everything is terrible
August 2, 2020
and yet,
here we are.
i finished the through the loops mastery shawl 2020 ages ago
and, immediately, i hated it.
it was hideous in my eyes, though
blocking it helped quite a bit.
i don’t know what it is, exactly:
the colors
the asymmetry
the fact that it was difficult to block
and nearly impossible to photograph (damn shawl photography!)
after a couple of weeks, stewing,
this is my takeaway:
i absolutely loved knitting it, and for a process knitter, maybe that’s all that matters. but looking at it in its current iteration, it lacks cohesion. the very thing that made it fun to knit—the varying techniques, the interplay of color, not knowing what it would look like—are what make me not like it now. i think it’s the repetition and symmetry i enjoy in lace shawl knitting that’s missing for me. even a subtler contrast would be more appealing for me.
let me be clear.
it’s not the shawls fault.
it’s exactly as advertized:
a high contrast asymmetrical shawl.
it’s simply a question of taste, and i, apparently,
like symmetry, regularity, a subtle contrast.
who knew‽
and yet!
giving away my last shawl
made me sadder than expected.
so i’ve lovingly tucked away my ugly duckling
because, after all, i did knit it.
in other knitting news,
i’ve been working on a boneyard 2.0.
i fell in love with the yarn
and this patten’s simple regularity has always been deeply soothing.
i was also excited by the 2.0 part, boasting
longer wings for a more wearable,
isosceles shape.
cependent, i remember remembering that
yarn over increases at the edges
on both right and wrong sides
created a very tight edge,
one that curves, rather
than lying straight.
i ignored what i knew,
and more than 400 yards in,
after beginning the single row striping—
at the mathematically perfect part of the shawl, i’ll add—
the problem has only gotten worse. and, as much as i’d like to,
i cannot delude myself into thinking that shit will block right out.
ripping it will happen.
just not yet.
but the heat and general shawl failure
makes the idea of hand-winding 900 yards of wool
untenable.
my only other option, my
last spark of knitting joy,
is this
because obviously the rational response
to being unable to knit a basic shawl
is some bohus stickning,
how’re you?????
i’m beginning to worry
June 24, 2020
behind on my normal goal of finishing a clue
within 24 hours of its release,
today, i completed clue 4.
that said, i’m having some concerns.
having now complete four of the six clues,
i wonder: what will the finished dimensions be?
because it’s looking very….short?
and, as always, who will wear this when i’m done?
would anyone want it if i were to give it away?
because, while it’s incredibly fun to knit,
it is…a lot. in terms of color and design,
it looks like something an art teacher
might wear à la advanced style.
it’s definitely a process knit,
stimulating with just the right amount
of challenge and variety to keep one enthralled.
but what of the product? what will it be post-blocking?
i guess we’ll know in a few weeks!
are you making one?
in life news,
i recently escaped the city
(and, unknowingly, the specter of father’s day)
and got out into nature, evoking my ever-present
desire to abandon capitalism, grow my own food,
and read braiding sweetgrass on repeat.
how are you escaping?
can you, even?
obsession, by kirsten kapur
June 8, 2020
i’m 100% obsessed with the ttl mystery shawl 2020.
i received a notification around 11pm last night
that the new clue was available.
exhaustion after a very long day
and a happily full evening at home with bae
meant that, of course, i stayed up
until around 4 a.m. determined
to finish the second clue.
i came pretty close,
but stopped
just ten rows shy.
this morning,
i awoke to coffee and
leftover cake for breakfast,
the exact fuel necessary for knitting.
my brain is, what can only be described as,
starved for the kind of calm knitting brings.
working on this neck accessory
felt akin to taking
a xanax;
the focus required, the repetition,
the interplay of highly contrasting colors
(shout-out to tina for picking them!)
were a perfect storm of
chemically-induced
tranquility.
some thoughts on the pattern:
i would characterize the difficulty level as intermediate; i definitely needed to clear away some cobwebs to remember how to effectively execute less-than-standard knitting techniques. though i’m arrogant enough to feel like, even out of practice, i didn’t need them, i appreciate the very obvious effort put into this pattern to anticipate common pitfalls knitters will encounter. the overall thoroughness of the pattern is impressive, including:
1. charts and written instruction
(though, come on people; learn to read charts already)
2. helpful notes for the section you’re working on the page, itself
3. stitch counts for every row (this is really above and beyond, imo)
there’s enough variation to keep one (me) stimulated,
while being simple enough to get into the groove
of the pattern rather easily. memorizing
a pattern repeat is a distinct pleasure,
one of the reasons i love knitting
lace shawls so much.
also: shout-out the ravelry KAL forum.
people have been so nice and legit helpful;
i mentioned i’d trouble cabling sans cable needle and boom:
two complete strangers linked to helpful videos, refreshing my memory.
i think that’s just about enough rambling for today.
here are the money shots of clue two, completed:
thanks, kirsten!
but what the fuck
am i supposed to knit, now?
Bitches Get Stitches 