My Vogue Knitting magazines arrived! I have been waiting and planning for this, so I immediately cast on for the first sand dollar-esque part of the capecho. And here it is, in all it's unblocked glory: The capechos I've seen have been huge, and I wanted something a bit more form-fitting, a bit more like the way the cover looks (even though I realize that really, that model has a capecho bunched and pinned behind her back). Also, I knew that this bit of experimentation might go horribly, horribly wrong, so just in case, I didn't want to be using my priciest merino for this. It's basic DK weight acrylic, done on 2.5 mm needles. Yes, that's right- 2.5 mm. Now, here's my confusion: The pattern calls for 5.5 mm needles. And the schematic in the magazine shows that each sand dollar is about 5" across (for the xs size). So explain this:

The sheep says that my unblocked sand dollar is only a smidgen under 5". How on earth did I get gauge on 2.5 mm? I'm completely flabbergasted. My stealthy plan to knit this on tiny needles is going to need a re-think. I'm going to block it tonight. For acrylic, I just give it a good old fashioned steam-and-press with the iron. This makes acrylic limp and drapey, which is exactly what I want it to do, since I have no desire for the capecho to make me look like a linebacker for the NFL. Once blocked, I'll see how big it is, and then decide how many of these it would actually take to fit around me. This one will be an experiment right up to the bitter end, I think.

NEVER Enough Knitting Patterns....

I have a subscription to Interweave Knits, which I adore and pour over every time it shows up in my mailbox, but I do not have a subscription to any other knitting magazines. I buy when I see something I really like, or I order the far-flung Rowan magazine when I'm feeling rich. Recently, I have come to the conclusion I should just break down and get a subscription to Vogue Knitting. Because yesterday, I found myself ordering two back copies:Now I'm feeling a bit dumb. These were magazines that were in pretty much every magazine shop and drugstore in Toronto for the entire winter season. I thumbed through them, observed everyone's blogged Vogue capecho problems from a cool distance, and decided not to buy them. Why? Because I already had tons of knitting magazines and patterns, and there was already no way I'd ever manage to knit every knitting pattern I had at home, so why add to the collection? Except now, I'm kicking myself. Because NOW I want a capecho, NOW I want the scarf and great cardigan from the Holiday 06 issue. NOW I want them all:


So of course I had to order them, and pay extra charges for shipping. When really, if I hadn't talked myself out of them in the winter, they would have been cheaper. Serves me right for trying to NOT buy knitting magazines. Sigh.

I adore that lavender-coloured belted cardigan that's in the Holiday 06 issue. I'm thinking it would be great for work, in a deep grey. It would say: I'm professional and look fantastic, and why yes, I am a kick-ass knitter. So nyah nyah nyah.

The capecho: yes, it's a tricky knit. And there are construction issues and sizing issues and all sorts of well-documented horrors related to this fascinating piece of modular knitting. But I've somehow convinced myself that a) it will look good on me and b) I'll be able to knit it better, since I've already seen so many blogged-about and scary-looking capechos. And even if I fail miserably, I'll post all of it here, so you can have a chuckle at my pain and torment. By which I mean my knitting.