Taming of the Eels

I'm winning.  How does one eat an elephant?  One teaspoon at a time.  How does one turn cranberry eels into a sweater/shrug for Auntie?  Twelve rows of knitting at a time.  It takes several skeins of courage and a hank or two of tenacity.  I've got that, and I will have my way with this project.  No doubt about it.

The back, the two sides and the right and left front have found their way through the knitting contraption (second time) to become fat, fully-grown, knitted eels.  After "creating eels" the Things I get to do today are stay on task and match the twelve-row decrease stitches on the sections being joined stitch-by-stitch, row-by-row until hem to neck are joined for each of the pieces.  Have to say it is much easier this time with a fresh, more accurate design in the pattern.

Sweater eels waiting their turn.  Gray on edges is "waste" yarn always used
at the beginning of a project piece on the knitting frame.
Gray will be removed.

I've always worked with wool and was expecting each section to be compliant and workable for the  assembling.  My mind wanders all about the archive of metaphors appropriate to the task. How like life: too much change too quickly cannot be sustained.  A little shift incorporated into each day makes the whole experience soften over time.




Unrolling just a little bit at a time from one "side" of each eel, I can secure it with a stitch, and gradually the whole piece becomes cooperative.   Just a tiny bit, a few stitches held fast; unroll, pin and stitch, and I'm winning.

"Taming of the Shrew?"  This stuff is not nearly so feisty,  but I'm pretty sure this is the only knitter's documentation of taming of the eels.   (To be continued.)

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.