baaa.
Big Orange asked me to make him some mittens this winter. (to review: In the past few years i have knit him an orange hat, two orange scarves, and handspun sweater.) Of course, I can't refuse a direct request! I showed him the adorable skull and squirrel mittens from Hello Yarn that i'd been itching to knit. He asked me to make his with video game characters instead. He designed the first pass at the stitch pattern - Tetris blocks on one side, space invaders on the other.
For the first pass i cast on 48 stitches. I knew it would probably be too small, but i didn't want to knit a flat swatch so i started the mitten pattern anyway. Second attempt i tried 54 stitches. Still too small. Then i had the 'brilliant' idea to actually MEASURE his hand... 11" around at the widest part. duh. at 7 st/inch, that would be 77 stitches around. I figure i should deduct at least 10% to make a snug fit. Would 20% be better? I don't know. This is how projects get put in the "on hold basket of doom".
Ok, i admit it. i am one of those knitting sheep. It has taken me years to fully realize this, but I really don't like to think about my knitting. I rarely finish projects that i can't zombie knit at night in front of the tube. I knit because the repetitive motion calms me. Once something requires dedicated brain waves, i often lose interest. I really admire all the knitters out there who design truly creative projects from scratch. Its time that I finally accept that I am just not one of them. Maybe in a few years, after grad school, i will want to be challenged by my knitting. Just not right now.
C'est la vie!
2 Comments:
I only want to be a little challenged by my knitting, unless of course classes are not in session. I knit at night as a way to power down my brain a bit, so the moment it is not relaxing, the project gets put aside for something easier.
Besides, you make gorgeous yarn, who cares whether you knit "easy" or "hard" things! My trick is simple patterns plus gorgeous yarn. Impresses muggles and knitters alike.
I concur. One of the big reasons to knit for me is as an escape, and so if I need something mindless/not fiddly, that's what I'm going to do and all other projects be damned. There are times when I want something fiddly, but second year wasn't really one of those times. Second year was when I finally learned why people insist on gauge swatches, because I needed miles and miles of k2p2 rib, apparently, not a sweater that fit.
Also, just so you're aware? Gorgeous yarn, + grad school, + indie business, + three tries on a set of space invader mittens = NOT boring.
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