Knit one, measure too

Before launching into my knitting slogalongs, let me just say that the Malabrigo sock yarn isn't on the market yet. I heard about it in the Ravelry "malabrigo junkies" forum. It seems that they are looking to put out an initial 12 colors, but the colorways haven't been decided on. Neither has a launch date been set, at least as of yesterday when I read parts of the New Superwash Sock Weight thread. (Those able to get to the Stitches West exposition may at least be able to fondle some, or so I think based on what I read in that thread.)

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Once again I succumbed to the blahs this week, finding no comfort even in reading my favorite blogs. Although, there is an upside to falling behind on blog reading in that when I finally rejoin the world, I'll have plenty of posts to catch up on. I count myself lucky that knitting always makes the blahs bearable, and so I am making headway on at least two projects.

The Queen's Forest is coming along, but it has been kicking my butt this week. By the end of last week I measured it at 48 inches and that felt good. Really, really good. I had come up with a little technique to keep me motivated: a visual clue that helps me keep track of my progress, as nothing saps one's interest in a project than the seeming lack of progress, wouldn't you agree?


See that little stitch marker? Well at the beginning of each session I ratchet the little bugger up to the row right below the needle. By the time I tuck it away at the end of the evening I can see how much I've accomplished.

That has been a great motivator until a couple of nights ago. After knitting what I thought was over 10 inches (at least!!!! I had to put it down a couple of times and I made the mistake of moving the marker up each time I restarted on it) I measured the scarf again and it measured a pitiful 54 inches. Big ARGH!

Now I've thought on this some. How could I have been so off in my estimate? I saw the visible progress and it was definitely more than six inches. Maybe I stretched the scarf when I measured it last week. Or maybe, just maybe, my scarf shrinks during the night. Really. Maybe the yarn contracts after its knit. Is that possible?

I laid it out horizontally before measuring last night and tonight I'll remeasure it in the same fashion before I sit down to knit. If it's the same 65 inches it was last night then we'll know I must have been stretching it as I measured, otherwise I'll have to accept that the scarf partakes in a little post knit shrinkage each night. Wish me luck it's the former, pretty please.

I've also made progress on my Christmas Balls Socks. I'm in the middle of the gusset increases on the second sock and will have hopefully turned the heel by the end of the weekend, depending on how much attention I give my chevron scarf.


If the scarf fails to keep my attention, then these might get done a whole lot quicker.

I'll see everyone on the other side of the weekend. Enjoy yourselves!