21 March 2017

The One Where I Ask Myself: WHO AM I?????

I think in my last post, I mentioned something about how I was getting so much knitting done, that I almost didn't recognize myself.  Well, over the past couple of days, I've realized that the question is completely legitimate, because ... well, you'll see.

First of all, my promised FO #2 will not be in this post.  I would like to see if I could get a really nice photo of it, and according to the weather report, this coming Saturday is supposed to be warm (maybe even 70 degrees F) and sunny.  So I decided to wait a few more days to see if I can use that to photographic advantage.

On to the Tales of the Strange.

Since I learned to knit, my eyes have always been bigger -  and more ambitious - than my stomach, to use a common expression not at all related to knitting.  I've always had numerous things I've been knitting, have wanted to knit, or have started to knit, but have languished for various reasons.  And since I am somewhat slow, even things I finished took a while.

Apparently when we took our New England vacation in September 2016, and I zipped through sock #1 of a pair, something in me clicked.  I still had approximately 2000 things I wanted to knit, and however many were in progress, but I started working seriously on two things at a time - usually a fairly simple one, and then something requiring a bit more attention.  Which is how I managed to knit as many hats and shawlettes for Christmas gifts as I did.

With the success of that, I've tried to keep two things actively going, one always being socks (so I can work towards my goal of 12 pairs for the year).  Recently, I was working on socks, and decided that I would pull out my long-neglected Park Slope Blackbird (aka Multnomah Shawl).  I would rip out two rows of the messed up border at a time, and then try to "get" the instructions for the border, or if that wasn't working, just finish it without the border.  And that is how FO #2 was accomplished (now you know what it is)!

Then I decided, well, what else was sitting around?  If I was in the mood to even check, I wanted to keep that momentum, so I pulled out another project that had been abandoned after I made a major mistake.  I had taken a class at Loop  (a long time ago) to make a Custom Fit sweater, when Amy Herzog's method was first introduced.  I was zipping along, and had finished the back piece pretty quickly:

 (This is more of the true color of the sweater-in-progress than the picture below.)
Then I started on the front, and was moving along (the picture below is the front piece laid on top of the back to get an idea of measurement):


So I was pretty pleased with myself.  Until I realized that I had way too many stitches for where I was in the pattern!  And 27 rows beyond where I should have decreased.  Sigh.  So I slowly pulled out to the point where I should have decreased, and then put it away.

This past Sunday afternoon, I decided to pull it out and see if I could remember where I was, based on notes I'd taken.  Of course, the notes made no sense.  I managed to figure out where I *think* I'd been, having done some but not all decreases.  So I figured that I would finish the decreases as well as I could, knit to the measure indicated before decreasing for the neckline, and see how it looked.  If it looked correct, I'd continue; if not, I'd rip out the whole thing and start again.  I worked on that last night and in a surprising turn of events, the first option seems/seemed to have worked.  WHAAAAATT???  So I put it away while I was still feeling good about it, and will work on it while also working on my next pair of socks.

The fact that I had so much of it already knit made me just really want to try and "fix" it and get going again.  So far, so good, but this is a whole 'nother thing for me.  I have often stopped working on something for even the simplest of reasons, and eventually gone back to it and just trashed it.  My Custom Fit sweater is the second project in a row that I have been determined to really try and figure out and finish.  I don't exactly why this is a new thing with me - maybe because of my new two-project practice, maybe because I'm really really trying to only knit from my stash, or maybe just because I want to commit to clearing things out one way or another.

It's a good feeling, but I have to wonder - WHO AM I?????

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe you should break your ankle more often. It seems to help with the knitting!

(NO...don't REALLY do that. THAT would suck!)

Wanderingcatstudio said...

You've just found your knit mojo, that's all.

Bonny said...

I love your two-project practice, and am impressed with your results. I've recently started doing something slightly similar (but not nearly as considered and well-thought out as you are), but now that I can put a name to it, it just may work for me also. Thanks for the inspiration and I hope you garner some FOs while you figure out who you are!

Vera said...

This is great! It gives me hope for any number of unfinished projects here. I can't wait to see your shawl...I have the pattern and fortunately have not started it...yet...

Araignee said...

I am always so surprised at how hard it is to figure out what you were doing when you pick up an old project. It's total brain freeze.

Judy S. said...

You are definitely on a roll! Happy knitting!

Tired Teacher said...

Kudos on working on abandoned projects. I have no doubt that you will finish them, and love them, as well. Placing items in time out allows the initial excitement to reignite; It does, indeed, sound like your knitting mojo has returned.

Lilly's Mom said...

I admire your perseverance; good for you! Your twelve pair of socks for the year sound amazing. I just started a new knitting project and had to frog it twice before I finally got it right. Keep up the good work. My best to you, Pat

karen said...

I try to knit from my stash year round so I can buy yarn! lovely knitting and you will be done with those projects before you know it!

Nance said...

I'm just Completely Impressed by anyone who can unravel anything with any confidence whatsoever, pick it back up, and knit on. I am an outright disaster whenever I have to do that at all. Ever.

And I am a compulsively single-minded project person. I cannot start something new until THE FIRST THING IS FINISHED. PERIOD.

You are like a Superhero for me.

Lorraine said...

Bridget- Who are you? A knitter in the groove.

Kym said...

You've just found your groove, that's all! :-)
I usually have two projects going at a time -- one simple; one complicated. It's always worked for me. But these days? I've got nothin' . . .
XO

Mereknits said...

You are putting us all to shame, I have three projects on the go right now and I have no time!!!! Love the sweater.