Diamonds are a girl's best friend

On my trip I brought about 6 knitting projects that including a few small things that were very close to completion. I was looking forward to spending the evenings in the motels working away and getting a few things accomplished. Well as is usually the case, that didn't go exactly as planned. We actually didn't end up spending much time in the motels and the couple of nights we did have a bit of extra time, we spent it in the pool and hot tub. The only knitting time I ended up having was on the road. I worked on one of my secret knits that lent itself very well to car knitting and made quite a bit of progress without getting sick - yay! So I guess I can't complain, but I seriously need to get some stuff finished and off the needles so I can feel like I am making some headway.

However, as soon as I got back, it hit me that I had less than 2 weeks to work my Deep V vest from start to the first steek at the V neck line. Given the very mellow schedule for the class as a whole, this of course ends up being the most time consuming bit of knitting...and I now had now lost more than a week.
And here is where I have to give Eunny a gigantic thank you. If her other patterns (forthcoming in her book) are anywhere near the level of detail and thoughtfulness she incorporated into this pattern, I'm sure I will make them all - no matter how intricate, detailed and intimidating they may at first appear. Why, do I say this? Because this vest is EASY!!!

The pattern is a very clever series of matching rows. Each new row is following by an identicle row which means you only have to think every other row. Also, because of the way the diamonds in the argyle progress up and down, it is intuitive as well. You can almost instinctively know what the stitches are supposed to be without having to constantly refer back to the chart. In fact, I can usually just look at the first couple of stitches and then I am off. This characteristic makes it really easy to realize you have made a mistake in the colorwork. You don't have the problem of working rows and rows and realizing they are all wrong. It becomes very obvious after a few stitches that your diamonds are off, so mistakes are caught quick before they get too far along.

And the best part? It's fun! After I worked the ribbing, I was a little nervous to start the colorwork. After all, this is my first real fair isle project. But, it has been great! I have been carting it around to work, the knit salon and even Rebecca's. So, barring any unforseen mistakes (*makes small sacraficial offering to the knitting gods*), I shouldn't have any trouble getting my homework done in time for class next Saturday. (*any progress and homework completion made is only by the graces of the knitting gods and only because I fully acknowledge and accept my humble skills as a knitter and in no way have a big head or think that skill plays any part in such a success*.)

Anyhoo. Today is a beautiful day. One that is marked with a spaghetti dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory to belatedly celebrate my dad's birthday. And since we have to drive north, it may also involve a brief stop by Common Threads...after all I am helping my sister-in-law obtain a back issue of Interweave Knits and sometimes we must make sacrifices of our time for family, right? (wink, wink)