice things. Of all the books I flipped through while I was there, this was the one that I liked the best. I know. It surprised me, too.

Doing a quick flip-through of the knitting section was fun, too.A chance to actually look at some of the recent books that I’ve heard about but can’t afford to buy! Some, like the Felt book, I was impressed with, and some I was just as glad I didn’t squeeze into the budget (grin).

Oh, but speaking of books, I got another review copy today.  Strip and Knit with Style, due out in October. It came just as we were trying to wash the floors (apparently my beloved Scooba is dead, and it’s too expensive to replace), so I haven’t had a chance to really dig into it, but it looks intriguing!

So, otherwise? On my day off? Well, it’s been a wet, wet day, but since I wasn’t going to work, and I woke up with Chappy giving me kisses, it certainly could have been worse. Mom and I went out for some coffee–pretending it was Saturday–went to the grocery store, stopped at the bookstore, and then came home to roast a turkey and clean the floors for Sunday. I also pulled out the knitting odds and ends that I have to do.

Not only do I have the final weaving-in-of-ends for Ingenue, but I’ve got a few socks I need to do that for. I still haven’t settled on a closure for my hood, for example. But those are minor things–a few minutes with a needle, and they’ll be done.

No, the problems are those other two sweaters of mine. The Flutter-Sleeve Cardigan, for example. It looks great lying flat, but my gauge (surprise, surprise) was so loose, it’s unwearable–especially with the problematic button bands. The way the pattern is written, you knit them independently until they are the same length as the front of the sweater … which sounds easy, but you know as well as I that the front edges of cardigans are stretchy. As in, they grow, dramatically. I ran into problems first, anyway, because my two button bands ended up different lengths. (Would it really have killed the author to state a specific length?) But, anyway, the sweater is unwearable as it is.

The correct way to fix it would be to completely tear out the button bands and reknit them–but at this point, they’re sewn into the shoulder seam, which means I’d need to take that apart to fix it. AND the sweater has just been sitting since March, and well, I hate mending. (We discussed this the other day.) So I’m not really inclined to pull it apart, you know? Even if that means fixing it and being able to wear it. The option I’m considering, though, is washing it and then (carefully) putting it in the dryer … it’s the lazy knitter’s way of fixing a sweater that’s too large, and it might not even solve the problem … but I don’t honestly see me doing it the correct way … and there’s still no guarantee the sweater would fit anyway.

The other problem sweater? That would be Autumn Rose. You remember the trouble I was having with her, right? And how odd the sleeves and armholes ended up? Yeah, the sad part is that that sweater has so much RIGHT going for it, and yet it’s still unwearable. It basically comes down to two possibilities. Okay, three. (1) Leave it in the closet where it’s been for the last year. (2) Repurpose it into something else altogether like a bag or a pillow or a hat … something that doesn’t have to FIT. Or (3) lop off the sleeves and try turning it into a vest.

Yep. Mending and fixing. Hate them!

Oh–one more word about books. Did you know that Knitpicks is having a holiday sale for 40% off ALL their books?? Nope. Even with the ongoing family money crisis, I couldn’t resist … I mean, I need something to review for Knitting Scholar, right??

Tags: General, knitting book review, Knitting/Spinning // 7 Comments »