Bitches Get Stitches

after the…we’ll call it…dissatisfaction with my last shawl,
my plans to join romi’s summer shawl knit along stalled.
still. something in my decided to download the pattern
yesterday, and watch the introductory video.
naturally,
since today is
my first day off in
what is it? a week, maybe?
a day when i “get” to catch up on
all the house work that needs to be done
and, of course, plan the next semester that
will be taught face to face during a pandemic,
i decided that knitting was a much more pressing
endeavor to undertake.

but rather than a tendency toward’s procrastination,
which would be the easier, one could even say cliché scapegoat,
let’s instead lay today’s failure to be productive at the feet of romi,
whose intro video was…to say thorough would be an understatement.

it included a demonstration for the unusual cast on; a deep dive into the fiber of the sample and how wool would behave differently, giving a very different look (negative connotations); the importance of, not only knitting but blocking, a gauge swatch (see also thefiber content deep dive); there was an explanation of the charts, which was needed since, even as an experienced lace knitter, her charts are unlike ones i’ve encountered before; and of course the live chat allowed people to ask questions.

i was thoroughly impressed.
and considering there are weekly
weekly livestreams accompanying this knitalong,
i felt the $15 price tag was considerably too low
and immediately offered to venmo romi.

and so today,
after painstakingly winding
the perfect center-pull ball on my nostepinne, (kill me)
i took all of romi’s video inspiration and information
and promptly threw it all out the window,
casting on immediately
with the wrong fiber.*
fuck you! i thought
to some imagined,
unknit swatch.

i want to knit this shawl
i want to knit it now,
and i want to knit with
this yarn in this color, got it?

thus

a tiny triangle was born.
(do excuse the shit lighting;
i was too hot to go outside today).

i also completely forgot the instructions for the charts
which has resulted in many mistakes and much tinking.
but i love my purple triangle
and i even have an idea
for who i might
give it to.
maybe.

what are you knitting?

*i have strong feelings about so-called “bamboo” yarn.
mostly that it…is shit. and a gimmick. it’s just rayon!
it’s toxic to manufacture and while it may seem
pretty in some applications,i’m just
not here for synthetic fibers.
but you can knit with it.
people love it!