More is Less
June 15th, 2007 by Wen
More knitting equals less blogging. I mean, it must be that because I’ve been doing more knitting. And doing less blogging. I think I’m averaging a post about every 5 weeks. Is that some sort of record? Do you think they’ll take away my citizenship to knitbloglandia? /me shrugs.
Anyway…the knitting.
When last we left I was knitting on the Child Hood cardigan and my sock pals socks.
Here’s the progress:
The back and the two fronts are done. I had to rip back about 3 inches to fix the twisted stitches I put in for shits and giggles. When I finished re-knitting the front I noticed something. I had somehow managed to decrease on both sides. They were gorgeous matching decreases. Really perfect. The best I’ve ever done.
Except.
Except, matching decreases aren’t called for in the pattern. Nope. Not called for at all.
So I ripped the other side and reknit it the proper way. My subconscious self made a mistake to point out another mistake. I love my tiny brain sometimes.
Here are the sleeves. The nice thing about baby sweaters is that they’re small. So I didn’t feel that I wanted to stab myself in the eye when I was halfway through the second sleeve.
Here is the thing that is harshing my knit buzz:
This button band blows. Seriously. The designer has designed this really cute kid sweater. What I want to know is if the crack she was smoking was laced with something when she decided that this was an awesome way to knit up a button band. After the front pieces are knit you go back and knit alternating rows of 5 sts until the unattached button band when gently pulled matches the decrease points. Did I mention that these are unattached? That I will have to sew these together? Or that ”
That just seems really dumb and a time waster to me. I did what the pattern instructed…but meh.
Also I have some questions about seaming… I already did a three needle bind off for the shoulder seams. I love me some three needle bind off. It’s so freaking clever. Do you think I could pick up stitches on the side seams and do a three needle bind off there? How about the sleeve seams? What about setting the sleeves in with it? Can I go crazy with the 3BO without making this look like ass?
Grudge Knitting
No. It’s not a new reality show on the Spike network. It’s this:
These are the socks for my sockapalooza pal. What was I thinking joining this? I can’t complete a knitting deadline to save my life. I like knitting socks, but these in particular are giving me a guilt complex. There’s no way in hell I’m going to be able to knit knee socks for her. Work is starting to get busy and I have other projects I need to finish…Like this:
Anyone remember this? It’s the kimono shawl that was supposed to be for my mom for Christmas. Or Mothers Day. Hell, her birthday is next month and it won’t be done then either.
Then there’s this:
Some really pretty Trekking XXL. For socks. For the BF for his birthday, also in July.
What to do people? Do I send her an email letting her know that while I had the best intentions to knit her some knee socks it just wasn’t going to happen? Or just knit up some pretty socks and send along a guilt package full of goodies and an apology in August?
There’s a reason why this website is called Slowknitter.
Evites can bite me
So the ASK meetup at my house will happen on July 1st at 1pm. Potluck, knitting or other fibery crafty type things, and YARN SWAP. Let’s swap it out people. I have yarn that I want to kick to the curb.
Of course no party planning would be complete without me sending out 17 emails and corrected evites. But true to form in the film business, I got a job the second I hit send on the evite for the meetup . I’m not kidding. I sent it, checked my email and the job was in there. Antyime you want to get a job in my line of work just plan a vacation or a party.
Check your email, the new improved evite should be there.
I think that’s it for now. See all y’all on the first. Slowknitter out.
Don’t worry - I just started your sockpal socks too - there’s plenty of time before the deadline. (But I’m sure your pal would be delighted with anklets and chocolate if it comes to that.) And the kimono shawl - I’ve been working on mine for about 2 years. It’s a damn long project.
If I win the lottery, I’m not telling anyone. I’ll just start showing up at ASK meetings. That would be cool.
Regular socks and chocolate. Especially since that looks like sock weight yarn you’ve got there. You’ll be knitting until next sockapalooza (and so would anybody else). Since it’s summer, you could make a tiny cozy for each toe and call it a day.
I am in the same boat project wise - so many started, so few finished and a boat load of guilt to go with them. The striped band on the kid sweater is probably worth the extra time though, cute design element.
Unless she said in the info that she wanted ONLY knee socks and nothing else, send the purple ones and just make them as tall as you feel like. If she DID say ONLY KNEE SOCKS OR I SHALL PERISH, email her and let her know to get her affairs in order. People who have specific ideas of what they want, that they’d never knit for themselves, have no business being in a swap.
And chocolate should always accompany the yarn, IMHO. It’s just, well, natural.
What Carrie said. The point of the swap isn’t so people can custom order handmade socks, it’s supposed to be fun for both parties. Sounds like it would be way more fun for you if the socks were shorter. And don’t tell her you were gonna knit them longer, just send them and a treat or two and move on. Life’s too short. To me, life’s too short for sock swaps, but there ya go.
I have never heard of anyone using 3 needle bind off anywhere but on a horizontal seam, but hell now you got me wondering. To the point I might actually knit a sample and try it. I sympathize with you on that band. It would have been so much easier if the designer had you pick up stitches and knit off them than to sew it on. And just think, that red is gonna make for a nice and festive christmas shawl for mom! Maybe even this year. The BF won’t be able to really enjoy his socks until autumn so you shouldn’t rush to finish them. It would only be teasing him to give them to him in July.
See? Problems solved!
As another slow knitter, I got yer back. Life’s too short for open mike poetry readings and knitting ya don’t wanna do. I too say shorter socks and chocolate for your sock pal. As for the others, I’m a big believer in 1) gift certificates and 2) gift knits arriving when they arrive.
See ya on the 1st!
Frankly I dont think she should have asked for knee socks! That forces you to knit longer and buy more yarn and that’s not fair - let her knit her own knee socks if she feels like it!
I say go with footies but I’m ornery like that
I’ve been lurking for a while and I gotta tell you that you crack me up! Love your blunt assessment of the state of the knitting and commitments and how life gets in the way - whatever your occupation.
No worries. Your citizenship cannot be revoked. In Knitbloglandia, there is room for everyone
And ditto to what Debi said.
I’m a huge fan of the 3 needle bind off too - and I think it’s totally applicable for anything that needs seaming (because I hate seaming) The only thing to be careful about is how you pick up the stitches - I have a tendency to not be careful enough and get gaps as the stitches stretch out.
I heard about the ASK when my friend Teresa went to the last one - I love the concept
I’d make the socks the length YOU want to make them. And if I was being particularly evil, I’d follow Debi’s advice and knit her some footies.
Also, though, include some goodies too.
Seel you in 2 weeks!
The cardigan is pretty cute, I love the striped sleeves and the gentle variegation of the main color yarn. The button band, though, it even looks like torture.
If you don’t feel like doing the knee socks and she explicitly asked for them… this is going to sound weird but, I’ll do them for you. I’m between projects (after just finishing some major lace) and nothing is floating my boat lately except socks and I cannot seem to cast on a sock to fit me to SAVE MY LIFE. I’d be happy to finish ‘em off for you in July. I’ve got itchy knitting fingers and nothing in progress and casting on for new stuff is giving me fits. I’m not even happy with the new lace I’m trying, bah, and I don’t even have to mess with gauge on that. So having a pair of insta-socks to knit (I don’t care if they’re not for me) on would suit me very nicely, otherwise the train commutes drive me bonkers (crazy people stay away from pointy needles. Works every time).
As one of your Dish Rag Tag teammates, I’m hoping that you will overcome your deadline-aversion once August hits. At least if you are upstream from me.
I’ve added your blog to my feeds and I’m looking forward to reading more.