Thursday, January 12, 2012

Starting Over

Short message today.  You'll get the point.  That sweater, started on the knitting frame last week, has taken on its own life.  Have to say, it's not my favorite critter.

The details:  Last week as I was starting this project, 92-year-old Auntie fell and broke her left hip and left arm.   I wondered whether or not she would still need the sweater/shrug--ever.  My conclusion, however, was to knit faster.  This past week I've been on a mission to complete this project so Auntie can use  it sooner rather than later.  Well, the pushing (confessions here) has made me a bit cranky--that and the acrylic yarn.  I love wool.  I strongly dislike acrylic--erase, erase, erase. I am coming to terms with it.
Half-tamed eel on the front.



Short story:  pieces were knitted. They curled into long, eel-like ropes. It was nearly impossible to determine their finished size.  When they were put together to form a cape-like garment, it was all wrong in the shoulders.  Since acrylic cannot be steamed or pressed (it melts and looses it shape), it was one step forward and one step backward until I nearly wore a hole in the floor of my work space.






Let's start at the very beginning.
 It's a very good place to start.




My husband's advice:  when you have to push something that much to make it work, it's best to leave it.  Release the crankies, call the craft store to see if they have more yarn and head back to the drawing board are the Things I get to do today.  Things you get to do today: keep your fingers crossed!  One more thing:   I get to start a pot of tapioca pudding to soothe my solar plexus--feeling better already.


2 comments:

  1. who says things don't have a life of their own? of course they do! and acrylic yarn knows that it a very poor imitation of the true wool that delights our fingers with its feels, favors our nose with an occasional whift of lanolin, pleasures our eyes with colors only nature can accept and make. fie fie upon you acrylic -- you can't help what you are or your limitations! but we will think twice before embarking on an acrylic projects again (i tried to make a gorgeous cowl/medieval head piece from a lovely multi-color acrylic velour yarn - horrible! horrible! but i do have wrapping yarn for years to come!)

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    1. I have one piece to "knit" today and then will take the eels I've created and wrestle--read "ease" --them into the shape of a shawl. I redid the pattern. It will work.

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