Hey, Teach! I followed instructions this time!

Okay, you know and I know that when you sit down to knit something, it's important to read the pattern. Even if you want to make modifications, you need to understand the original design first, right? Yeah, makes sense to me.

So why is it that I sat down and knit one sleeve of Hey Teach using only the chart to do the lace without reading the designers instructions for a S2KP? Doh!

I'm not sure how I did the S2KP in the first sleeve (on the bottom in the picture). I think I slipped two stitches, individually, as if to knit, knit one, and passed the two slipped stitches over. But I may have slipped them as if to purl. I know I slipped them individually.

When I finished the sleeve, I was pleased that the gauge was correct (the sleeve is my gauge swatch), but puzzled why it looked different than the pattern's picture. So, when I started the second sleeve, I went back and actually read the pattern section that explained how to do an S2KP. That was the Doh! moment.

All three Both sleeves are done now and two of them actually look like the pattern -- and each other. Whew!

Now that I've got the correct technique for the lace, the rest is pretty simple. One sleeve and part of the left front were completed during the Olympics closing ceremony and yesterday I almost finished the rest of the left front.

I'm knitting it in this order: Sleeves, left front, right front, back. Why? Because I know how I am. I know that if I finish the smaller pieces first, it will feel like I'm making grand progress and then the larger, back piece will seem like a breeze. If I do it the "traditional" way, starting with the back and ending with the sleeves, I find myself getting bogged down part way through. The back seems to take a long time and then I have a hard time getting motivated to continue with the rest. May not work for everyone, but works for me. This way, when I finish the largest piece, I'm done -- well, except for washing, blocking, seaming, and button bands. :)

This is a really enjoyable, fast knit. And I love this yarn -- Sirdar Breeze (sadly, discontinued). I wish I could get my hands on more of it to do another one. We still have some in the shop, but it's a light olive green color, which is gorgeous, but makes me look like a washed-out sad sack.

In other meanderings. . .

Did you know that Amazon.com has a new Wish List feature? You can add things from any Web site to your wish list! I immediately went and added some of my favorite things to my list. Since my Amazon list is where folks who know me tend to go to get inspiration for Christmas gifts and such, it's perfect!

Well, time to get busy. What I'd really like to get busy on is finishing Hey Teach, but instead, I'll do the responsible thing and start transcribing the three hours of audio I need to finish for Thursday. Have a great day!