Words, Wits n' Wool: They Say Third Try's the Charm

I'm waiting for my shipment from Webs. I got an amazing deal on the yarn for my Inishmore but now I have to wait for it to arrive so I can continue.

That being said, here's my progress from one ball of yarn:

This is the whole back bottom panel.Detail from back left.
Detail from back center. This yarn is so beautiful and sooo soft. It's Jaeger Extra Fine Merino DK (right, you knew that already). I'm so happy with how this is coming out. I can't wait to wash and block and see it bloom. So yummy.

SO, while I'm waiting, I'm working on the following:

That blasted top-down "Somewhat Cowl" from Wendy Bernard. At 6.5 sts to the inch, and increasing 8 sts every RS row, I still have about 36 rows to go to make it long enough and wide enough to go around my widest parts. Sigh, this project will be so beautiful when I'm finished and so hot (Alpaca Silk). It's even getting to hot just to knit with, so it's in the "Yarn Closet" as my husband now calls my closet.

As an aside, he was telling some friends of ours about the "Yarn Closet" and I quote, "I'm afraid to go near that place, man. I'm afraid that if I open the door there will be an explosion and I won't get out alive!"

Nice. Thanks, Dear. But at least he has a sense of humor about my obsession.

I'm still working on the Lady Eleanor from Scarf Style. It's really beautiful, but kind of a boring knit. Soooooo, I started something new.

I blame it on the Lovely Jo from my knitting class (Hi Jo!! [waves]). She decided to do the Lotus Blossom Tank from the cover of Interweave knits Summer and she picked some Beeyyooouuuutyful yarn from Tahki Staci Charles Cotton Classic in this lovely color of pale lilac. True to form, I couldn't resist. I got the medium lilac color, #3935

I also partially blame my Mum. She started knitting a cotton top for summer about a week before I saw what Jo was going to make. I got cotton summer tops in my head. Now, I wish I hadn't.

Why? You might ask, do I now wish cotton tops were never an interest? Because this lovely top is knit in the round on 24" needles. 280 stitches for the size that will fit me.

Note to self: be careful not to twist the stitches when joining the round on the first row.

2nd note to self: Once you've ripped it out after having completed 17 rows of 280 stitches and you start again, be careful when you start knitting on row two in the car in traffic, that you haven't twisted one of the needles around the knitting, thus causing the stitches to be twisted for a second time, only to be discovered after knitting another 7 rows of 280 stitches.

3rd note to self: when starting this stupid, frigging, ratty-a$$ project for the third time, USE A LONGER FLIPPIN' NEEDLE SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE STITCHES ARE ALL HANGING BELOW THE NEEDLE WHEN YOU JOIN THE FIRST ROW.

There, I've said it. And now for the "Third Try Cast On Row +2 rows of Garter Stitch".