Knitting cardigans with friends

A bunch of us over at Knitting and Tea and Cookies are morally supporting each other over knitting a cardigan for the fall (whatever weight of sweater that means for each knitter's region and personal comfort range.)  Starting... today!

If you're a Ravelry member and want to join us, feel free to tag your cardi project with 'ktccardikal'.

I haven't done that yet myself though because I am not ready for the knitalong. (and not just because I have a big sewing project to start and finish before bedtime.)

My pattern is chosen: Deco, by the clearly totally brilliant Kate Davies.

Yarn: St-Denis Nordique, 100% non-superwash wool that knits like a dream and is soft after blocking.

Knitting Location: the sofa or the car - the yarn's on a cone and way too heavy to travel.

Goal: Oh, I shouldn't say this, but I really want to knock it out of the park by the end of the month.  Madness.

Problem: Gauge.

Apparently row gauge is important and I can't get it - I get to 1" 2 rows faster than I ought when I'm even close to stitch gauge.  In the night though it occurred to me that this may be because I'm counting the pattern's slipped stitch, which disappears into the back of the fabric.  I'm going to investigate that point this morning.  If I don't find out though, I'll just go with the needles I think will work and sort out the row problem as I go.

Bigger Problem:  Colour.

I still can't decide!!!  It's down to spruce or camel, and I have a number of criteria for choice, and none of it is helping.

Spruce is fabulous for my own colouring, camel washes me out.  But the cardi has a U-neck so, you know.  Not really relevant.

Spruce is darker and therefore more slimming, camel is the reverse but will also show the stitch pattern better.

Both colours look great with a selection of the Twisted yarns I'm also trying to decide about ordering (which means I'm not getting much help about them either.)

I still have a few hours before I have to commit - there's that sewing thing, and then the gauge issue - but gosh.  I keep telling myself this is a project I'm wearing, not displaying, and it should flatter me, not my knitting skills... but on the other hand, what else would I use the camel for?  A low-necked cardi I'll layer under more colourful things is the perfect neutral application.

Gah.

I just hope the sewing goes fast...