Silk Moon Crescent shawl from KnitCircus - Day 4

Oops...

You knew it would happen, didn’t you?

Before I could decide on a tactic, my cake burped up its insides all over my lap like a child who ate too much at the circus. Without warning, the issue of the collapsing cake forced itself upon me. Literally.

My most immediate option to solve this tangle of yarn was also the simplest: find the outside end and start winding. Not even with my fancy ball winder, but the good old-fashioned-by-hand way. That worked for a while as I wound down the outside of the cake, but when I approached the “burped” insides, things got tricky.  With both ends fixed—one on the needles and the other in the cake—it was slow and tedious going. 

It took me an exasperating hour of passing the ball through loops and twists before I could resume knitting.

So now I’m back on track, happily stitching my ever-increasing rows toward the completion of my project.

Mapes Shawl from Lovin' Knit - Day 4

Stitching switching...

Okay, now it’s not so much fun.  The rows are getting longer, and that band of stockinette--even with my zippy continental skills--takes forever.  I’m one of those people who cannot stop my knitting in the middle of a row, so let’s just say I’ve stayed up past my bedtime a few too many nights this week.  

And the rows just get lo-o-n-ger.

This really has been a humbling project.  The other night I got all excited (and a bit nervous) because the ball of yarn was almost done.  That meant I was almost done.  Excited Allie.  But, it was a really small ball and I couldn’t be sure I had enough to bind off that long arc of an edge.  Nervous Allie.  Plus, the thing was looking a lot smaller than I had imagined.  Increasingly nervous Allie.   Then, while digging through my “current knitting projects” drawers, I discovered the source of my, shall we say, humble-ment (I refuse to say humiliation).  

In order to keep this from getting too fat for my handbag (knitting projects must ALWAYS be able to fit in my handbag so I can whip them out at the slightest hint of downtime), I’d wound the yarn into two balls.  I’d only worked the first.

Happy Allie knew she’d have more than enough yarn to make a sizable shawl.  Allie of the Darker Side grumbled that the rows were going to get REALLY long now.

That’s knitting--at least in my world--never a dull moment.

Knit Along: Galaxy Scarf from Sophie's Fine Yarn Shoppe - Day One

Weighing my options...

Lace knitting?  I can handle that.

Lace knitting with two strands of yarn held together?  Okay, now I’m a little nervous.  Still, I like the scarf, I feel like a twelve row repeat is safely within my skill range, and I’m very fond of the pale gray, near silvery color of this yarn.

First step?  Make two even balls of yarn.  Sure, you could “eyeball” it (pun intended), but  did you know there’s a better way?  Let me introduce you to my little friend, the food scale.  You need something a little more delicate than your bathroom scale here, so a food scale (or even a postage scale, I suppose) fills the role nicely.  All you need to do is look at the gram weight of your ball.  You could even weigh the ball, in case you’ve got trust issues with label claims.  Divide that by two, and wind a ball that weighs exactly one-half.  That’s a much more reliable method that just trying to wind two balls that look the same size.  But, I gotta say, mine look nicely even, don't they?

This little trick also works for figuring out of you’ve got enough yarn for a second sock or mitten once you’ve done the first one.  Weigh it, and if your remaining ball of yarn meets or exceeds your sock’s weight, you’re in the clear.  

There now, don’t you feel more secure?  I know I do.