Ah… freshly dyed, newly wound, beautiful cakes of cashmere-blend yarn, waiting to be cast on into a new project. It’s so full of promise and yet, I’m approaching this project with so much trepidation.
There was a time when I started new projects undaunted, when I would knit through dinner with friends and family, and when I could finish a lace shawl in a two weeks. But these days I’ve been frustrated by my inability to make it all the way to the end. I have less than an inch left of garter stitch to do on my “Life on Sundays” shawl. I have a pile of finished objects that are actually finished but just need to be blocked. And of course, I have many many random UFOs littered throughout our tiny home. There’s yarn by my bedside, yarn on my computer desk, next to my desk… and in the kitchen. I think what would probably help is if I actually went to a knit night and the obligation of having to show up with knitting hand would actually make me do it… but I’ve honestly been feeling too lazy to make the effort.
So, that’s why I’ve come to this crossroad… where my desire to wear the lovely Rocky Coast Cardigan collides with the relative lack of confidence in myself to finish said cardigan. Ever since I saw Shannon from Luvinthemommyhood wear her Rocky Coast Cardigan to FibresWest a couple years ago, it’s been at the top of my list to knit. I even cast on in a different yarn about six months ago, but decided I didn’t want to knit myself a THIRD sweater in Oxblood.
This time, I’ve dyed up our new Trinity Worsted yarn in a new colour for fall and my aim is to have it finished by mid-June for TNNA. That gives me about a month and a half. Luckily, this cardigan has no buttons to sew on. What I need is a) some conviction, b) a strategy, and c) a really good show to get into on Netflix to accompany my knitting time.
If I have six weeks, then I should roughly be completing:
- Week 1: Yoke to Body, divide sleeves from body
- Week 2: Body (1/2 of it)
- Week 3: Body (remainder plus bottom ribbing)
- Week 4: Sleeve 1
- Week 5: Sleeve 2
- Week 6: Collar and finishing
That’s a lot of knitting in six weeks, especially since most nights I might get 30 minutes of knitting time before I pass out. Has anyone else knit the Rocky Coast Cardigan? Have any suggestions or tips for what you would do if you were to do it again? Maybe if I check in with my weekly progress, it will get me closer to finishing…
Well, better stop writing and start casting on, if I’m going to get this cardigan done before June 20th!
I highly recommend watching the series Fringe on Netflix. It is streaming and it is what I am watching right now during my project time at night. Before that I watched the entire West Wing series. Good Luck!!!
I’ve heard awesome things about West Wing. I started the new BBC Sherlock… just 2 episodes in now. Fringe sounds like it’s right up my alley too.
I highly recommend watching the series Fringe on Netflix. It is streaming and it is what I am watching right now during my project time at night. Before that I watched the entire West Wing series. Good Luck!!!
I’ve heard awesome things about West Wing. I started the new BBC Sherlock… just 2 episodes in now. Fringe sounds like it’s right up my alley too.
Too much Oxblood? Bite your tongue! But seriously, that is an amazing new colour!! I agree with Elzabeth re Fringe and also recommend Firefly (or a Mad Men marathon from the beginning?) Please post WIP pics?
I looove Firefly! Mad Men sounds like a good pick too…
Too much Oxblood? Bite your tongue! But seriously, that is an amazing new colour!! I agree with Elzabeth re Fringe and also recommend Firefly (or a Mad Men marathon from the beginning?) Please post WIP pics?
I looove Firefly! Mad Men sounds like a good pick too…
bring your sweater to class every week for show and tell, you have a room full of knitters who would be glad to cheer you on!
bring your sweater to class every week for show and tell, you have a room full of knitters who would be glad to cheer you on!
What is Trinity Worsted?! It sounds fabulous! I’m also digging the color of course, can’t wait!
What is Trinity Worsted?! It sounds fabulous! I’m also digging the color of course, can’t wait!
My girlfriends and I knit Rocky Coasts for our annual Christmas exchange and we all love wearing them. NB: the cardigan will fall off your shoulders quite regularly with the collar/front bands worked as written. Mine felt like wearing a shawl with sleeves… I was constantly pulling it back up. So I ripped that section out and removed a whopping sixteen stitches centered at each shoulder by k2tog’s over the pick-up stitches. MUCH better!
Oooh, good to know. Would love to see photos of yours. Are they up on Ravelry?
My girlfriends and I knit Rocky Coasts for our annual Christmas exchange and we all love wearing them. NB: the cardigan will fall off your shoulders quite regularly with the collar/front bands worked as written. Mine felt like wearing a shawl with sleeves… I was constantly pulling it back up. So I ripped that section out and removed a whopping sixteen stitches centered at each shoulder by k2tog’s over the pick-up stitches. MUCH better!
Oooh, good to know. Would love to see photos of yours. Are they up on Ravelry?
I will be cheering you on from the sidelines! Have you watched ‘Call the midwife’?
The only advice I have on the cardigan is that I have heard the sleeves were tight for some people, I think that there are notes from the designer on Ravelry on how to make changes to the sleeves.
Oh! That is good advice on the sleeves… thanks!! Call the Midwife looks interesting… almost like Upstairs Downstairs?
I will be cheering you on from the sidelines! Have you watched ‘Call the midwife’?
The only advice I have on the cardigan is that I have heard the sleeves were tight for some people, I think that there are notes from the designer on Ravelry on how to make changes to the sleeves.
Oh! That is good advice on the sleeves… thanks!! Call the Midwife looks interesting… almost like Upstairs Downstairs?
I haven’t knit Rocky Coast but it’s on my must-knit list, someday I will get there. As Sarah mentioned, many knitters commented on how it tends to fall off the shoulders and I believe the designer came up with some adjustments. I think I saw them on her blog.
Here you are: https://static.squarespace.com/static/509ab435e4b06b20eb2fa750/t/511019ade4b0e3b888bfcdc3/1360009645804/Rocky%20Coast%20adjustment.pdf
Awesome! Thank you!
I haven’t knit Rocky Coast but it’s on my must-knit list, someday I will get there. As Sarah mentioned, many knitters commented on how it tends to fall off the shoulders and I believe the designer came up with some adjustments. I think I saw them on her blog.
Here you are: https://static.squarespace.com/static/509ab435e4b06b20eb2fa750/t/511019ade4b0e3b888bfcdc3/1360009645804/Rocky%20Coast%20adjustment.pdf
Awesome! Thank you!