Another Knitting Disaster Story

I just listened to Knitpicks Podcast #101, in which Kelley discusses knitting disasters with some other knitters. (BTW - it's the only knitting podcast I have stuck with - it's really very good!)

Anyway, it reminded me of one of my worst disasters, which occurred when I was 17 years old and working on my first fairisle project. Back then, I just called it a ski sweater. It was 3 colors - natural whitish-cream background with pink and black. It had overall patterning, but only used 2 colors at a time.

I quickly completed the front and back, not knowing that it was supposed to be hard and take forever. Then I had to go to the hospital for an extended stay. I brought the yarn and pattern with me, but left the completed pieces at home. I worked both sleeves at the same time - 6 balls of yarn all going at once!

By the time I went home, I had completed the sleeves to the armhole decreases. But to my horror, I had put the black where the pink had been on the front and back and the pink where the black had been. I decided it would be okay - a design element!!! I finished the sleeves and sewed the sweater together (with sewing thread! sigh!)


No matter how I tried, I could not live with the mistake. It bothered me so much that I knew I would never be able to wear it. So I took it all apart, frogged the sleeves, and remade them with the colors in the proper places.


It has taken me many, many more knitting disasters to learn that I am a person who can't live with a mistake in my knitting. no matter how determined I am to just keep going. I may as well start ripping the minute I discover a mistake because I will just be throwing good time after bad.

What amazes me now is that I still have this sweater - 42 years later! Agghhh!

Crazy Lace by Myra Wood

Myra's new book is ready for pre-order on Amazon!!!

It is an amazing new concept, dreamed up by the genius mind of one of the most talented fiber artists in the world!

I have been so inspired by her Crazy Lace concept - it has changed the way I design Lace and will blast open new creative channels of any lace-knitter's mind!

I can't wait to hold the finished book in my hands!

Pre-order yours here.

Want to ChaCha?

This baby was a difficult birth. Tech editing problems. Test knitting problems (due to errors left by tech editor and also operator error)

Sometimes it just be's that way. But I persevered and I am so happy with the results. Actually, it is an easy and fast knit.

This pattern is available as part of a kit only, with Claudia's gorgeous mohair and boucle. The nice thing about it from the retailer's standpoint is that it is interchangeable with the French Scarf Kit, so if a customer wants a certain color of yarn, the pattern can just be switched out.

The nice thing about it from the knitter's standpoint it that this lusciousness retails for under $40.

The nice thing about it from my standpoint is that IT IS DONE so I can move on to one of the 1,278,962 projects in my planner.

Want a ChaCha of your own? Order it here.

Hanne Falkenberg Blues 1 Kit For Sale

I totally love this design. I love a lot of Hanne Falkenberg's designs.

But I will never make any of them. What was I thinking when I bought this kit?

Anyway, my folly could be your good luck. Here are the details:

Blues 1 by Hanne Falkenberg

The kit contains sufficient yarn (50% cotton/50% lambswool) to knit one of the following sizes - S, M/L, XL. The finished garment measures 35", 39" and 43" around the chest.

Please note the pin is not included in the kit, but you will get an actual Hanne Falkenberg label to sew in your finished garment.

You will also need 2 x 3mm circular needles (80cm length) and a set of 3mm double pointed needles.

Regular retail price is about $85. I will sell it for $70 including priority mail postage in the US.

SOLD!

Cedarhill Animal Sanctuary

See this woman? Her name is Kay and I read about her amazing contribution to the world, rescuing wild cats, in More magazine. The way she described the tragic existence of these wonderful creatures and the transformation that came over them after they began to live with her moved me to tears. I checked out her website and immediately donated to her cause.


When I read that she also rescues senior domestic cats who have lost their owners or their homes, I began crocheting some blankies for the senior cats.


I need to always be making something - it keeps me from going out of my mind. Sometimes I need simple, mindless projects that do not contain any of my designer's ego. Kitty blankies fit the bill perfectly, with the added benefit of usefulness. Kitties really LOVE laying on little blankies.

I also have a ton of yarn!!! What better use is there for yarn I will never need? The kitties don't care about color, stitch pattern, or matching.

I finished 8 of them and will be sending them off to the senior kitties at Cedarhill.

Spring Lace

I think we are all ready for spring! This project was made from some gorgeous silk/wool yarn from Fleece Artist. I bought it to make this exquisite sleeveless jacket by Ilga Leja.

The problem was, every time I put it down I left it too long and forgot where I was in the pattern. The back was finished for over a year, but I kept having to rip the front piece to get started again. Why didn't I just finish it? I still adore the design. But I was seriously concerned there wouldn't be enough yarn and it made me very uncomfortable every time I worked on it. Also, I think the color was a little too bright to suit the design.

Anyway, after the 3rd ripping, I decided to just frog the whole thing and make up my own design with the yarn.

This is what I came up with:

It is just a simple top down, garter stitch bodice with a made-up lace skirt. The top is shaped with darts at the bust and sides. The garter stitch hides the shaping pretty well, I think.

I was experimenting with widening a lace skirt - see how the pattern is established with the first repeat (at the waist) and then splits off into 2 reps where there had just been one?

The cut away styling of the skirt is very slenderizing to the hips.

I crocheted a simple shell around the armholes and the hemline. I had about 12" of yarn left over, but wasn't as tense about running out of yarn as I had been when working on Ilga's pattern.

Although I love the yarn, I still wish the colors were a bit more muted - especially the green. I will probably never wear it - if you want to buy it - let me know. (size 6-8)

A Little More Ms. Frizzle