Sometimes you just can't think of a clever title

So I've been frustrated with school recently and have expended rather a lot of energy whining about the lameness of library science classes. Example A is one of my textbooks (Evaluating Information): This book is, basically, a very good undergraduate text describing how to formally evaluate social science and statistical research. Which would be fine were I not in GRADUATE SCHOOL.

At one point, the condescending pricks concerned authors actually wrote this:

This has been a long chapter. Without some prior knowledge about something called experimental design, you probably found the chapter complex. As more and more details were presented, you may have lost sight of the overall logic.

Seriously? For the record, the chapter was not particularly complex. Further, for almost $800 a credit I expect to be challenged on occasion. And failing that, they could at least flatter my ego.

What was that? Oh, you're here to see knitting? Well, this is what I've been up to:



Stash enhancement, swatching for Wicked (not pictured due to technical difficulties), swatching for the Somewhat Cowl, and starting the second Sunshine Yarns Jaywalker.

The new stash yarn is Patons Soy Wool Stripes, and it fell into my basket (along with three of its friends) while my newbie knitter friend Kelley and I were poking around at Big Chain Craft Store. I've never used it before, and I'm not sure how it will knit up. But it's made out of soy. And wool. And it makes stripes.

How cool is that?



I also started swatching for Wicked, having learned my lesson with the Experimental Socks. I plan to appease the vengeful Goddess of Gauge with a properly knit, washed and blocked swatch this time. And every single other time I knit something that needs to be a particular size.

This excellent plan was rather more time-consuming than it should have been due to my continuing denial about how tight I actually knit. I started the swatch with the needle size recommended in the pattern, but several rows into the swatch, it became clear that my knitting had the approximate drape and flexibility of a suit of armor.

Since I was at Big Chain Craft Store anyway and I don't have any circular needles of the proper length for Wicked, I figured I might as well buy the next needle size up. Of course I didn't actually remember what size needles I was currently using, so I had to employ the very precise "hold your needles up to the package and guess" method.

The size 8 circulars certainly LOOKED bigger than the needles I was currently using, so I bought them. And I'm sure these shiny new size 8s will look very nice with the other two size 8 circular needles I already own, but size 8s will do fuck-all for Wicked since I need a size 9.

Kristy asked if I was making the short or long-sleeve version, and I'm planning to make the long-sleeved one. Once I get a goddamn size 9 circular needle. Sigh.

Incidentally, "making wicked" is now one of my favorite euphemisms, briefly replacing "making the beast with two backs" in my affections. So this week hasn't been a total loss.

Meanwhile, I've also been swatching some Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool from the stash. I've only used this yarn to knit lace, so I wasn't sure how it would knit up in plain stockinette. It's quite pretty, and my (washed-and-blocked) gauge is bang-on for the Somewhat Cowl.

Just one little problem...This is how it looks on size 4 needles, at 6 stitches per inch.



I'm pretty sure I can't get it any tighter, but it seems too loose for a sweater.

Have other people made solid items out of this yarn? How solid is solid enough for a sweater? How do you figure it out?

It's a freakishly warm day here, so it's really the perfect time to saunter over to my local yarn shop for yet more sock yarn size 9 needles. Wicked will not elude me for much longer.

P.S. I was tremendously comforted to hear that Kristy, too, has accidentally walked into someone else's apartment. But stupid Blogger reveals nothing of Kristy's identity, preventing me from telling her so myself. So Kristy, do you have a blog? You're really too funny not to...