Can we have a great big 'HUH?'

I have discovered the problem with Grace... Well, my Grace anyway, and this is a theory that could be wrong but let me tell you about it first and then you can tell me I'm insane!

My Grace matches up to the blocked measurements of the schematic exactly. So why, when you lie it out to have a look at it and try and figure out where you're going wrong, does it look like this at the shoulders?



No, I couldn't figure it out either until I started to add up the measurements of the schematic. It would appear that the back is 3.5 inches longer than the front if you follow the pattern. I get that figure by adding up the length of the straight portion of the lower front and the longest length of the upper portion as they are attached at an angle so the V top of the lower front doesn't really count as a place to measure when you are seaming, if you see what I mean. lol

Now, I know you probably won't believe me or you will think that I am insane so go ahead and have a look here, do some adding up and then come back (please!). How the hell are you supposed to get the back to fit the front with that much of a difference?? All I can think to do is unpick the shoulders of the fronts, knit 3 1/4 inches and then do the casting off rows again and hope for the best. If I am wrong about this (and I can't see how I am as the picture kind of proves my theory) then I just do not get it at all, can someone explain it to me in words smaller than 3 syllables please?

I have done a Google search and can't find anyone who has had the same problem though, which is odd. I have found plenty of people who have had one hell of a time sewing it together, but they all have problems for different reasons, including one who's v was too low on the front lol. I don't get how such a simple pattern (in theory at least) can be so hard to execute... Anyway, I'm going to give her one more go and if she's not right then it's off to the rubbish bin for her as there ain't no way I'm frogging that much mock mohair in this lifetime (plus I have another 25 balls or so in the stash so it's not a great loss, go Ebay!).

Yesterday I picked up this and fell in love with the yarn all over again:



I did 2 rows of the 10th repeat out of 12, so it's almost there. However there are so many stitches now it's untrue, it takes a really long time to do each row so it might be a few weeks before we see this fully done!

I did cast on for the new socks I wanted to try out, that was the only new project I'm trying to allow myself until I clear the decks. They are coming out really well so far, I love love love the colour of the yarn and the pattern looks great with it. I now have to figure out how to shift the pattern and then how to get it to work on the top of the foot, it's fun to figure out though! I must get my geeky self another stitch pattern book so I can play about with my sock yarn more!

Stephanie asked how I find time to knit with a small child in the house. The answer to that would be that I'm a very very very lucky Mother to have a child who sleeps. My DS woke up every 3 hours to eat and then slept for another 3 hours right around the clock from about a week after he was born. When he was about 6 months old I set up my business while he slept on the bed in the spare room behind me! He then went on to 2 naps a day and now has a nap each afternoon of at least 2 hours which gives me time to work. I am basically picking up and putting down knitting all day long. It's my reward system, I'm always saying 'I'll just do this and then I will knit a few rows of x', admittedly I tend to knit more than I've allocated myself but hell, I enjoy it! I also knit while reading blogs and watching tv and in the car if we're travelling an hour or more anywhere. DS goes to bed at 7.30 as well so I've got most of the evening free to do as I please (you'll get there Steph, Henry (who's very damn cute btw!) will sleep through the night, I promise!). Add to that the fact that I don't clean unless I absolutely positively have to and I tend to have a little more time on my hands than a lot of Mothers do! lol