NaKniSweMo 2015

It's a new year and like last year, Kim from Yarn Story hyped me up for this year's NaKniSweMo - again (if you don't recall, I started my very first sweater last year because of NaKniSweMo).

So, as a way to finally kick start my next sweater (and actually start using some of my sweater yarn stash), I committed myself to join in with Kim's NaKniSweMo group. I've been dying to use my Bamboo Pop Yarn so, I've been trolling through my stitch pattern books to see which one would work with this yarn. Like last year, I want to do another boat neck raglan sweater. This time, I'm thinking I would like a ribbed collar and sleeves and a longer ribbed bottom. I think the key is really to find the right stitch pattern for the sweater though. Kim demoed the exact yarn I had in a linen stitch and while it was beautiful, it felt a little too stiff to me (or else, Kim has a tighter tension than I'd like for my sweater). Then I looked in my Vogue Stitchionary Vol 1 book and found a stitch pattern called Linen Ridge Stitch that looked intriguing. What I'm looking for is a stitch pattern that would show off my yarn, not show up my yarn since it's so cool (and bright! :P). I also trolled the mall to see what sweaters were out and saw a really cool sweater in reverse stockinette stitch (aka all purled) and thought that might work well with this yarn as well.

So, off to making a swatch and washing it! (Washing?! Yes, washing ... :( I had to wash it because it's 50% cotton and 50% bamboo; I would hate to make a sweater that would fit me but not be able to wash it! Gross! :P Or worse, make it to that it fits me perfectly only to have it shrink (or grow#) and not fit when I'm done - Horrors! :'(). I decided that I wanted to try all three stitches to see how I liked it. So, I casted on 60 stitches and started with my Chiaogoo's US 5 Twist Lace needles and did a simple stockinette stitch. After about almost an inch and a half (4 cm), I did a preliminary check; my gauge was 25 sts per 4 inches (10 cm) = 6.25 sts per inch (the "goal" is to get 5.25 sts per inch as stated on the ball band). So I switched out to my Chiaogoo US 4 Spin needles (I don't have it in the Lace - yet ;)), did a 1.5 inches (4 cm) of stockinette and found my gauge to be the same! :( So, thankfully, Kim was having a flash sale on Halloween and I picked these up (knowing that I tend to have the same gauge over the course of several needle sizes):

And did half an inch (4 cm) more using my new Chiaogoo Twist Lace US 4 and found that I still had the same gauge! :( So, I switched to my US 3 needles, did about an inch and found my gauge to be 24.5 sts per 4 inches (10 cm) = 6.125 sts per inch. Getting there ... so, time to switch to my US 3 needles (good thing I had the foresight to pick up all those needles! ;)). With the US 3 needles, and found that I had the same gauge as my US 4 needles. Switching to my US 2 needles, my gauge came out to 27 sts per 4 inches (10 cm) = 6.75 sts per inch! :( I was going down needles sizes instead of up! Duh! 8S So, I switched out to my US 8 needles to see what my gauge would be and it turned out that it was 24 sts per 4 inches (10 cm) = 6 sts per inch. At this juncture, I had to make a decision since I wasn't getting anywhere close the gauge recommended.

I settled on using my US 4 needles and proceeded to (finally) actually swatch the patterns I was interested in. I started with the reverse stockinette stitch then onto the linen ridge stitch and finally the linen stitch. Then, I realized that I wasn't knitting the linen ridge stitch or the linen stitch correctly! (I was wondering why my stitches looked a little funky and didn't look like the stitches in the picture! :'() 

Frustrated, I have admitted defeat - for now.  I've temporarily abandoned this project to work on (and complete) my knitting other projects (yes - crazily enough, I was attempting to do more than one project at a given time).  I will just have to make my own NaKniSweMo (in another month)!