Gauging Success and Failure

 I finished the Marching Alpaca hat. A few things I've learned:

• Holding the yarn in my left hand results in a MUCH looser gauge than holding the yarn in my right hand
• I need to learn how to purl lefty correctly
• I need to learn how to pick up those long floats between rows
• Stranded knitting has the potential to be MUCH TIGHTER in the round than just plain stockinette

So where to next? Another hat? I would like to practice a piece knit entirely holding the yarn in my left hand. Will my next stranded project be completed holding the yarn in 2 hands? Both in the left hand? 

I'd like to start on a color block project, most likely a sweater. I've done about 5 top-down raglans NP and I want to experiment with the colors. I picked out a few ideas on Ravelry, but choosing colors is always a challenge.

I also need to finish my Domestika Visible Mending class. I'm skipping the chapter on how to care for knits and going right to the final project. The problem is I don't have the right hole-y sweater to practice on. Buy one on eBay? Wish I had kept one of my old top-down raglans mentioned above. 

I will update the progress on the temperature blanket with a picture next time. Also almost done with the Mara shawl. The last 4 rows are killing me!

Peruvian Marching Power

My first attempt to know something entirely with the yarn in my left hand. This one is called Marching Alpacas Hat. That left-handed experiment ended when I discovered holding a color in each hand was easier. The brim got naffed up because I didn't know how to purl continental style. You still have to wrap the yarn, apparently. It wasn't the best combo of yarn and needles. Lamb's Pride worsted on a size 7 needle not great. I will persevere.

The temperature blanket is growing slowly, and I'm on the last bit of the mara shawl. My fingers have been hurting a little, and I'm not sure why. Is if from yoga, too much knitting, arthritis, or what? 

Stranded

 The quick ombre hat is my first real attempt at stranded knitting. I did a little reading in my book about color knitting and purchased a yarn guide to wear on my finger (after the hat was completed). 

I learned that I shouldn't be so cavalier about following the pattern. After taking the time to do the ribbed band, I already screwed up my second project, the fake isle hat. I need to have the pattern on a stand in front of me and PAY ATTENTION. From far away, the hat doesn't look too bad. It's certainly wearable. If you look closely at the crown, you can see the little arrows line up instead of alternating. Damn! 

The temperature blanket is easily knit and quite colorful thanks to climate change. There are already two orange stripes, indicating temps over 89 degrees. 

The latest rabbit is a little better than the first two. Again, I need to be a little more methodical with the construction and not do it sitting in a lawn chair out back while listening to podcasts or audiobooks. 

I am determined to follow my advice: you must do something a hundred times before you're any good at it.