Why Hello, Mr. Tax Refund Check!

True to my word, I went to AC Moore last weekend and spent a small fortune (courtesy of my tax refund check) on cross stitching supplies. I bought three picture kits: the first is of a dalmatian puppy that appears to have sneezed off some of her spots, the second is a profile shot of a tiger's head, and the third is a snow-covered log cabin scene. I was hoping for a little more variety, but I had no problem settling (obviously). Once I'm a little more experienced, I'm going to shop on-line for patterns and buy the thread and cloth separately. I've already started the dalmatian puppy, but the going is slow. Why? Because I've yet again changed my grandmother's cardigan! The Leafy Lace Cardigan got fuglier with every stitch that I knit. I ripped it all out and turned to Ravelry, again, for something (ANYTHING) that my grandmother wouldn't be embarrassed to wear in public.

And then, I found it. Hey Teach!

I'm knitting this with KnitPicks Shine worsted (60% Pima Cotton, 40% Modal) in "Hollyberry." The yarn sheds quite a bit, but it's super soft. I had a different cardigan in mind when I purchased this yarn, so I'm going to have a ton left over.

The pattern is pretty straightforward. I had a little trouble deciphering the lace chart at first, but I figured it out without hitting anyone. The shaping, however, is causing severe mood swings. I'm sitting here, at work, completely consumed with figuring out a way to decrease (on the back) to 59 stitches without throwing off the lace pattern. Something tells me I'm in for a long night of cursing...

Aside from the shaping woes, the cardigan is a fast knit. I'm going to try to finish the back tonight. My grandmother's birthday is March 18th, and I'm hoping (although probably in vain) that I'll have it done by then. At some point I'm going to have to throw a Little Angel Top into the mix. One of my friends is due March 24th-ish. Everyone is reproducing, and I can't keep up!