Ahem. To explain further what happened in the previous post.
There were martinis involved. And wine. Then I decided to cast on for a new sock. I picked out a set of Brittany Birch double points, size 2.00 mm, and did a Twisted German cast on. If you’ve ever used this, you know it’s a bit fiddly by itself. The first row after the cast on is even fiddlier. I started a cuff with 2 by 2 ribbing, and got all the way to the end of the round. Damn, I was off by 2 stitches. I went back and counted. I had counted right, it was just that somewhere along the line I threw in a 4 by 2 section. I ripped it out, started over. Got the cast on done, struggled through the first round, and was off again. I’d counted wrong that time. 3rd try. Cast on the right number, did the rib correctly, snapped the damn birch needle while finishing the last needle’s worth of stitches. There you have it. That yarn is just seriously lucky that the whole mess didn’t get pitched into the fireplace.
The good news is that Brittany has a needle replacement policy. They don’t say anything on their website about exclusions for vodka-soaked knitting accidents, so I went ahead and emailed them. We’ll see if they send me a new one.
The other good news? I got the sock off and running yesterday. I threw in the towel on the Twisted German cast on and ribbing, and did a plain long tail cast on and a picot cuff. I definitely would not recommend doing that really fiddly hemming row while drinking. I was stone sober when I did this:
You might also notice that I changed to much less breakable Pony Pearls for the remainder of the sock. This yarn is a little bit lighter than some fingering weight sock yarn, and I’ll need to do the whole thing on the 2 mm size. I just didn’t have the heart to subject any more Brittany needles to alcohol abuse.
Thanks for all the comments on the double-ended stitch markers, by the way. I’m working on a new-and-improved version, and will post a tutorial on how to make these at some point later this month.
I’m leaving on another little jaunt tomorrow, for a week. We are using a week of our timeshare in Newport Beach, California. As an aside, ever since my husband mentioned that Santa Catalina Island is off the coast of CA near there, that song has been running through my head. You know the one, well, at least you do if you’re as old as I am. You know, “26 miles across the sea, Santa Catalina is a-waitin’ for me. Santa Catalina, the island of romance, romance, romance, romance.”
The really fun thing is that we’re taking the train from here to there. We get on the Coast Starlight (incidentally, the Amtrak line with the worst on-time record) tomorrow AM, and get to LA late Saturday night. You know what that means, don’t you?
Two (maybe three!) whole days of completely uninterrupted knitting time! We’re taking the laptop along, so if we have wireless access while we’re gone, I’ll post, but otherwise I’ll see you all in a week.
Excuse me, I need to go pack my knitting. And the martini shaker. They don’t say anything about not being able to take one on the train.
Have you been to Catalina? If not, it’s worth a trip across the sea to Avalon. I believe it was my husband’s 40th birthday we spent there…a lovely little trip (at the time we lived near Pasadena). I wish your trip were next month when I will once again be living in southern California – I’d love to meet you!
Have you been to Catalina? If not, it’s worth a trip across the sea to Avalon. I believe it was my husband’s 40th birthday we spent there…a lovely little trip (at the time we lived near Pasadena). I wish your trip were next month when I will once again be living in southern California – I’d love to meet you!
You have to go to Catalina. I went there for my honeymoon and would love to go back again. Of course that was 25 years ago, but I think it is the same today and it was then. You can take the ferry over.
Oh, SURE!!!! Have a night like that and then escape to Catalina Island!!! I’m jealous
This post and the Cautionary Tale are the funniest things I’ve read in a long time.
I’ll be down in S. California this Sunday through Thursday — a family gathering at Disneyland.
My junior and sophomore years in high school, my best friend’s family rented a beach house at Newport for a whole month. I got to stay there too and it was blissful. I looked a couple of years ago and the house is still there.
Do not forget your sunscreen.
Woo Hoo! You two have fun – please take lots of pictures for those of us stuck in a winter not-wonderland! :0)
I didn’t know about the brittany policy – I’ve snapped one of mine too.
Have fun on your trip! Am extremely jealous.
I hope you’re having fun – it sounds like a wonderful break!
aww Crap. Broken needles. I did that once but I didn’t know about the Brittany policy. I am hearby warned. Those bright pink socks are tasty-looking. 🙂 Or is that toasty-looking? 😉 Boy you sure do travel alot. Enjoy your trip!! Amtrak is highway robbery if you ask me. I can make the same trip(though with a connection and not non-stop) from NYC to Philly using public transit more 1/10th or less, the price of an Amtrak ticket round trip.
From the photo, you could have just as easily blamed the dog 🙂
Li
Have fun! Bring us back some FOs OK?
Hope you had a wonderful time! We were in Colorado, you must have chugged right on by.
How did the Brittany thing turn out? I had had a broken Brittany needle a few years ago, and they ended up sending me a whole new set! I love Brittany!