Good news, bad news

  IMG_2970 
  Originally uploaded by teamkaty.

GOOD NEWS first: I have some FOs!  I'm still swinging with the poly knitting lifestyle, but it does make for a dearth of, well, conclusions.  However, daily monitoring=3 hours of subway/waiting room time=lots of sock knitting.  So!  At last, at last, my mystery Australian wool socks are done.  You know, the ones that were Anastasia (l), and then Child's First French Bulletproof Vest (r):

are now finally Hello Yarn's Cable Twist:

I like them.  And I have quite a bit left over--enough for baby socks or even a wee hat.  In other words, sorry, you haven't seen the last of this.

I expect I'll finish my second sunny yellow sock during tomorrow's trek; just another row or two until I start decreasing for the toe.  Pictures TK.

Now, BAD NEWS: I've hit snags with my smelly green projects, and both at the neckline, oddly enough.  First, something weird happened with the neck ribbing on my Pea Pod set.

Not sure if you can tell from this photo, but the leafy ribbing came out noticeably larger on the neckline than at the hem, sleeve hems, or on the cap.  By almost a quarter of an inch!   I swear I used the same needles, and my tension is usually quite consistent. All I can think is that the other bits of ribbing are done at the start of their respective pieces, whereas at the neck you've got the weight of the whole body pulling on the rib as you knit.  I could just say "screw it" and cast off--it's not that obvious--but re-doing it on slightly smaller needles is a pretty easy fix, so I'll try that. 

Unfortunately, the second problem is much, much thornier.  So, I don't know if I mentioned that the pattern for the Lace and Bobble cardigan is somewhat...vague.  Up until this point, though, I've been able to push through it.  All that's left to do is pick up and knit the ribbing at the neckline...and after three nights of thrashing at this thing, I must admit I'm utterly stumped.  The problem is the bottom corners--as near as I can tell from the (small, pixellated) photo, there's a central rib that the increases branch off of.  How, I have absolutelynofuckingidea.

The instructions are as follows: you pick up your 200-odd stitches, marking two corner stitches with a colored thread.  A colored thread, mind you, not two, and do you mark it after the two stitches in question, or before?  Not clear.  Then:

1st row P2, *k2, p2; rep from * to end.
This row sets the rib patt.
Taking inc. sts into rib, shape lower front corners as follows:
2nd row Rib to first coloured thread, m1, k2, m1, rib to second coloured thread, m1, k2, m1, rib to end.
3rd row Rib to first coloured thread, m1, p2, m1, rib to second coloured thread, m1, p2, m1, rib to end.
Rep. the last 2 rows 7 times more.[/quote]

Umm...what?  M1 left or right?  Knitwise or purlwise?  And then what happens to those extra stitches--do you work them into the center rib or the adjoining ones?  Really, WTF?

I've knit it at least 4 times, each version crappier than the last.  I've checked for errata--nope.  I've scoured chat boards, and even emailed a total stranger who I think has knit this sweater.  Will someone please tell me I'm missing something really obvious?  Pleeeeease?

Comments

[Heather]

Wow, the Cable Twist was the right choice, wasn't it!? Looks great...

[gleek]

someone on ravelry made that lace and bobble cardi. you should ask her!

[Veronique]

Well, it seems from the pixelated photo that you have 2 knit st that remain constant, right? I think you can just place a marker before the 1st st and a marker after the 2nd st, so you can set these 2 st apart. (With red thread, would you wrap it around the 2 st??). Personally, I would work m1R, k2, then m1L so that the inc lean in a pleasing way, and incorporate the new st into the rib pattern. And when your new st will be purled, you should m1 purlwise.
I don't know if this makes any sense, I feel like I'm just repeating what it says in the pattern!

[Katie]

I can't help with your problem, but I CAN heartily admire your socks. Lovely socks! Beautious!

[Schrodinger]

I'm hoping that Gleek and V were some help for you, because I would be about zero use right now. On the bright side, I love the socks, they look great.