Michelle points out, sweetly, that I didn’t really mean “hoi polloi,” yesterday, and suggests “hoity-toity.” She’s right, and I’m a little chagrined, my Grammar Avengin’ buddies. As a child I internalized the wrong meaning to this word, and even though I KNOW it means the opposite of what I think it does, I routinely forget it. (Just like if I’m not very careful, I say con-fis-ti-cate instead on confiscate. Now, that’s TRULY embarrassing.)
Shakin’ it off, shakin’ it off.
Shakin’ it off to the tune of US needles, size ONE!
Yes. I got gauge with ones.
The hell?
I am the loosest knitter in the universe, I do believe. (This makes me particularly popular in certain bars.) This is an aran-weight yarn, and suggested needle size would be four or five (US) to get Ms. Starmore’s 25stitches/4 inches. Me? Ones. Oy. Lord, the only way I could get 25st/4in on (US)5 would be to use sock-weight yarn. Now that would make an interesting Celtic sweater, no? Mini-ringel cables?
But I swatched! (Minimally, seen here. But it’s more than I usually do.)
And I’m about an inch up one sleeve (after doing a facing which I’ve determined it needs – I don’t like that raw cabled edge curl thing). It looks fabulous. I could SO easily eff this all up, so I’m proceeding slowly and thoughtfully. This will not be a read-while-knitting piece, and I’d like to finish it up quickly (as quickly as allowed by size ONES), so I’ll be getting a lot of TV watching done, I prognosticate. (A more appropriate word-choice would be “predict,” but “prognosticate” is at the outside of allowed, so I’m throwing a four-dollar word atcha. And I like how it echoes my incorrect pronunciation of confisticate.)
I adore Koigu, both the Painter’s Palette and this Kersti. Carrie asks, what gives? Why is Koigu so good? Listen: It’s smooshy. It makes a great, very soft fabric (I swear this stuff can’t be 100% wool, but it says it is), that when knitted, makes you want to be a Very Little Creature and bounce on it. It’s squoozable. If Carson from Queer Eye touched it, he’d zjooojzh it. It’s like wool angel food cake – lotsa air in the batter. That about right, fellow Koigu fans?
And yes, Em, I slept with Kersti on our first date. I don’t regret it, not for a minute. In the morning, she was still there for me.
But size ones.
Zjeeejzh.
One’s? Are you sure?
I have never knit with Koigu…my mom doesn’t like it so I have felt okay about avoiding it. But your description makes me want to give it a go. I have been keeping an eye on it on eBay to experiment. I haven’t seen it locally to give it a quick grope. Hmm…but one’s??
You are too much!
Size ones! I am quite the opposite of you- the tightest knitter in all the land. I routinely go up two to three needle sizes to get gauge. It drives me insane.
Have fun with those teeny needles!
The way you’re knitting — nay, savoring — this sweater sounds like the knitting equivalent of the Slow Food movement. YES!
Hey babe, I’m sure on most days you could outgrammarize me with one hand tied behind your back. I only know that one (hoi polloi) because I’ve been there. Just sharing lifes lessons.
Other things burned into my brain : data is plural, few/less, well/good, a lot is two words (in my heart, it always will be).
OK……I put this out there for you to discuss amonst yerselves…….
I don’t understand why it’s worse to be knitting something on US 1s vs. US 5 to get gauge. You are still knitting the same number of stitches. You are just using a thinner needle to do it. There are no more stitches for your version than for Amy’s or anyone else’s, unless you do a different size.
This is NOT me chastizing you, but it’s me trying to understand why people think that using a different (smaller) needle size makes something take longer. If a tighter knitter uses a US 10, they wouldn’t have it easier…..does s/he not take the same number of stitches to make it?
Discuss amongst yourselves………I’ve verklempt
Rob – VERY good point. And one that I should keep in mind. I think for me, it’s just that it feels tighter to knit this way – my hands hold the needles harder. Not sure why. (Why does everything I’m typing sound sexual? Or it that just me?) But you’re very right. It’s all a mindset…. it’ll take me the same amount of time, no matter what size needles I use. And you rock! Kersti is FABULOUS. Mwah!
Rob’s totally right. Well, you know what they say: it’s not the size of the needle that counts, it’s the … OK, it’s NOT just you with the sexual thing! 😉 Somebody stop me!
Continental, I presume? Knitting, not…oh, never mind.
(Ignore me; I’ve alternated between driving and breathing paint fumes all day.)
Knitting *IS* sexual……piercing holes,
oh my, i’m giggling at where these comments are going…we are all so naughty. Along those lines, US 1s just feel so tiny in your hand….I like something with a little girth. Tee hee.
Rach – thanks for the Koigu description. I think I finally understood when you said “wool angel food cake.” Yum. I can’t wait to see your Cromarty!
nonplus is a word that always confuses me. Hoi polloi apparently is another — I just didn’t know it until I read your post! live & learn
Rachael, I always say ‘vacilitate’ for vacillate…and I thought I was a big word junkie… 😉
Good Luck with those Ones! I know that Rob’s correct, but eeeeekkk! those things are small!
“wool angel food cake” is a perfect description, I think, given that I’ve never touched Kersti, despite Rob’s valiant attempts to get me to…I cannot say “accompanist” to save my life. I know there are more words I can’t say or use correctly, but I can’t think of them right now.
Me too. I always want to say “accompanyist”. And Rach, we certainly complement each other–I knit tightly and always have to go up a couple of sizes to get gauge.