Sometimes I'm just sooooooooooooooo smart!

I got sidetracked again...oh, don't look at me that way. Don't be shocked. You should expect it by now. HA! Another Grandma's favorite, but rather than using YO's for the increase, I used a M1. I like it. This is made in the Amish way...it's not perfect - it's got a glaring mistake, but I'm not telling where. It should, however, pop out to you if you're familiar with this pattern. I took it up to 45 stitches and it's being sent home with my daughter's friend after spending the weekend down here.

Now, sometimes I think I'm soooooooooooooo smart. While staying up to watch the UCLA football game late last night, and then the Iron Chef competition (that Food Network Channel is mighty addicting I tell you!), I got a good start on Dad's vest. Thinking about how some folks like to make two socks at the same time I thought I'd do something similar. Smart cookie that I am. I figured if I started all three sections at that same time, with 3 sets of yarn cakes, I wouldn't have to count how many rows for the ribbing. EH? Keeps the row count the same and the tension on the same sections even. Now that's using the old noodle. Right?

It would take a smidge longer to knit them all at once while keeping track of each separate strand of yarn. Not as hard as it may seem. I've done this before when knitting two sleeves or two sets of the front of a cardigan sweater. It keeps you knitting cables, etc... evenly.

I added row markers on the FRONT/RIGHT sides of the ribbing. That way when you have to stop between sections you can figure out which part to restart with again. In the back, I put the row marker in the center of the section.

The right and left front sections have the markers on their respective edges. When I pick up my knitting, I can see right away that a) I'm on the right or wrong side of the vest, and b) which section that I'm on to minimize confusion. (good place to insert the music here...)

See how they all lay flat? Can you see all 3 row counters? Pretty smart cookie here, eh? I thought so-at least at the time.... (if you notice, rather than the 1 x 1 rib as the pattern calls for, I've changed it. Don't be shocked...it's a personal preference to make 2x2 twisted rib here.) Now, seeing how smart I am, take a guess what thought I had at 3am as I was putting this all carefully away in my bag.

Sometimes smart people are just too smart for their own good.

If I'd really been smart, I would have cast on all of the stitches continuously with only one strand of wool. As if I were knitting in the round without joining the ends together. DOH!


I'm off to find me some Paula Deen. "Hey Y'ALL! Let's make something DEEE-LICIOUS!"(Did you know that she sells aprons on her web site with some of her phrases on them? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm......hint hint...oh family of mine..hehehe) She's calmer to knit to than the Iron Chef competitions. *sigh*