An apology

Dear Knitting Gods,

I am truly sorry. I understand that my recent reluctance to pick up the needles has completely emptied my karmic knitting account and that I must atone for my past misdeeds and lack of proper worship. I have taken steps to whip my WIP basket into shape.

First, I bought some new needles.

That's a 16" US 3 for Hubby's Hat. I'm going to double check the fit and switch to the new needles later today.


This is for the body of the Blue Baby Sweater for a co-worker. I hope to have it cast on by the end of the week.

Second, I have been working on the Oatmeal Knucks too. I finished the first and cast on the second, knitting like crazy so I could give them to the recipient (my sister) when I saw her yesterday. I finished the fingers, started the hand, added the thumb and was about 10 rows from starting the cuff when I ran out of yarn. Being an intrepid knitter and trying to avoid wasting $10 and several hours of tracking down another ball, I frogged the first cuff to finish the hand of the second and scrounged through the stash for yarn to finish the cuffs. What do you think?


This is the second incarnation of the cuff. The first had the pale orange next to the oatmeal and the charcoal as an edge. Hubby and I decided this looked better, so I am re-knitting the other cuff. These will be finished and blocked today, then mailed to my sister.

Finally, I understand these are only small steps and more atonement will be necessary to regain your trust and respect. I promise to view my WIP basket as inspiration to knit, rather than an excuse not to.

Your humble servant,
Andrea

PS- Would starting my Christmas Knitting help?

Decisions made for me...

When we last spoke, I was contemplating knitting for a camping trip. Due to unforeseen circumstances (Hubby got a big boo-boo--one that required a trip to the hospital), no camping this weekend.

So I cast on a new project. I have a ball and a half of Rowan Tapestry left over from my Christmas stocking with no plans. I also have a bunch of little canvas bags from Michael's. I buy them at Halloween because they have black(!) and they only cost $1. They are very useful for carry little knitting projects or lunch. But they are very plain. I was 'organizing' my stash and happened to see one of the Tapestry balls snuggling against a bag and I knew they wanted to be together.

So... I swatched, cast on an appropriate number and off I went to knit an outside to my little bag. You know that direction? The one that says, "Join, being careful not to twist"? Yeah. It got me. After knitting 4 or 5 inches, I realized it was twisted. It looked a little big too. I yanked it off the needles, compared it against the bag (which will become lining) and cried. Just a little. It was almost 6 inches to big.

I ripped it out and started over. And to appease the knitting gods, I finished one Oatmeal Knuck and cast on the second. Maybe something will work out now.

Camping Knitting

Hubby and I are going camping next weekend and while my body is going through the motions of cleaning, packing and planning, the only thing occupying my thoughts is the big question:

What am I going to knit??

After carefully considering all my options, I'm completely stuck. It needs to be something that doesn't require too much preparation (see aforementioned packing), a trip to my LYS (no $$, hence camping instead of nice motel on the water) and is small so it can hike with me. But, I'm also a fast knitter and there will be around 16 hours of driving involved too. Hmm...

More deep thought is required. Time to do laundry.

Edited to add: Tangled Yoke Cardi? I can knit another sleeve in a smaller size and knit the second if that works out... Ideas?

Pile o’WIP

I have had a general malaise about knitting lately. I just don’t want to knit. I look through my books and the Spring issues of Interweave Knits and Knitty and itch to cast on something new. But don’t for lack of appropriate yarn or needles. I thought it was just because of the pile of work I have been laboring under, but really, I am a champion procrastinator and knitting is an excellent way to maintain that status. So what could be stopping me from playing with my string? A long, hard look at my WIP basket yielded this:

That’s everything I have on the needles right now. (You don’t want to see the pile of yarn patiently waiting its turn.)

As I took the pictures, I realized there was something wrong with everything there.

Tangled Yoke Cardi?

Too big, have to rip and go down one size. And my yarn is from two very different dye lots, I’m going to try and hide that with the ribbing.

Hubby’s Scarf?

Miles of 1x1 ribbing. Miles.

Oatmeal Knucks?

Kitty #1 chewed on a DPN, so it’s scratchy, and I’m to the point where I have to add the thumb and then I have to pay attention.

Argyle slippers?

Still trying to figure out the gauge.

Lady Ming?

Another needle issue, one end is über pointy thanks to Kitty #3 and some sand paper. It is bugging me.

Hubby’s Hat?

The yarn is very fine and requires a US3. And Hubby has a big head. I had to cast on 200 stitches and it’s more 1x1 ribbing. On metal needles. I hate metal. They hurt my hands, so after only a round or two I have to put it down.

Baby Sweater?

Both sleeves are done but, I need the cable Hubby’s hat is on to knit the body. Which means that will also be on metal needles. Ick.

Mystery project?

This requires some hooking and more planning. I hate hooking more than planning and so it languishes.

The results? I’m surrounded by knitting, but I have nothing to knit. Maybe I’ll cast on this.

I have to knit another one?

It seems that it is the year of the baby at my workplace. In the last 6 months, there have been 8(!) babies born to co-workers or friends/family of co-workers. And since everyone is aware of my oh-so-innocent hobby, there have also been requests of knitted things for said babies. To be fair, none of those requests have actually come from parents of said munchkins, but with another sweater to knit, who wants to be fair?

All in all, I have knit 5 sweaters, 4 hats and a shrug. All baby sized, of course, but all in the last six months, along with finishing Christmas knitting and a few small projects for the hubby. And just yesterday, I found out another baby was born. I happen to really like and respect his daddy, so he definitely gets a sweater.

The score: Boys-6, Girls- 2

Andrea knitting for herself? ZERO

Success!

That’s right. I did it. I knitted the Baby Bolero. Maybe not entirely like the pattern said, but it is DONE. But first, pictures of the second major screw up…

When last we spoke, I had re-knit the back twice. I had to do it a third time. The first time, the center eyelet motif was too high--it ended in the neck ribbing. The second time, it was too low--only a third of the way up the back. The third and final time, it was still a tad low, but looked fine. And I was sick of it. Time to move on.

I finished the other front and chose to use a three needle bind off on the shoulder seams after all. It lent stability to the final sweater and I was worried about the yarn. Didn’t want it to stretch too much. I knit both sleeves, correctly, the first time and was so excited to attach them. But I suck at seaming and the yarn is very drapy. The last thing I want is for this thing to stretch out of shape, so--- three needle bind off to the rescue! I can do this! I love a three needle bind off! I’ll pick up stitches around the arm opening, undo the bind off on the sleeve and then bind them off together. Ta da! The first sleeve went perfectly. See?

But the second…

See that? That is a sleeve perfectly attached using a three needle bind off on the PUBLIC side of the sweater. Don’t ask me how I did that. I still don’t know. But I do know I was not happy. I marched it in to my DH and told on it. He was very good and didn’t laugh. Even when I gave him permission to. But he did smile. It is a good spouse who can enjoy your foibles while supporting your endeavors.

In order to teach the sleeve a lesson, I refused to pull it out immediately. I knit the ribbing, (after picking out the cast on, having missed the direction that said “Provisionally cast on…”) seamed up sleeve one, wove in all my ends and put the thing in time out for three days to think about what it had done.

But look at this…

That’s right. Fixed and beautiful. That’ll teach me to follow directions.

Am I Deficient? or Why can't I follow directions?

I'm one of those knitters. You know, who reads a pattern and then immediately changes something. Usually something simple like gauge or yarn or needle size starts it off. Sometimes, I go crazy and rewrite patterns for a completely different make up order or converting it from flat knitting to in-the-round. I wasn't always so willy-nilly with my knitting and it left me feeling stagnant, with no desire to pick up the needles. I have found that my off the cuff changes have made me a more proficient knitter. Which leads me to my dilemma.

I started the Baby Bolero from One Skein and liked everything about it. Thats right, I didn't want to change a thing (except, maybe to use a three needle bind off for the shoulder seams.) I'd resolved to knit the thing as written because I am knitting on a deadline and don't have the time to fiddle around with changes. I even knit the dreaded gauge swatch (and washed and blocked it) as well as bought an extra insurance skein ($13 extra, I might add). Nope, wasn't going to change a thing. Follow the pattern to the letter. The result? I'm sure you've guessed it by now.... I've had to re-knit the body twice, simply because I cannot follow directions.

Conclusion? Changing things make me think about my knitting and make fewer mistakes, thus more FO's for less knitting. Not a bad compromise, considering how many WIP's in my basket are there because somebody wants the end product...