Sweater Woes and Triumphs

One of my personal knitting goals this year was to knit a full-size sweater, so I recently knit a sweater for myself. I needed a success after so many failed sweaters and not-quite-right sweaters. Most of the sweaters that don't work are those I intend to keep for myself--at least I think the sweaters I've sent to other people are successful and fit well.

I tried knitting two sweaters from Knit One Crochet Two's Cozette, which creates a tissue-tee type fabric. That fabric was completely and utterly wrong for Element, which I couldn't admit to myself until I had knit the whole thing. The first sweater was a plain Custom Fit sweater that I frogged after knitting the back because I had measured myself incorrectly. It would have been okay if I'd wanted a crop top. The yarn isn't delicate, but I hesitate to rip and try again. If I do, I want to knit a pattern intended for the yarn. I think it will be a really nice sweater.

I tried to make Tiny Rocky Coast again and again. It wasn't an adult-sized sweater, but I just couldn't get it right. I messed up the increases on the yoke, then I screwed up the cable pattern. When I couldn't get the cables right a third time, I just gave up. The recipient wouldn't have fit into that size anymore anyway.

Since 2008 I have knit 48 sweaters and tops. Of those, I've frogged 9 adult sweaters, one kid's sweater, one baby sweater, and one baby dress (turned into cowl). I also gave a sweater to a 7 year old that I had made following the adult small size. Plus I've donated three sweaters and have given away two sweaters meant for me. The last sweater I made for myself that fit was finished in 2011.

So you see why I needed a success. And success it was. I love this sweater! I was nervous because I'm not very skilled at substituting yarns, and I was coming off the major fail that was Element. Using the Cestari Old Dominion Cotton for the Clarke Pullover by Jane Richmond was perfect. I wasn't getting gauge, so I did the "knit a size bigger" trick, and it worked! I probably should have used a smaller needle on the ribbing, but I'm so happy with this that I don't care if the collar looks stretched out. The pattern was well-written and worked well with the cotton. I've even gotten compliments from strangers!


I like knitting this so much I considered making another one, but I didn't have enough of the yarn. I may break down and purchase some more of that cotton. It didn't hurt my hands, and the knitting moves along quickly, even though it's listed as a DK.

So now I want more sweaters of my own. I am working on Woodstove Season by Alicia Plummer. The yarn I'm using is from a frogged sweater, so it has some weak points. It has a little bit more drape than a wool would, and the collar is somewhat floppier than I'd like, but I think it's working out. Believe me, I've learned my lesson about knitting through the end when I know it's wrong.

I have some other cotton and non-wool yarns in sweater amounts, so don't be surprised if you see more sweaters for me on my projects page. Maybe I'll even try using the Cozette again. And don't expect many knitting presents either, because I'm quickly turning into a selfish knitter!

Repurposed

A couple of weekends ago it rained, which this sun averse girl loved, but it meant we didn't spend the days walking around the city, as is our weekend habit. I had been thinking about a couple of sweaters that I had intended to adjust or reknit and decided to pull them out. I ended up discovering five sweaters and a bunch of yarn that I had never entered into my Ravelry database. So I spent the better part of a Sunday taking photos and entering specs into Ravelry. The best part of that project, however, was unraveling three of those sweaters. One sweater is still slated for alterations, since it's just tightening the (short) sleeves. The other sweater was knit in Rowan Felted Tweed, and I had terrible allergic reactions when winding it up. I think it had been sitting in a bin for too long and was full of dust and dander. I'm also allergic to wool, so having all that flying about in the air wasn't so good for my lungs and eyes.

Ready for reclamation (except the brown sweater--that was banished)

In the end, I unraveled three full sweaters, three partial sweaters, a sock, a pair of fingerless gloves, and a toy. I gained more than 5,000 yards from ripping out all those unfinished projects. I also added 1,500 yards or so from balls of yarn I found in the same box. Most of that yarn was leftover from projects I'd made before Ravelry, but not all of it. I found some lovely Blue Sky Alpacas Melange that will probably be used very soon. I also discovered a giant (approximately 2,496 yards) cone of weaving cotton that I bought way before I knew anything about yarn. We won't talk about that. All in all, it was quite the cathartic way to spend a couple of rainy days. You didn't think I could unravel all that in one sitting did you? There was so much picking! Undoing seams is a pain. The actual unraveling though? Pleasant and even a little exciting. It was like getting new yarn!

A portion of the reclaimed yarn. All that gray is from one sweater.

Here's some unraveling to mesmerize you. Just don't notice the stain on the carpet!

Life Reflected in Art

The following is going to sound like a long whine, but it's not--or not quite. I have been thinking about how my frustrations about my job situation seem to be showing up in my knitting. You'd think I'd have more time to be careful about every stitch, and I am taking more time with some things, but I have this unfounded sense of urgency with knitting that I don't often have. So I'm explorring a correlation here, and it sounds like a whine because I'm correlating mistakes with frustration. Ah. Maybe it is a whine. Stop reading if you're not in the mood--I don't blame you.

Lately it seems that there are mistakes in everything I've been making. I put aside and plan to frog a sweater that I re-knit at least twice because I just couldn't seem to get it right. I re-knit a baby sweater because I held stitches for armholes too early, making them too small. I knit a stranded pattern and didn't realize my stitch count was off until I was attaching the pom pom.

Sunnyside Cardigan

There are small mistakes, too, like forgetting to do a jogless stripe or wonky bobbles. There are fudges, like settling for a stripe two rows shorter than the other stripes because I ran out of yarn, or letting the first mis-crossed cable go since I didn't notice it until many cables in (see baby sweater above).

Astrea Hat

Some mistakes I don't understand. I have one legwarmer that is shorter than the other, even though the row counts are the same. There's a hat that is a bit snug even though my gauge was spot on.

Legwarmers (maybe better as armwarmers?)

In nearly every project I have to make some sort of correction because I've made a mistake. It might just be tinking back a bit because I knit when I should have purled, but I am frequently making mistakes.

I started thinking about how all these mistakes create frustrations that I mostly either have to live with or fix, and how that's similar to what's happening in my life--at least as far as working goes. I have been unemployed for 8 months. I have applied for many jobs that seemed like a good fit, and I've gone on a few interviews. But I haven't been hired. There was one interview in which I completely misread the interviewers (I swear one of them was about to tell me I was the perfect candidate before she was cut off) but didn't score high enough to pass to the next round. I've had a lot of "your resume looks great, but it's just not a good fit." Mostly I've had a lot of radio silence.

I can't figure out what I'm doing wrong. Why can't I get my stitch counts right? What is missing from my resume or my responses that is preventing me from getting the job? I am a good knitter--expert, even. I have 16 years experience knitting. I also have 16 years experience as a folklorist. I have worked all the right folklore jobs (at a state agency, on a major festival, and independently), and I love what I do.

Why do I keep making mistakes? Why can't I get the job?

This one may have been error-free! Rikke Hat

Of course there are successes. I have done a couple jobs through TaskRabbit and get excellent reviews and a little buffer in the bank account. I have successful projects, like the very simple Rikke hat shown above. Those make me feel good, of course, and remind me that I am competent both at work and at knitting. But I'm still not in a full-time job. I'm still working on a project that I've already fudged and whose colors I don't really like. I'm still applying for jobs and listening to the crickets that follow.

Have you experienced your knitting or other crafting or art-making reflecting your life? 

Fall

Fall and winter are so busy for me anymore (with planning the largest and oldest cowboy poetry gathering and all), that I no longer have time to plan for the important things, like making flight arrangements for Christmas, or figuring out where I'll be for New Year's Eve. The busy-ness creeps up on me. All of a sudden I'm working late and skipping lunch and I don't know how that happened. I don't mind, though. My job is still interesting enough most of the time to keep me expending the energy it needs.

Knitting doesn't seem to be suffering right now, which is a surprise. I take that back. The amount of knitting I'm doing hasn't slowed down. In fact, I seem to be spending more time with the needles in my hands. What is suffering, are the knits themselves. I spent all that time loving the Holly Jacket, but now that I need to do the finishing touches (which include knitting), I can't get motivated to do it. I thought I was finished with the cozy shorts for Sandman, but I need to rip back and fix a leg.


Those shorts. How can I have the same number of stitches and end up with one leg wider than the other? The problem with the pattern is that it doesn't give stitch counts, so it's harder to keep track. I thought I had calculated everything correctly. I even had a friend try them on. The simple fact of the matter is that one leg is wider than the other. So the shorts have been sitting in my knitting basket, staring at me with contempt when I pick up the needles to make a sure-fire hat.

I was thinking that it was just garments, and that I should stick to accessories. I made two hats (stop what you're doing and make Piper now. It's awesome),


then I made a scarf,


then a Calorimetry.


But I'm risking a garment so I can have a very, very loose knit along with Amber. Amber's been knitting way longer than I have, and we've never had a chance to knit together, really, since we lived together before I learned how to knit. So I like the idea of a two-person knit along. It makes me feel connected to her. So we're both knitting Shalom. I've already made a mistake and had to rip back, but it's a fast knit so it wasn't heart breaking. I don't mind ripping back (except when I think the garment is complete--see above or, worse yet, Patti).

I've also made a New Year's resolution. I am going to avoid knitting for deadlines. These deadlines are always self-imposed and stressful. I am also going to avoid promising knits for anyone. That is also stressful. Instead. I'm going to knit what I want, how I want, and then decide who it's for. If I'm knitting for myself, I'm going to allow myself to take however long it takes. This way, I'll eliminate all the self-imposed stress and can enjoy the entire process. This starts now and is retroactive. Therefore, Sandman may not get his shorts while it's cold (though isn't it always cold in North Dakota?), and Aimee's cousin will never get his rattle. But someone else will get a great sweater in a couple weeks (or days, this thing moves fast!).

One more thing. I'm busy these days. I might not blog for a couple more months. Come to the Gathering if you need a fun festival in the depths of winter. I have an extra bedroom and plenty of floor space. I really recommend it. I know cowboy poetry doesn't sound like it could be as much fun as it really is, but trust me. It's a great time.

The Adventure Continues

I've decided to stop trying to make Elko home. Without trees or water this landscape could never comfort me. However, I am going to continue to live here happily, for now. I'm going to think of this time period as a time for continuous adventure and simply enjoy myself.

I got a knitting-themed tattoo. A few people have asked if it's rope. That makes me sad. I think I'm going to have to do a little touch up on it, because I realized that the fold in the top isn't quite right. Otherwise, I love it.


I am going to Korea on Friday to visit Aimee, who is there on a Fulbright. I've been knitting furiously on a gift, until I reached this point:


I have to make eight panels and I'm not even finished with four. No way is this getting done. So it's going to rest while I'm overseas and I'll finish it as a thank you present when I return.

The most depressing thing to happen lately was discovering that I didn't knit the two fronts of Patti to the same length. It will be a relatively easy fix, but it's so heartbreaking that I'm going to leave it for a while, maybe until fall, and then fix it. Jen won't be able to wear it until then anyway.


Now that I'm not furiously knitting for Aimee, I have two projects with no deadlines to keep me occupied on my trip. I'm improvising a chalk bag for a friend, and I've started Pucker. I haven't done much, but I like the slinky nature of the Seduce. This should be fun.

Unfinished

I have three unfinished projects. The bottom two (Everlasting Bagstopper and Bas Relief hat) in the picture are unfinished because I ran out of yarn and don't have the funds to buy more (anyone want to buy a wonderful condo in Chicago?). The other (Drops dress) I needed to put down after ripping back about five inches. I was worried about running out of yarn on this, too, but perhaps I have gained some yardage in correcting my mistake.

So I'm working on socks. I finished this sock (Anastasia, from Pepperknit. I'm having trouble linking to it) the other night and have started on the second, but I'm itchy to work on something else, too. I have more socks I want to make, but what I really want is something fast and stash-busting. Nothing is jumping out.


I haven't had much time for knitting--the Gathering is in 14 days. I've been working long hours. Luckily, somehow, I've also been able to get out and enjoy the snow. I love the snow. My roommate and I made a snow lady. (I made the hat and a friend's aunt made the scarf).

Today we went cross-country skiing (my second time ever), and we're going again tomorrow. I've joined the group doing the Vagina Monologues on Valentine's Day, and knitting on Thursdays has started up again. I've learned this about Elko: people get out and do things. I think it's to compensate for having so little good entertainment provided. Everyone has to make her own fun. It has been fun. As busy as I am, I'm grateful to be able to enjoy the snow and to make new friends, even at the expense of knitting time.

Warming Up

So far, work has been good. I've only been there two days, and today was full of meetings. I feel like I have enough knowledge now to really start working. The weather has improved, too. Today we saw a high of seventy--and a low of thirty. I think these vast temperature differences are normal for the desert, but it's going to take some getting used to. I wore leg warmers this morning but walked home this evening in short sleeves and with bare legs.

I finished some mittens. I started them in Chicago and finally got around to finishing them this weekend. I made a mistake in the same spot on both mittens, so they are a bit tight. I'm hoping that they will loosen up, since they are a cotton/silk blend. I designed the slip stitch (mosaic) pattern myself, with a little math correction from a friend. Three times thirteen is thirty-nine, I've learned. I like the effect of the slip stitch, but I find the yarn strains a little over two rows. It's even worse over one row, like in my mistake, but I'm not sure why.

I'm not sure what to make next. I have a couple things in mind for Dan, but I don't have the yarn for it. Really. I have some nice Top of the Lamb, but only in one color (graphite). I don't want to make a solid color hat. Especially since he wants earflaps. It will be too helmet-like. I might use that yarn for some slippers, though. I have to research some men's slippers in a worsted-weight yarn. I guess I could work on Usferud. I did promise it to a friend in Chicago. I should get that done before it gets cold there.

Tomorrow I'm going to the Trailing of the Sheep Festival. For work. I think I might love this job.

February

Nothing like a February Sweater to make it through the hottest days of summer.


This is for a friend who is due in August. She's a knitter and will surely see my obvious mistakes. I'm hoping she understands that I'd already finished the sleeves--they were cumbersome but I got the lace right--and could not, would not go back and rip it all out. I hope she sees it as an improvement in my lace knitting skills. The bottom of the sweater is perfect. Except that I forgot to put in button holes, so this will only button at the top, along the garter section. I think it will be cute with the right buttons.

Bad lace section

Good lace section

By the way, I followed the advice at Brooklyn Tweed so my sweater was absolutely seamless. Now if I could only get my pictures to look as good as his.

I loved the yarn, O-Wool Balance. There were a few twigs and things, but they were easily picked out. I had about a foot of yarn left over from two skeins after weaving in the ends. I used a size 7 needle to get gauge, so the sweater was a quick knit. The Options needles were great for this, since they have pointy tips. Getting into those SSKs was a lot harder with the Addis I used for the sleeves.

I have one more skein of this yarn in purple. I may pick up another and see if I can't get the lace pattern right yet.

Lessons Learned

1. Designing a sweater is hard.
2. Waist shaping is easy.
3. Measuring the armholes pays off in the end.
4. Working back and forth on circulars makes a different gauge than working back and forth on straights.
5. Negative ease helps accomplish the fitted look.
6. Top-down sweaters worked in one piece make sense.
7. Cascade's Pima Melange is very splitty.
8. Stockinette gets really boring when you don't want to work the project you're working on.

And so much more. I started this last summer. I'm considering it a good exercise, but not a successful project. I have trouble with the armholes on all the sweaters I'm making these days. I think it's because I'm going to the larger chest measurement when I fall between two. In this case, since I was loosely following The Handy Book of Sweater Patterns, I just based it on my exact measurements. Obviously, my gauge changed somewhere along the way. Overall, the sweater fits great in the hips and waist. The arms are too baggy and so's the chest. Oh well. I learned.

Jumping the Gun

I should have started with the front. By the time I got to the lace panel, I was getting tired of this knit. It usually happens about three-quarters of the way through anything I'm working on, even hats. I just want to finish (I'm like this with books, too. Remind me to explain how I think our knitting habits correlate to our reading habits) and start something new. With this project, I kept making mistakes because I stopped paying attention somewhere around the third leaf repeat and couldn't seem to concentrate after that.

So I ripped back and added another repeat, of course. The shoulders are now seamed along with one side. I'll do the other side and the armhole edgings later.

One Step Back

The title implies two steps forward, doesn't it? I had to rip Crumpets (but only the skirt) because I used the wrong needle (8s mis-filed in a 5 package). Then I messed up on the lace on Isabella (talking while knitting). Then I kept making little mistakes that I had to rip, mostly due to bad counting. Finally, I finished the left shoulder of the front only to redo it because I didn't like the way it looked. The pattern doesn't say to continue in pattern, but the photograph shows a line where the decrease is, so I went back and knit in pattern. It still isn't the right shape, but I'm hoping blocking will work its magic.

So, I have nothing to show because I've been knitting the same inches over and over for the last week. I'm ready for a new project, so I'm going to focus on Isabella until it's done. I'll post when I have an FO.