Tag Archives: knitting

Knit twice, Frog twice

Posted on by
Reply

I. Can’t. Knit.

I seriously can’t knit a stitch. Well, I can knit but I can’t follow a pattern and I can’t count stitches. This is a new disease. I’m sure that someone infected me. Where’s the drug to fix this? Quickly!

I am going to apologize to the people of Japan now and then state that I hate Noro yarn. There, I’ve said it.

Well, at least I hate the skein that I’ve been working with. I’ve worked with angora, fun fur, wool, alpaca, and all sorts of other fibers but this is the stickiest skein of yarn that I’ve ever had the dis-pleasure of untangling. It gets tangled up on itself for no reason at all in the middle of a (maybe) yard of fiber as I pull it out of the skein. I’ve been working with Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn. It’s wool and nylon (70/30) and I can’t figure out why it’s such a demon yarn!

Then there are my needles. I don’t know whose they are, they’re so old that the name is worn off and I admit they’re one of the first sets of circs that I owned and may be 20 years old but they may be the most INFLEXIBLE needles in the world. No, I’ve rethought this, they absolutely ARE the most inflexible needles in the world. Must be replacing them today – and think I’ll buy them at my LYS so I can have some immediate gratification. Shopping therapy almost always works for me when I’m in this mindset.

Third, the pattern. A free Ravelry download … simple lace pattern. I could recite the pattern by heart. But can I count the stitches?! Nope. Not a single one. One side was nine, YES NINE, stitches longer than the other side … and I’d already fixed this problem once! (And frogged and reknit once, to boot!)

Frogged again! Enough already – stop the bleeding! I’m giving up for now; and this Irish lass doesn’t give up easily. I’ll see you later Gaia Shoulder Hug … I’ll sneak up on you from behind one day and tie you around my new needles and make you mine.

So, dear reader (of which there may be one or two), I’m going shopping.

While I’m at the Knitting Patch I may see if the divine Laura can help me with the mess on the needles of project #2 … Cousin Lisa’s cowl. “It should have been done by now.” Thanks, oh, critical one! Self talk doesn’t do us any good … merely raises the level of frustration.

Same old Pictures, Same old Projects

Posted on by
Reply

Why is it that some days (or series of days) seem to bring up all the ugly in the world?

I’ve got three WIPs and I don’t like the way any of them are knitting up. The last project that I finished (a bee-utiful cowl for moi) is way too huge to even consider wear it – it would be too big to fit a COW, for God’s sake.

My motivation has fallen and can’t get up, I’m feeling frustrated and frozen. Ugh.

So, when I was lolling in my tub this evening, I wondered … so, why is it that I attack myself and think that I’m doing a crappy job and can’t even knit decently these days? Why don’t I blame the pattern or the yarn or the crappy, sticky needles with the inflexible cords?

WIP #1 – a Gaia Shoulder Hug made from Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn that I bought up in Maine last fall. The sample in the store was really pretty. Mine, not so much. The colors are too muted and it’s difficult to figure out when the colors start to change, my needles (old ones that I don’t even know what the brand is but they’re awful!) are way too sticky and the cord in inflexible. Add to that the yarn is scratchy and stiff – I sure hope it softens up! I’m actually hating it.

WIP #2 – a Thermis cowl for my cousin. I had enough navy blue left from her hat and mittens to make half a cowl. My LYS had none of the same yarn so I bought some similar (match the fiber and the weight, color must blend) and “blend” the two yarns. I’ve gotten up to where the button placket starts and I’m not sure how to blend the yarns without having ends to weave in on each end of each row. Even an “old” knitter like me needs help so tomorrow I’ll go ask Laura at my LYS. She’s a GENIUS!

"Senorita Lolita" - Prima Dogma for Queen Bee Knits Copyright 2010

WIP #3 – the third (fourth?) iteration of the Senorita Lolita sweater that I designed oh so many months ago which is pictured above … and didn’t write down the pattern as I went. Big mistake! Now, trying to re-knit it and writing it down, I am struggling. Big time. I’ve made it to the spot where it’s time for sleeves … and I just don’t want to pick it up.

So, just for today, I’ve decided to put aside the knitting (I know, everyone  knows that one of my favorite lines is, “I have to finish this row”) and pick up a book or maybe a knitting magazine … I have at least three new ones that I haven’t really read … I’ve glanced at the pictures. And that will be ok. I am a good knitter, I’m a good designer, I’m a good person … I know that. It must be the needles! (They’re going in the trash just as soon as the Gaia is complete.

Frustration Point

Posted on by
Reply

I have hit my frustration point.

Two projects are getting the better of me and (fortunately or unfortunately) I’m so stubborn that I keep frogging and starting again. I bought some Noro sock yarn and got a free pattern up in Maine last summer. The sample shawl that was in the store was so cute! As I got going with the pattern, nothing was right. I didn’t like my needles (old plastic ones) and I didn’t like the yarn (too sticky, but could have been the needles) and didn’t like the pattern (reverse stockinette stitch, you’ve got to be kidding!) I’ve frogged it now twice and have started it the third time with the same needles, yarn and pattern and maybe this time I’ve got it right. We’ll see!

And then I’m having a problem with re-knitting the Senorita Lolita sweater. I started it twice with some beautiful alpaca yarn that I bought at an alpaca farm visit. My Tuesday night knitting group went on a field trip to Southern Oaks Alpacas (Here’s a link to their Web site!) The first iteration was not working the way I wanted it to because I wanted to make a couple of simple changes. So, I frogged it and restarted it and frogged it again. After a couple of days, I decided to use some old pink sock yarn to mess with the pattern changes. So far (despite the fact that I can’t count!) it’s going better and I’ve made it up to the legs part … and we’ll see how the next section knits up! I so love the first iteration of the Senorita Lolita sweater and I really want to be happy with the second one – and I’ll never design another garment without taking copious notes and writing it down!

I’ve decided this frustration must have something to do with the alignment of the moon and the stars … or maybe it’s simply the crummy needles. I guess I have to do some more shopping!

Frogs in my Atelier!

Posted on by
Reply

Oh for goodness sake! I can’t seem to knit a thing these days!

I said that I’d brought a few “new” projects out of the atelier closet and started them (again.) Well, now I’m going to be frogging them and starting over brand new … it occured to me that I’d made a rather large mistake – one too many yarn-overs smack dab in the middle of the back of the Noro shawl. Poop! It looks dreadful and isn’t one of those patterns that you can simply fix. So, frog it!

In my process of re-knitting and documenting the beautiful Senorita Lolita sweater that I designed for the Jimmy Beans Wool contest with Koigu KPPM skeinlettes, I have forgotten to write down as I knit – and for those of  you who are over 40, you’ll appreciate that when you don’t write things down and then leave them for a few hours, you quickly forget where you are and what you’ve done. So … frog it!

Starting over again? Well, I start each day, I start (and sometimes finish) books … sometimes I put them aside and start them over, too! So, I’m accepting that I’m starting these projects over and this time, I’ll be more patient and more aware and will write down and focus more on the process (and the shawl pattern directions!)

This Queen Bee is going knitting! (After lunch!)

Koigu Skeinlettes Are in the Building!

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday my wonderful, handsome (pretty?), super special mail delivery person had this envelope of yarn-y love for me! Woo-Hoo! I am so excited to get knitting!

These are the skeinlettes from Koigu yarns that I won – actually the contest was on the Koigu Facebook page but the yarn was send by Jimmy Beans Wool.

Gotta get my needles out and warm them up … I have exactly 18 days to design and knit a darling roll-neck sweater for my little Lola (who hates wearing clothes)!

I’m thinking that since she was named after “Senorita Lolita” from Damn Yankees, something a little sassy and saucy, a little glitzy, maybe a ruffle but certainly lots of color … because we all know that “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets”!

Give me a few days and I’ll have a plan! Knitting to win! Go!

 

Watch Gwen Verdon sing Whatever Lola Wants in Damn Yankees  by clicking here!