Sunday, January 20, 2013

Knowing When To Fold 'Em

Knitted scarves but not by me.

Y'all know I'm a knitter. I've been knitting since I was seven. I never saw a pair of needles or a twist of wool I didn't jump on. I DESIGN knitting pieces.

I bought some local wool recently (well October, okay?) to knit three scarves for some beloveds. Reading it beforehand, the pattern was a piece of cake.

But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get into the rhythm of it. Not at all. Like a piece of piano music, or a song, or a speech, or that perfect photo, the rhythm never took my fingers and made them dance. I can watch a movie or even read a book or look at the fire or the dog or talk to you while I knit. But this was a grim business that took all of my concentration. Many, many hours of work and I had a couple of inches.

We have a phrase in my family when something engages us, no matter what it is. We call it a "Pleasing Project". It can be a sandcastle or a homemade dishcloth or an intricate recipe. Most of my projects (I've posted them here) are pleasing. This wasn't.

So was I ever thrilled when on FB (us Newfoundlanders post just about EVERYTHING on FB)a local woman offered for sale 20 of these scarves in various colours, two of which were the ones I had tossed.)

She delivered them today and I gave her my rewound three balls of yarn.

"How on earth did you find the making of these?" I asked her.

"Oh, a breeze, love, a breeze, I turns one out in about two hours while watching some teevee."

"I thought you were a knitter - you posted some nice stuff on FB, baby blankets and leaf things?" she continued.

"I thought I was too," I said, "But sometimes you just have to know when to fold 'em, as you might want to avoid inflicting some serious damage on yourself."

14 comments:

  1. And here I am, congratulating myself on successfully turning a heel on a very basic sock! Granted, the last sock I knitted was a strangulated, yellow affair when I was in third class (8 yrs. old?) But this one now? Agricultural looking, no thing of beauty, but definitely a "Pleasing Project!"

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  2. Delighted for you Molly! I will move back now to a nearly finished Aran Blanket and few other pleasing projects. :)

    XO
    WWW

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  3. Don't you love it when you find the finished product of something you're so desperately trying to create yourself? I always experience that as a big relief. Especially if the price is right. Some projects are just not meant to be and fate will tell you so. That's why you found that woman with her 20 scarves. U hope you bought all if them.

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  4. I have always wished I could knit.
    Just could not. Years ago did some crochet work and made afghans
    for everyone in family.
    Was so good for me to sit still (which is difficult for me to do). Need to find my yarn and needles
    and see if I can remember "how"

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  5. Irene:
    No I didn't buy all of them just the 2. Excess I don't like. Not one bit!

    Yes, it was an enormous relief, I hate unfinished stuff that baffles me!

    XO
    WWW

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  6. Yep - and know when to walk away and know when to run...., that's useful too.

    :-)

    Those scarves look complicated - far removed from the knit one/pearl one poor effort I'd be capable of!

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  7. OWJ:

    And I've always wished I could crochet, one of my blog friends even put a video together for me on the process. My tension is far too loose for it.

    good luck with the needles!

    XO
    WWW

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  8. T:
    They're actually all knit rows but done through a premade hole on the strip which was what bogged me down completely.
    XO
    WWW

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  9. Ruffle scarves?

    I think it is my fault, I was the one who directed you in that direction. I have made about six and set my sister off on them too.

    There was one brand of the thread that proved frustrating, it was very soft and I ended up ripping back and spray starching, ironing and re-rolling it around card, before beginning again.

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  10. Could be GM! I now recall your post on them. Very soft thread and the constant checking on where the needle was going "done me in".

    But my friend up the road races through them even with the soft thread. Go figure.

    she's already knit up the balls I gave her ++

    XO
    WWW

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  11. Now, dear www, that is true wisdom. Knowing when to give up and in and over.

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  12. I like the expression "pleasing project." Gardening, cooking, painting - all take on that feel for me. Not knitting though - I was never able to master that.

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  13. Friko:
    I found it easier as I age. Something about time running out and life too short, et al. :)
    XO
    WWW

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  14. SAW:
    With all you do, knitting might tip you over the top!!

    Yes 'pleasing project' delights us no end. I think it was courtesy of my daughter's then partner reading from a very old magazine.

    XO
    WWW

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