Happiness is not the absence of problems; it’s the ability to deal with them.

My Craftvent II has gotten off to a rocky start this year. It started with the main color yarn not being one I would normally knit with. One reason I enjoy KALs is to learn new techniques and try new yarns. I didn’t want to simply dismiss the alpaca yarn without giving it a fair chance. How can I be certain I don’t like this yarn until I use it?

Over the weekend, I discovered I had managed to put a twist in my project. How is that possible? I’m knitting flat not in the round. When you have tons of stitches bunched up on a needle, it is possible to get the stitches twisted in the beginning and not notice. In my infinite wisdom, I thought I could tink back and fix the problem. (Can you hear the knitting gods laughing?) I was able to do that until I got to the fuzzy alpaca yarn. As you probably know, the only way to fix a twist in your knitting is to leave it or start over. I know this. I’ve known this for years. Yet, I was determined I could fix it and save the project. I tried dropping stitches. That didn’t work. Then I tried cutting the yarn thinking I could felt the yarn back together. That didn’t work. Now the fuzzy yarn is looking a bit sad, and my stitch count is off.

I managed to make a bad situation worse, and then a light went on as I remembered one of my knitting motto’s, “There is no knitting police.” Yes, the designer thought this yarn was the correct choice for this pattern. I have no doubt this would be stunning; however, given it makes me itch and I’m having difficulties only 10 rows in choosing another yarn might be the correct answer for this project. That’s why there is more than one yarn in one color. Variety is the spice of life.

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Not all things were bad last weekend. The British Hubby made an amazing chocolate mint pudding pie! It’s hard to believe this is keto. Doesn’t it look great with some toasted almonds and coconut?

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Look how grumpy Burt looks. I think he’s defending his box.

I think I have a solution for my craftvent conundrum. I’m just waiting for my new supplies to arrive. More details this weekend.