>Well, not quite a cardigan yet but it will get there soon enough.

I signed up to a KAL with the Madeline Tosh Lovers and Skein Queen groups in Ravelry. The design? Connie Chang Chinchio’s Austin Hoodie. I’ve always admired Connie’s designs but have been too chicken to try to knit them. I read this pattern through as soon as I bought it and it seems do-able.

The next hurdle for me was the yarn choice. The design was knit with Tosh Merino Light, a new base which I do not have any of! What I do have are 3 sweater quantities worth of other MadTosh yarn all sitting in the cupboard. I decided I would use Tosh DK in Wisteria from the last Sweater Club.

Next was the fun part: swatching! I did it religiously. Three times. Aren’t you proud of me?

Why three? I can’t seem to get gauge! I started with 5mm needles, washed and dried the swatch (oh yes I did!) then measured it. It fell short, by about 5 stitches! So I grabbed my go-to 4mms and swatched again. It was a bit short by a teeny tiny smidgen of a stitch. But we’re knitters and we must get the gauge exactly right. Right? Ri-ight. So I grabbed 3.75s thinking that the difference in size would make it work and swatched. Again. Guess what? It was bigger by about 3 stitches. My tension was completely off!

I took a break, watched some Doctor Who (Matt Smith is growing on me) and took some measurements again to make sure I am knitting for the right size. 39″ is too small for me and 43 1/4″ is a tad big. But I decided that with a bit of a squeeze I can work with the gauge I got from the 4mms.

I unraveled the swatch, grabbed my crochet hook and provisionally cast on 250 sts while sitting at the edge of my seat watching the latest episode of Stargate Universe. I expect more knitting tonight. Sorry to waffle on … 🙂

I consider the turned hem as a Connie trademark. Most of her designs have turned hem and it was quite therapeutic to do despite the massive number of stitches you had to graft together in the end. It does roll a bit but Connie promised with a bit of blocking this will lie flat.

One other knitting technique which is new to me is the fake seam. This hoodie is knit flat but to give the effect that it was done in pieces and then seamed together, you slip a row of stitches on the right side of the fabric all the way up to the woven band I think. It looks odd but I’m sure it will be alright in the end.

I haven’t touched this project in a while but will do so at the weekend. Until then I have my very first Sundara Silk Lace project and my son’s Uncle Frank socks to work on as well.

What about you…what’s on your needles?