Pride Goeth Before a Fall

I’ve been chugging along on my Mom’s Christmas birthday present, the lovely Beech Leaf Vest from Fiddlesticks Knitting. We got off to a rocky start, the beech leaf and I, but have been getting along nicely since the holidays. This pattern is well written. The back of the vest, pretty little thing, flew off my needles. The fronts went even faster, as there are fewer lace panels to do. Swish, click, zoom! I got to the armhole and neck shaping and actually had to stop and read it a few times. Thanks to Rogue, I’m very cautious about those “at the same time…” instructions. But, they were clear and concise. Knit on!

As I approached the top of the vest, I realized I would be a stitch or two short for decreases unless I altered the pattern a bit. That’s not a big deal – over the course of 21″, I could see my row gauge being off enough to account for a row or two. I took careful notes of what I did, which is what you do when you are Exceedingly Clever and want to replicate your alterations on the other side of your work.

My new, improved deadline for the vest was this Sunday, for I am going to a class on “How to Photograph Your Fiber” with Franklin Habit. I am hoping that he’ll show me how to make my cotton knitting look smooth and polished in my photographs. Yes, after being annointed by Mr. Habit, I believe my lens will gain the power to block my knitting.*

So, I planned to finish up knitting last night, block it overnight, sew it up today, and put on the edging Friday. Yesterday morning, right on schedule, I hit my altered decrease section. No problem, for I am Exceedingly Clever. I followed my notes and the right side did, indeed, match the left.

We both know where this is going. If you have stopped by the blog before, you know I wouldn’t be giving you excruciating detail unless… yeah. Being Exceedingly Clever backfired. Apparently when I was zipping along my first vest front, I blithely measured 14″ as being 12.5″. Don’t ask me. I was probably in a car at the time. The result is a front that is the same length as the back, but with itty-bitty armholes. My mother’s arms, sadly, are normal-sized all the way round, not itty-bitty in the front and normal in the back. When I was knitting the other side, I simply counted repeats instead of rows so that everything would match, because I am… well, you know. And, they do match… right down to the crazy armholes. I guess being Exceedingly Clever gets you two vest fronts to correct instead of one.

I did briefly consider what sort of exercise regime would be needed to alter my mother’s arms, but I think the easier thing would be to…

Rrrrrrrip.

* A fertile imagination and the willingness to delude oneself can lead to a happier fiber life. It can also crush you, but let’s not go there.