love in a box

my man in brown came through ;-) and lookie what he brought just for me, black water abbey yarn in autumn. it's not soft like virtual yarns hebredian, but the color is awesome, and i don't plan on having it next to my skin. i might not have it at all, dd loves the pattern...



was swatching like a mad fiend, the pattern calls for 7s, but i was going down, down, down needle size.

swatches lie. the next day i knit whole moss stitch border, all 3", then measured, oh no, the gauge is too tight! but i'm confused, even though my gauge is way too tight, it is the right measurement for the pattern - 44". math is not my strong suit, but even i can divide 212 by 4, and it ain't 44. hmm, maybe it a typo.

so frog, frog, and start again with 7s. now the gauge is right. taking a tape measure and draping it over my shoulders, 44" seems way to short on the arms anyway. 53" looks better.



am really enjoying the pattern stitches, the cable combinations and the gold tweed are lovely together. and i'm hoping the yarn will bloom. but must take a break, as my right arm is killing me from knitting too long with big needles ;-)

happy friday the thirteenth!