Brickless

I was packing for a five day trip to Elko, Nevada to attend my nephew's wedding and realized that I didn't have a project on my needles that would travel well.  I looked through my Ravely queue and my pile of stuff I'd like to work on that hasn't been queued and decided to make Brickless using the beautiful Salem colorway hand dyed by Abstract Fiber in Portland, Oregon. 

I can't work on anything in a moving car that is going to require me to look at the work very frequently because I get motion sick very easily.  I was packing hurriedly but a brief look at the pattern for Brickless made me think I could manage it while riding in a car but it would be interesting enough that I would want to work on it in the motel, too.  I grabbed the needles, pattern, and yarn and put them in my travel bag.

I drove the entire day and then we visited with family that night, but I really wanted to get the shawlette started so I could work on it the next day.  I was tired and the lighting was bad but I gave it a shot.  After a few rows, I realized that something was wrong, so I undid it and balled the yarn back up, figuring I would  try again the next day.

The next leg of the trip was from Susanville, California to Elko, Nevada and I drove most of the way.  Finally, that night I decided to cast it on again.  I got abouto 5 rows on and went to bed.

The next day, we went to my nephew's house.  Naturally, I pulled out my knitting while everyone was visiting.  I got through about 8 or 9 rows when my nephew's rambunctious dog ran across my lap, getting his paw tangled in my circular needle cable and pulling it out of the knitting.  I tried to get the needles back through but the dog was still running around, there were kids toddling around, and family trying to visit, so I couldn't decipher the knit 2 togethers and yarn-overs well enough to get the needle back through.  I balled it up again!  As I always say, "The worst that happens is I end up with a ball of yarn!"  (It's not always true, but the optimism is nice.)

That night in the motel room, I started to get it out again but I was just too tired.  Elko, Nevada is very hot on August 1!

The wedding was August 2, and it was beautiful.  My nephew and his bride seem to be a perfect fit for each other.  We danced and had a great time at the reception and got "home" to the motel late that night.  Although, I was tired, I was determined to get this thing cast on again and knit to where I was when the dog stopped me.  And I did.  In fact, I went even farther and was on about my 19th or 20th row but something seemed wrong.

I stopped knitting and looked at the pattern for the section: "Knit one through the front and back, * yarn-over, knit two together.    Repeat from *."

And, there it was.  I was repeating the entire line.  Instead of adding 1 stitch per row at the beginning, I was increasing before every yarn-over.  I was making a  giant circle!

So, one more time, I balled the yarn up!  Then, I went to bed.

The next day, I did most of the driving from Elko back to Susanville.  I was exhausted but determined that I was not going to get back home the next day without even starting the project I brought along!  So, for the fourth time, I cast on this shawlette and started knitting.  This time it looked right and I was able to make some good progress.

Then, about the 27th of August, I was on the 5th section repeat (of the 6 needed to complete the shawlette).  I starting looking at this small triangular shawlette and wondering how it's to be worn.  I looked at the photos on the pattern.  I looked at my partially completed shawl.  I looked back at the pattern photos...hmm, the ribbing on the pattern photo is much, much looser than mine.  I didn't check the gauge before I started.  So, I start thinking that I'm pretty off with my gauge.  But, how far off?

I turns out I was very, very far off.

I took a look at the pattern and saw that it called for a 4 mm needle.  So, in US sizes that's a 6.  Yeah, remember at the beginning when I said I was in a hurry?  Well, apparently when I'm in a hurry, I just grab a pair of needles that fits one of the numbers without taking into account that I don't use European sizing.   Yep, I was using a size 4 needle.  I took several deep breaths and made a swatch with a size 6 and checked my gauge.  Even going up two needle sizes, my gauge was too small.  I had to go up to a size 8 to hit the right gauge.  I was using a size 4 and needed a size 8!! 

I decided to wait until the next day to make a decision about whether to finish it with the small needles and have a small triangular scarf or unravel it and start again with the correct gauge.  I took more deep breaths and put it back in my project bag.  I took it with me to work the next day, and, on my lunch break, my nearly completed but incorrectly sized shawlette became a ball of yarn.  That night, I cast on Brickless for the 5th time.