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April 07, 2004
Sweater From the Past
A little history: I clearly recall knitting as a child. On a car trip with Celia teaching me after much pestering. I don't remember what I was knitting or even if I had my own or she let me knit a bit on her project. But I do recall being taught. This was before we moved from Brazil to the grand US of A in 1975 so I was under 10. I knit a bit as a young miss. Pre-teen or young teen. From one of those Mademoiselle [I think] compilations on do it yourself home decor and crafts checked out of library. Probably a tube top. I started knitting again in Boston so I was 21ish. I knit obsessively. I stashed even more obsessively. I think I only finished 2 projects but I started many projects and experiimented with different techs and styles of knitting. Over the years I turned to knitting in times of stress or boredom or what-have-you. Truth be told I didn't really start knitting until I was pregnant with Zoe. In fact my husband, having overheard me on phone saying something to the effect that he better fix my computer [so I could play DVD-Rom games] or I would take up knitting, purchased some needles and yarn and a learn to knit booklet from Michaels for my Christmas gift in '95. A mere month before Zoe was born. I dutifully knit the pink and yellow and blue baby bunting from book on circulars which I had mail ordered after returning those straits and then went on to knit this:
This sweater is the first I tried using 2 hands. Its also my first steek-3 sts as called for in pattern. The reason I am showing this to you is well my post yesterday got me to thinking I might sound like some condescending better than thou mentality knitter. Which I am not. Lotsa mistakes. Lets check em out. First the legs:
VS
Whats wrong? Well on the first leg I just started. The pattern is Norwegian and has no start here mark. The second leg[that I did- I can't recall which is which for heavens sake its been 8 years] I automatically centered the pattern. Scroll back and look closely. Yes the patterns do NOT line up the same along the 'seam' line made by knitting a few sts in background color. Well it had taken me a year to get this far. I did knit other stuff and had a baby to deal with. I figured big whoop if I even noticed. I did definitely notice when I joined the legs to body:
AND
Looking over the romper I see that I knit the legs to where the front steek is then joined them. Theres a cut in there somewhere which is sewn together or maybe I started working flat. I would have to pull out the instructions. Trust me there is a nice seam right in the crotch. Just say ouchie mama. And speaking of seams lets inspect my first steek:
I use the term steek very loosely here. Its 3 sts or maybe it was 2. Something piddly and I don't have a machine and had never heard of the crocheted steek. I just cut that baby and notice how my crosstitching looks nothing like what you see in pictures of instructions. Its a hard little ridge. Trust me-I do NOT like it at all. Since the sweater is inside out lets inspect some more.
Those little threads caused me to go WTF. No joke. Where did they come from? They used to be joined into a single thread and I was scared to cut it for fear that my knitting would desintigrate. And I challenge you to figure out what something is when it is knit in black on size 0 needles. I am actually glad to see its broken. Now I can trim them. Speaking of threads check this out:
Thank heavens I knit this in shetland and many many washes have caused it to kinda felt on inside cause those are my fingers catching the float. On the arm. Yes I have learned to not make long carries on inside of sleeves for baby items. Moving on
Because there are long floats where the arms meet the body this 'seem line' conveniently turned into a 3-D sorta I-cord effect thingamabob. Its hard to show but its there. Not so hard to show is the neckline. You may have noticed it from the first picture. I swear I followed the instructions to the letter. Really I did.
How freaking small is that? Isn't standard children's neckline guidelines 50% of circumference. Nowhere close to 50%. Yes. The sweater is dirty. Thank you for noticing.
See? I am not perfect. Nowhere near to perfect. I make blobs of mistakes. And I don't always fix them either. I weigh the factors. This was a kidlet garment and had maybe a few months of wear slated for it. A few months vs I had already been working on it 2 years by time I was done. Let's not mention tension changes over 2 yrs. Whoops just did. Fashion garments in not sturdy yarn don't get a lotta fretting either. But I assure you I didn't leave them in for fear of being too perfect Have a great one you guys! Posted by Elka at April 7, 2004 12:11 PM Actually that's a stunningly beautiful second sweater.... All my stuff has cute little mistakes in it that make it my own. I was delighted to find a mistake on an expensive handknit cardigan I bought in Ireland 15 years ago - it made me feel like the knitter was just like me! That one cable twisted the wrong way gave me a warm fuzzy! Posted by: CarolineF at April 8, 2004 07:52 AM Elka - No one worth their needle gauge would think you were talking down to them. You were discussing, passionately, your own method. And why not? If you're not going to be passionate about the way you do things, why bother to do them in the first place? Posted by: Robbyn at April 8, 2004 10:00 AMComments