Vacation is going pretty well. Until yesterday, the weather has been a bit on the cool and windy side. Over the past two summers we’ve noticed that our little piece of heaven seems to have its very own weather system, and is therefore impervious to the local, professional forecasts. This means that the several storm systems that swept through the region the past several days have missed us entirely.

Before leaving for vacation, I made a last minute decision to start a new knit project. That’s right, I started a new project without having finished my last three one.

Anyhoo, a couple of weeks ago my knittention was captured by JStrizzy’s rendition of the Green Gable. Not only is it a cute pattern, I was pretty sure I could make gauge with something I already had in my possession (Cotton Ease).

On the ride to the cottage I got about an inch of the lace bodice completed before I realized that something was hinky. After we arrived, I got on-line to research any problems with the pattern (cuz of course, it ain't me, babe.) with my first stop being the Green Gable Knit-a-Long. It was there that I learned I was supposed to cast-on the in the backward loop method. The WTF of it is, this particular missive is nowhere to be found in the pattern instructions. It merely says "cast on".

Next, I hop over to the designer’s website, to find a Designer Q&A page, where I read that ALL Zephyr patterns use the backward loop cast-on. Swell. Good to know. Possibly a mere mention of this in the actual text of the pattern that I purchased independent of any effin' FAQ page, may have been a help. Not to be a total B, but is so wrong of me to assume that when I buy a pattern, all the necessary information will be included in the package, without my needing to reference a “How to Use our Patterns” disclaimer page?

Through my research I also found out that the first row, which is purled, is the wrong side of the garment. Unless otherwise indicated, I typically assume that the first row on any pattern is the right side. This was another piece of vital information I had to glean from the universe.

So I frogged and backward looped anew. After the secret codes and unwritten rules of the pattern had been revealed,I decided this a really fun knit. I’m even thinking about knitting another one.

One of the best features of the pattern is that it's knit in the round, top down, and per the author: "Requires little to no seaming."



Although I might opine that no garment actually requires seaming. One always has the option of just tossing the finished pieces in a bag, and dragging them along on a family vacation.



Seriously. That bag is stuffed with my unfinished business. I don't know why I dragged it along on vacation, but I suspect it was some form of self-imposed pennance for casting on yet another project, with no regard for the stuff I already have going. I guess that's why they call it baggage.

Gypsy Cakers Lee
Here in Cottage World, we have our own troupe of sunset entertainers who perform on private beaches for handouts.

This little nugget provided a breath stopping acrobatic number for a mere juicebox and two underdogs on the neighbor's swingset.

Note the poise...


Grace...



...And a plop.



Three juiceboxes and 17 underdogs later, we couldn't get her to leave. So we kept her.

Gawd, I love this country.

P.S. Happy Birthday, U.S.A. You sick little pup.

Labels: Cottage, From My Loins, The Casting On Couch