Ripping Good Time

Did you know that a double crochet (dc) in a British pattern is a single crochet (sc) in the U.S.? Because I didn't. So I was crocheting along happy as a clam here in the good ol' US of A on a Sirdar baby dress for the shop when I thought ...this looks a little large. A Google search later and *oops* I have to rip it all out. But it doesn't make sense...why do the Brits skip a single crochet and go right to double? And, if these patterns are going to be sold in the U.S., why isn't there some kind of note about it? We're not talking centimeters to inches here; we're talking a significant disparity. I'm not one of those Americans who expects everyone to speak English wherever I am in the world or anything like that...but would it be that hard to have some kind of conversion chart? I mean, I had to rip back pretty far.

Okay, enough bitching.

In other ripping news, I faced my demons and shortened the yoke for the Grecian Plaits top. I didn't measure (stupid?) but I tore out about 5-6 inches (about 13-15 centimeters....see it wasn't so hard to convert!!), and now the yoke looks a reasonable size.



I'm hoping that I won't regret it later although I can always go back...again...and redo it...again. But for some reason I don't think I'd have the wherewithal to do that. I think it would end up in the "WIPs bin"...for a long time.

I cast on for the Teardrop scarf tonight. I hope I enjoy this pattern. It's lace but it's boring lace. I had to cast on 326 stitches (teeny stitches with teeny yarn) so each row takes me a really long time. And so far, the only lace is at the ends and the rest straight knitting. I do like the Lacey Lamb though. And I learned how to add beads while knitting (without pre-stringing) with a dental floss threader. Genius! Pictures to come when I make some progress worth photographing.