Thing is, I have a sweater on the needles already!
Remember this?
Anyways, I settled down with the knitting bag- a nice canvas one with a poppy painted on it- I rummaged for the pattern which, like a good knitter, I had kept very good notes on. Pattern found, row ascertained, and then I pull out the knitting itself.
Strings hanging off in all directions, cast-on edge too tight and yoke too loose. I started to wonder if maybe that was why it ended up in the closet in the first place. I sucked it up, and tried it on:
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| EEEEEK!!! |
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| Does tugging help? |
I decided to let it go. Take the unholy thing off my conscience: I am no longer knitting a Vine Yoke Cardigan. I just have some yarn stored in a partial sweater state. And what does that mean? Freed up some needles and I'm ready to cast on a new sweater!
And ok because I am an honest knitter I have to admit it. Part of the reason I gave up on this is because...
because...
I THINK ALPACA IS ITCHY. I admit it. This yarn is Berocco's Ultra Alpaca but I've noticed it with every alpaca yarn I have ever tried. It doesn't really make me itch when I knit with it (except Bernat Alpaca which sheds like a beast and the little hairs always find their way up a nostril) but when I try to put it next to my skin it inevitably makes my skin crawl. I simply couldn't imagine owning a sweater made out of it. Even if it WAS a sweater I knit side-to-side. (A side to side sweater was supposed to be one of my knitting goals this year)
By the way the sleeves were way too wide as well, and the yoke puckered. If I had done pre-emptive Ravelry searches I would have learned that those two areas were the most commonly modified. Tsk Tsk, Cecilia. Next time listen to the knitting masses.
Speaking of which. Any ideas what I should do with the yarn? I have about 1000 yards.
Maybe a gift sweater? I think it would make a nice Ridges and Cowl: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ridges--cowl
ReplyDeleteI've had my eye on Ink on ravelry, but it's $6 and I wouldn't be able to knit it anytime before Christmas anyway (all that Christmas knitting). Pattern on ravelry:http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/ink
Ooooh that's a good idea! That sweater was already in my faves (although I had apparently forgotten all about it.)
DeleteThank you for the suggestion ♥
No I have some Alpaca for a cardigan ready to be used, I hope it is not going to be too itchy! Can't you do a blanket with the yarn? It is getting cold...
ReplyDeleteI like your phrase "an honest knitter." We put so much energy, time, money, and love into our hand-knit projects but when they don't work, we need to be honest about them. Frogging can be painful but it can be cathartic as well.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how I feel about it. Part of me was like, "Oh but you have this much done already..." but there would have been so much time wasted because I would never ever have worn it.
Deleteoh the agony! what a nice pattern!
ReplyDeleteIs it possible that you're allergic? Alpaca doesn't make me itch, but I do have to be careful when I buy wool because I'm allergic to lanolin. I do have that shedding problem with the Bernat Alpaca, though. I just made a hat for my boyfriend out of it last week.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I'm allergic or if I am it would be very mild because it doesn't make my hands itch while I squish the yarn or knit with it. It's only itchy on sensitive areas like my neck, chest, and upper arms. :/
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