I'm knitting away on Tussie Mussie. I've completed the back up to the armpits and directions have instructed me to make sleeves.
I cast on for the size I'm making and cheerfully go through the flower repeats and then join in the round to keep going up the arm.
I quickly realize that if I'm going to knit this sleeve with my sanity intact, I ought to knit it inside out so I'm knitting not purling.
Riiiipppp...back to the join.
Off I go again, increasing where it tells me to and enjoying the easy knitting.
I check the size on my arm, and think...hmmm. That's very fitted. So I take it to my mom and get her to try it on and she agrees, it's fitted. Which would be fine, but odds are she's going to have a shirt on under it and would like it a bit loose.
I read through the pattern and decide that it would be ok and to make a bigger size on the sleeves and it should not affect the overall sweater (look for a post in a few weeks about my frustration in trying to fit in the different sized arms).
Riiiippppp. I cast on the new size, work through the pattern, join and knit away.
I'm cheerfully coming to the end of my increases and I try it on. It's still snug. Hmmm. I look at the pattern again. Oh, um...hmm.
I should have been doing these repeats closer together. Which makes the sleeve bigger all around. I discover my error...4 inches away from the armpit.
Riiiiippppppp.
A week or so's worth of knitting, and I've gotten nowhere.
Look at it just hanging out in a patch of sunshine. Pretending it's not trying to drive me batshit.
Sigh. I can't really blame the sweater. All of my knitting frustrations lately are my fault if I'm being totally honest. Frustrations with finishing toes on sock patterns, with starting sock patterns, with any pattern really lately...all of it can be blamed squarely on the fact that I seem to have lost the ability to read, and follow, directions.
On to the "ACK!"
I received a note from my assassin in HAT ATTACK! that she had sent off my hat, that she did it yesterday. As I was reading it, the door buzzed. It was my mailman. He had a package for me.
What? Already????
No, (here comes the "phew!") it was back issues of Interweave Knits that I ordered when they had a sale. But now I have the pattern for the sweater I want to knit, I just need to get the yarn.
AND I get to "live" for a while longer.
Finally, the "well..how do YOU?"
I can't tell you how many people as me "How do you find the time to knit?"
Same way anyone finds the time to do the things they enjoy frankly. How do YOU (and by "you" I mean the non-knitter who has asked the question) find time to do the things you like to do? For example, those of you who like to read. How do you find the time to read? Do you read while waiting at the dr's office? Do you read after your kids are in bed? Do you read while your kids play near you? Well...that's when I knit. And as a bonus, I can also knit while entertaining company, I can knit while chatting with my husband...frankly I can knit in situations where it might be considered rude to have my nose in a book since there is an expectation that I participate in conversation. I can knit while checking e-mail, talking on the phone...basically as long as the pattern is not so demanding of my attention (lace is not a good thing to knit amid distraction) I can knit during any activity that does not require my hands.
When you enjoy doing something, you find the time.
Speaking of enjoying....
Gabriel really and truly enjoyed his lunch.
7 comments:
It is all about the process ... that is my mantra when I am unnerved with frogging :) Then again I am not a sweater knitter ... yet :)
Got your message :) I will try to call soon, I have issues with phones, I rarely pick them up to call people.
oh, I know that feeling all too well. Usually, that's when something gets banished to the UFO pile for a while to think about what it's done. Eventually I find my way back, but not until it's had a good long rest.
ARghhhhhhh!!! Tussie Mussy (sp?)needs a time out!!! It's a beautiful green, though, and a lovely pattern. Maybe you caught the reading following directions thing from me! I didn't know it was contagious! I'm so sorry. I'll type with my mittens on from now on. :0) Some days I can't follow patterns any better than I can fly! Gabriel is getting so big! And amazingly quickly! He sure did like his lunch. What a cutie! I was thinking about the whale hat the other day, and trying to remember where you got that pattern, or whether it was your own. Tell the sweater to behave! samm
Tussie mussie will work its way out soon enough... maybe it's time for a simple no fuss sock ? ;-)
I so agree with yoru 'when do you' statements... I have had a few people ask me the same question lately... I want to say the same to them.. I might borrow your words actually...
:-)
Michelle
It's going to be gorgeous when its done...if you don't burn it in a fit of desperation over the sleeves:)
It probably needs to sit in the naughty chair for a bit.
Gabriel is REALLY starting to look like Grace. They both look exactly like you!
i hear you on the "when do" questions. it starts with the knitting question and is often followed by the blogging question. you're SO RIGHT - knitting can be done anywhere! and blogging should be FUN.
p.s. gabriel is getting quite grown up, isn't he?!
Ahhh, the cuteness! And as for the sweater...I think you two need a little time apart. Go and knit some lovely mindbending lace. I promise that you'll come back to Tussie Mussie with good intentions and a pure heart. ;)
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