Is it a monster?
August 7, 2009 § 2 Comments
I always felt like most of my projects have taught me something.
My first scarf taught me to knit. My first hat taught me to join carefully, without twisting, and for god’s sake double-check that. The teal hat taught me that thinking you know the right number of stitches to cast on can result in gorgeous accidents.
My fair isle fingerless mitts taught me the importance of tension. Different socks taught me different heels and toes, and the importance of casting off loosely when you’re doing toe-up. My shrug showed me there are things worth knitting through the night.
Christian’s pixie shoes taught me there is such a thing as too many bells. My first lace taught me to not follow patterns blindly, check what other people have to say about a project, and not worry too much if there’s one row doubled up by accident – nobody’s gonna notice in a shawl that size.
My ambitious Christmas projects attempted to teach me that you shouldn’t start in October if you want to have 11 pairs of socks by Christmas, but unfortunately failed to have any lasting impact. Likewise, the Sock Yarn Shawl failed to teach me to weave in ends as I go.
But no project, ever, has taught me the simple, exquisite joy of binding off after having plowed through 11 feet of garter stitch that are gonna end up even longer once I wash and steam it.
Sometimes it isn’t finesse or a particularly well-thought stitch pattern.
Sometimes it’s perseverance, and a good bit of old-fashioned stubbornness.
Of course, it helps if you’re really, really entertained by the stripes.
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Edit from August 12, 2009: I just linked this post to all the Ravelry project pages mentioned in here, and it’s hilariously overreferenced. And I didn’t even link all Christmas projects, or all socks I have ever made.
Oh, by the way…
April 1, 2008 § Leave a comment
I’m done with the Rose Shrug! Yay!
I picked up along the bottom and just knit till I was pretty much out of yarn. Added a second buttonhole along the way, I use this one, the second one doesn’t even have a button attached to it. I realize it looks stupid with the shirt, but OH WELL.
Sigh.
March 30, 2008 § Leave a comment
This was going to be the glorious post where I proclaim EUREKA! It is done.
And then I realized the fucking thing is too short for my huge boobs. So what I’m gonna do is go back to the needles, pick up stitches along the bottom, do some more seed stitch rim until I’m out of yarn (or something) and add a second buttonhole. I hope I can find a button similar to the one I picked out – it’s really pretty, silver and kinda… bohemian.
Ah man, fucking Rose Shrug.
Wow.
March 30, 2008 § Leave a comment
So, I have maybe 10 rows of the back piece left of the Rose/Bohemian shrug. Knit the night through, yay! But now my hands, esp my thumbs, hurt, and my right elbow from sitting on a hard plastic surface for hours upon hours. Oh, and my eyes keep drooping shut. So I’ll get some sleep now, and then finish this baby up later: Knitting that bit, sewing the tops together and finding a nice button. (Did I mention I already crocheted around the buttonhole with yarn left over from the long-tail cast on?)
Pffffffffff. I’m beat, but also incredibly proud of myself. But now, bed, before I’m 100% goo.
Rose Shrug – halftime
March 30, 2008 § Leave a comment
When I said the Rose Shrug was instant gratification, I didn’t know how instant that gratification would be. I’ve been knitting like a madwoman and I just did the ‘scary row’, i.e. parting the band into right and left flap and back. Already put left flap and back on my giant holder safety pins – starting the right flap now. Omg. I might just… knit the night through or something.
Yarnwhoring and the Rose Shrug
March 29, 2008 § Leave a comment
I went to Dortmund yesterday, for the monthly Stricktreff (Cafe Max) and to try the Plaetzsch Garnhandel. Which is basically a big old storage hall crammed full of yarn at really low prices, and I splurged a little. I.e. I bought yarn in advance, and some I have no idea what to do with yet.
This is woodsy-colored cotton sock yarn. I’m curious how it knits up compared with the sock wool I’ve been using. I don’t have a pattern set for it yet – I have a couple on my Ravelry queue, like the Primavera socks (which I sort of want to order Wollmeise Rhabarber yarn for…) or the currently unavailable Kaylee. But I still have time, I want to finish Q before starting another pair of socks. And this time, on my bamboo needles, which premiered on Leo II but have been hanging out in my needle box otherwise. Since it’s supposed to be stretch, maybe I can knit them a size smaller? I’d love that.