Continental

Over a year ago I bought 880m smooshy and delicious Rowan Baby Alpaca DK in the John Lewis sale. The plan was to make a tank top - or, in American knit-speak, a "vest" - to wear for work. But I'd not used such awesome soft and beautiful yarn before, and frankly, I was too scared to actually use it.

The joy of finishing two WIPs in one day yesterday gave me the yearning to start a new project, and I decided now was the time. Over the last year I've spent a long time looking at patterns to try and find the perfect one. I think this is it: Gilmore Vest by Fable Handknit. Simple, plain, unfussy stockinette stitch, with the focus on the yarn, not the knitting.

The thought of all that st st however, filled me with horror. Abject horror. This was going to take forever. I had one option: continental knitting. I've dabbled with this on occasion and always retreated to the familiar comfort zone of my lazy "pick up the yarn, wrap, drop it" approach, which is relatively speedy but only because I'm well-practiced at it.

Practice.

Uh-oh.

I grabbed some scrap yarn and some needles and started. One episode of DS9 later, I had this:

It's wonky and lumpy and my gauge started rubbish and I switched up a needle size halfway into the stocking stitch part but LOOK I AM KNITTING WITH THE YARN IN MY LEFT HAND ZOMG.

It's not perfect, but how did I get good at knitting? By doing it a lot. Practice. Y'know. It wasn't great at first but I got better.

I've cast on for the vest.