amimono note

Bonbon cardi

I went to the Black Sheep Gathering last weekend, but I'll write about it next time. I have to learn how to edit pictures taken by a new camera first... The pictures are not JPEG and I don't know what to do with it.

Anyway. I started a new project the other day. It's the Bonbon cardi from Rowan magazine #33.

I've been reading Mimi's blog; she knits a lot of beautiful tops from Japanese knitting patterns. So I thought I really had to try a Japanese pattern for the next project, and I looked for something I might like in my books.

However, I ended up choosing Rowan instead, because I don't have to worry about substituting yarn with Rowan. Substituting yarn is a lot of work for me since I haven't had much luck with it, and I was not in the mood for a challenging project.

So, I thought I chose an easier and more promising project...... but I'm not so sure about that now.

First, they put the wrong name on the photo page. It says Missy, but on the pattern page Missy is a different project. I had to look for the pattern in the pattern section, and the cardi was called Bonbon there.

Then, I somehow thought the yarn for the cardi was Handknit Cotton DK instead of Cotton 4ply, and didn't realize my mistake until I finished crocheting one ball for the back body. I should have noticed it when I made several swatches, and I actually thought the stitches looked rather larger than the magazine photo. Yet I was preoccupied with getting the stitch pattern right, and completely forgot to measure the gauge. Stupid me.

The pattern reading is not so easy either. So far, the stitch pattern itself is simple (once you get it), but I have to sort of reverse the order of the stitch pattern in some rows. There are a few row repeats in the pattern and it says to "repeat row A to row D for row E to row H", but the beginning stitch is different in row A and row E. Does that make sense...? I had to write a chart to be sure what I was doing was right.

I hope the cardi is not doomed...