It's sorta nuts how much I want to make myself a sweater.  It's been getting a little chilly here at night and I was thinking that a little sweater would be nice.  I really love Ponchi, but he's in storage.

Plus, Ponchi is a little too embarrassing to wear out in public.

When I visited the storage facility, instead of grabbing Ponchi, I grabbed a cone of worsted weight ecru cotton yarn.  Why not whip up a top-down, cardigan just like Ponchi in cream?  Then, maybe, I could wear it out in public without being so self conscious. ;)

OK, so I started out with a LARGE hook (6.0mm, I think) which is what I used to make Ponchi.  The stitch was way too loosey-goosey, and so holey that it wouldn't keep me much warmer than my light jacket.

Plus, I wasn't sure exactly how I was going to attach buttons or a closure to such a flimsy, holey garment.  The hook size worked great for the terry yarn I used to make my poncho, but it wasn't so good for the worsted cotton.

I changed to a 5.0mm hook.  Much better ...  I'm doing alternating rows of dc and sc ... but the resulting fabric has such a stiff hand, the cardi feels like it's made out of cardboard.  It fits perfectly ... but it's dense, like armor.

I am sooooooooo frustrated!  I want to make myself a sweater so badly.  But I'm using a heavy, utilitarian yarn to make something I want to be swingy and soft.  It's crazy.  I'm totally obsessed.  I just don't have the right yarn.  Argghh!

I'm gonna have to frog it and ... um, I don't know ... twiddle my thumbs until January 1, 2010. Ha!  I want to buy some awesome Fine Weight cotton and make myself a @#*&% sweater.  The good thing about the challenge is that I'm gonna know EXACTLY what I want to buy once I can start spending money again.

E  X  A  C  T  L  Y.

Maybe I should start filling my online shopping cart now.

And maybe go buy a heavier jacket.