Mission Accomplished!

Herein the tale of a poor little square. Just a simple, 12" by 12" square, in a pretty off-white natural sheepy yarn. A square which proved to me, as if I needed proof, that I am not now and never will be anything but an amateur knitter!



Every year, the nice people of NETA gather for a spa weekend, during which they do a little fund-raising for the Ships Project. This is usually an afghan, made up of squares knitted by the members, joined at a "joining party" and then raffled off.



Well, I'm sure it's no secret that I really want to become a New Englander again someday, so what better way to find knitting buddies than by joining NETA?



And of course, if I'm going to belong, then I need to take part in at least some of the activities. Luckily, knitting a square is an easy one, since the yarn and directions get mailed out anyway so why not to California?

Well, apparently mehitabel in California is doomed this year. I did my square (not as early as I would have liked, but still, it was done) and I had enough yarn.

Then I blocked the puppy. Ummm... 9" x 12" isn't going to do it.
So I waffled, and thought, and finally, on Monday of this week, with the support of Ellen and KnitDevil, I frogged the poor thing. Yesterday, since it was the first day of a new year, and I was feeling horrid anyway, I cast on again, using bigger needles, fewer stitches, and a modification of the same pattern.

Have I mentioned doomed to failure? Part way through, my Bryspun needle came apart. I just picked up the piece to work back and whoops, here's a needle in my hand, and a half-unraveled mess in the other.

Yeah. Have I mentioned that this is not the first time this has happened to me with a Bryspun needle? The previous time was on a train speeding through France, with my Sea Silk Paris scarf on it.

However. I do own more needles, and while I couldn't find an exact match--seems a bamboo 10 and a Bryspun 10 are not the same millimeter match, or something--close enough. Got to the end of the square, started to bind off... 12 stitches from the end. Out of yarn.

Project got put into time-out for the night. This morning, time for some stash diving. Came up with a ball of what might be exactly the same yarn, except of course this wasn't pre-washed-and-blocked-and-then-unraveled.

Big sigh. I figured, at this point, close enough, right? So I undid the bindoff, knit one more row for good luck, and then bound off.

The square is now blocked out to 12" by 12" and is happily, I hope, drying on a winter towel.

I know, it looks awfully loosey-goosey, and I'm hoping that once it's dry it will fluff up a little more.

All I know is that it's going to be on its way to Mona as soon as it's dry enough to travel. Even if I have to take a hair dryer to it! I'm crossing my fingers that the nice folks at NETA will think it's good enough for the afghan.