The Cursed Yarn; or, Knitting Distractibly

CPH Short-Rowed Shoulders

First Off: Come to Knit Happens tonight! I’ll be there until about 7:10 p.m., working on the left front of my CPH.

And now…the time has come to tell the tale of the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran I purchased in 2005 and am now making into my Central Park Hoodie (rav lnk) during our knitalong.

I thought I’d make myself a nice Katrine (rav lnk) from Rowan Classic Weekend (rav lnk). [Note: this pattern is listed as Katrine in my book but Katrina on the Rowan site. Don’t know what to do with this.]

So I bought some Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran (rav lnk) in a nifty teal color. My first choice (as always) was green, but charming Holly at Knit Happens pointed out that the teal would look better on me. What? Thinking about how the sweater would look when I was wearing it? Whole new concept…

Got to the big shawl collar and got confused; decided big shawl collar would look silly on me anyway and switched to Not Your Standard Issue Sweatshirt (rav lnk). Had gauge issues (as in “gauge while knitting didn’t match gauge while swatching”), decided sweatshirt would make me look like cow — and, besides, didn’t want to make hood.

Next up: Basic Instinct (rav lnk). Was knitting while in car, so perhaps that explains this round of gauge problems…that, and the fact that the yarn had been three different sweaters at this point and was getting a little tired.

Briefly considered Gloria (rav lnk) from Noro Knits and several others. For quite some time, expected I would make it into Tempting (rav lnk) from Knitty. Somehow, could not find sweater that would change me from a sad, gauge-hopping shell of a knitter into a confident competent knitter supreme. [Who knew?!?]

Was about to give up entirely and throw away used, pilling, angry yarn when someone swore to me the yarn would be as good as new if I frogged, skeined, soaked, hung to dry. So far, it’s looking reasonably good as a CPH…but I still want it to be something else about half the time. Just like I want to be someone else some of the time…or to have a different job, or a different past, or a different haircut or a different height. Today, just pressing on with this pattern I chose — which, after all, is a really nice one.

Even if it is going to look weird on me.

Next Time: A plan to eliminate distraction.