Friday, March 21, 2008

Ready to talk

I think the sting of my knitting trauma has faded enough now that I can talk about it again. It has been over a week since I have last knit. I sit quietly on the trolley each day staring out the window wondering where I went wrong, why I let myself get so out of control knowing all along it could only end badly. Was I subconsciously trying to make a mistake? Was this the wrong project to take on after finishing the mammoth Baby Moderne? I think the answer to both is yes. Lets start at the beginning, shall we?

My Interweave Knits for sprig arrived at the house early in February. All of the patterns got me excited for the warm weather and I was itching to knit the Cotolino in my stash. So that is what I did. I was unfaithful to Baby Moderne, and began to knit a sleeve. All while knitting this sleeve on size 4 needles I thought to myself, "gosh, I should go get a tape measure and check my gauge" but was easily able to convince myself otherwise. "Nah, the tape is WAY upstairs and I can do it later" or "I can't check my guage until this is washed anyway, knit on!". Well that is what I did. I knit on. I easily wasted a month of precious knit time in this manor. Knitting on, knowing deep down there was a problem. The sleeve was finished and I was still fearful of measuring. I hand washed and allow the piece to dry. It seemed small. I didn't measure. I convinced myself that it should be machine washed per the labels directions. After all, the ride in the washer would surely make this sleeve grow right? Wrong. So just last Saturday, one day before our regular knitty get together, I pulled out my measuring instruments to confirm what I had known all along. It is too small. By about 3 stitches over 4 inches.

In this process I have developed a dislike for the pattern, the yarn, and size 4 needles. This project is certainly being put on hold, perhaps to never again reappear. Who knows. Now I am in search of a quick knit, something for me, so that I can regain my confidence in knitting before April's get together. Oh, and I will be certain to knit a guage swatch- and not just use the sleeve as my swatch.

7 comments:

  1. Well, the good news is that you are actually a good and fast knitter (unlike myself whose current bubbly curtain probably won't be done until I move out of the house for which it is being made). Nonetheless, I'm sorry for your loss. That sucks. Now go knit a dish cloth.

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  2. Oh man. Did you throw it all in the trash?

    Have you looked at the Malabrigo March stuff on Ravelry? Really good ideas for instant gratification type knitting.

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  3. ack, you mentioned in an email your slight fear for it being too small... i'm sorry that your fear came true...

    eleni's going to need some bibs very very soon, now get cracking!

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  4. Yikes - I was afraid that that was the trauma. :-(

    Would it make you feel better to help me frog my two finished sweaters that don't fit well? :-)

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  5. ahhh....gauge...I hate gauge swatches but thank you for teaching me a very, very valuable lesson in terms of how important they are. Seriously, bibs are therapeutic and instant gratification! I think they save me serious bmoney that I'd spend on real therapy;)

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  6. If you feel like it is all for naught, just know that you've taught me that either...a) I need to knit a gauge swatch or b) I should never knit anything for which gauge is important. I'm sorry you had such a craptastic experience :-(

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  7. I'm sure that talking about it doesn't make you feel as good as the sleeve just being the right frigging size it was supposed to be! Still, it helps to get it out. I'm still not opposed to taking your sleeve and my curtain out to the desert with a shovel. . .

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