RIP
I know what I said in private emails to a couple of you. I liked the idea of coupling a wool+steel or silk+steel strand with a merino strand, but I was too lazy to rip the piece I had already knitted — I already had a good 30cm done. Also, I wasn't sure it was a good idea to rip a knitted fabric that contains metal; what if the metal part became brittle as a consequence? Yadda yadda yadda… (still trying to justify my laziness).
That was before I discovered that I had a loose half stitch two thirds down my piece.
Still, I was going to pick it up with a crochet hook and not rip anything.
And *that* was before I discovered that I had undone my stitches exactly one stitch over respect to where I should have. What kind of idiot does that? Okay, don't answer that.
Did I mention that I knit at night and even with the light at its highest setting I have trouble seeing what I'm doing? It's something to do with how my eyes react to artificial light (same reason I can't drive at night), but I just can't knit during the day so what's the alternative? No knitting or the occasional goof.
A better knitter would probably have found a way to salvage the whole thing, but I was already frustrated so here's my scarf now.
The good thing is that now I can rethink the whole thing and probably get the merino yarn to go with the steel yarn and knit something a little less plasticky and more satisfying to the touch.
Comments
but.... so pretty while it lasted. i am looking forward to the next interpretation.
Posted by: stephanie s | April 17, 2007 6:16 PM
What a shame! Hopefully it will all be for the greater good - a scarf you'll love!!
Posted by: Wannietta | April 17, 2007 6:18 PM
Sorry about that dreaded dropped stitch! Pesky things. I would knit a lizard...
Posted by: Sylvia | April 17, 2007 7:20 PM
Oh! That's painful! I am a lazy knitter too ... never want to rip anything except if it's absolutely horrible otherwise.
Get an Ott-Lite if you don't already have one ... everybody said it is good ... natural white light instead of yellow one. Joann.com is having a big sale now.
Posted by: Agnes | April 17, 2007 7:31 PM
Oh my. That made me want to curl up into a little ball and hug a teddy bear.
Posted by: Sachi | April 17, 2007 9:09 PM
Oh, Francesca, i hope i didn't bring some bad juju with all my advices..
can I send you some merino now to try it out? cmon, send me your address =)
Posted by: Olgajazzy | April 17, 2007 9:44 PM
Oh dear! At least you get to do what you really wanted to do.
Posted by: Marina | April 18, 2007 4:33 AM
We always think it has to work first time, don't we? But then we learn from our mistakes and come up with something far better in the end. (Don't I just sound like everyone's mother/grandmother in saying that? You know what I mean!)
Posted by: Karen | April 18, 2007 12:08 PM
We're going to have to learn how to swear in Japanese! *L*
Have you seen this blog?
http://coloursknits.blogspot.com/
Or this book?
"Setsuko Torii Hand-knit Works" (about Habu)
ISBN4-89511-382-5
Posted by: Joanne | April 18, 2007 6:46 PM
I think we all know the pain of making a mistake that cannot be fixed. I'm sorry that you have to go through it with that particular yarn.
Before doing the scarf with the merino, you're going to swatch it, right? And I'd suggest putting the swatch in your purse and carrying it around for a week or two to see how well it wears. I dunno... something about the combination of steel and a fiber as soft and fragile as merino worries me. Could the metal cut through the merino?
I don't mean to be a killjoy. I just don't know anything about metal yarn other than what you've posted.
Laura
Posted by: Laura | April 18, 2007 9:41 PM
Sounds like a scary adventure in knitting!
Posted by: domesticshorthair | April 18, 2007 11:06 PM
You might have night blindness.
It can be corrected with glasses.
Posted by: Shula | April 22, 2007 11:38 PM