Knitty has made a liar out of me
I have always considered myself a process knitter. I think that's a part of why I'm so content frogging; it means I get to make something twice (or make something else) without shelling out for more yarn.
I visited my sister in Brooklyn two weeks ago. Actually, I went to see my younger sister's debut concert in Washington Square. (The Makeout Party. File under Genius. http://www.themakeoutparty.com)
but I stayed with my older sister. She works on Saturdays, and so her boyfriend and I made dinner that night. We went to this awesome cheese store (can't think of the name) on 5th, and got the most delicous selection ever, including my all-time favorite, robiola tre latti.
But I digress. Ryan is a collage artist, and on the way to the cheese store, we had a great conversation about frogging. In short, frogging is not about perfection, but about being true to your artistic "vision" (as much as I hate that word). I frog if the finished product isn't exactly what I want it to be. This does NOT mean that the finished product has to be flawless, or that it has to be what I was envisioning before I started. In the process of knitting a garment, you grow a little, and so your perception of the project and what it should be changes. (I think that's part of the beauty of long-term projects. You see so many more changes as you work. But then again, maybe that's just the quarter-life crisis talking...) You learn to love the project for itself, and for what it can come to be under your guidance. If something is worth making with your hands, it's worth re-doing until it is exactly what you want it to be.
So yes, I am a process knitter. But I have to say, Knitty has been tempting me to change my ways! I have found so much fun stuff there, that my acquisitive side is coming out. Luckily, most of the projects are things I'd enjoy making (or want to learn a new technique from), as well as things I'm dying to wear.
Recently finished:
- Sitcom Chic sweater
Actually, I had the knitting finished in early March, but I only just got around to the finishing. I sewed lime green grosgrain ribbon as facings for the front edges, and got a preciously sparkly button from Windsor Button in Boston:
http://www.windsorbutton.com
- Asana from Spring 05 Knitty (I had leftover yarn from Sitcom Chic, and tried the Honeymoon Cami and The Shapely Tank, but neither did it for me, so I frogged WOOHOO and made Asana instead.
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTasana.html
I now have a gorgeous and subtly sexy twinset! And the whole thing cost less than $30 (yarn, ribbon, button, thread)!
*** Update: July 7th, 2005: PICTURES!!!***
Sitcom Chic laid flat
Button close-up
Ribbon facing
Facing close-up
Side increases
Asana laid flat, front
Asana laid flat, back
Asana on
Asana on, back (it isn't usually so droopy; my husband didn't tell me it had shifted and twisted before he took the picture)
Twinset (also sitting funny, which my husband also failed to tell me)
Shoulder and yoke detail
On the Needles:
- Wrap with Sleeves from Rebecca #12
I decided to stick with this pattern after all. I found a solution for the dress. I'll make it with cap sleeves that will be work fallen-down as off-the-shoulder, but which I can pull up when wearing the sleeves!
- Hush-Hush chemise
I've put this one aside for a bit, since I am unlikely to finish it in time for the honeymoon. It makes a nice change from the kid mohair of the wrap with sleeves, though.
I will get pictures soon, I promise. (I know I keep saying that, but I do mean it.)
On my Wishlist:
- Clapotis, times three
Now that the whole poncho this is officially "over", I kind of want one. I just don't have anything that fills the gap between a t-shirt and my fall/winter coat. So I was thinking of making a wrap that I could pin/wrap as a semi-poncho to keep warm, but not look completely out of season. After much poking around, I homed in on Clapotis:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html
I didn't really like it, as it appeared in the pattern pictures, but I kept hearing people gush about how gorgeous it is on, and how luxurious the yarn is to work with. Once I found some better examples (my favorite is at http://dogsstealyarn.com/archives/000291.html), I was hooked. I started looking at yarns. As I was browsing, I kept being struck by how many of the colorways would look marvellous on my stepmother (whose 60th birthday is coming up in July.) So she gets the first one. Then I get mine (I'm thinking Georgetown http://www.lornaslaces.net/colors.asp)! My mother-in-law-to-be is having her 65th next year, and has already asked for one!
- The striped sweater and lace-hemmed skirt from Rebecca #29:
Precious. Need I say more?
I visited my sister in Brooklyn two weeks ago. Actually, I went to see my younger sister's debut concert in Washington Square. (The Makeout Party. File under Genius. http://www.themakeoutparty.com)
but I stayed with my older sister. She works on Saturdays, and so her boyfriend and I made dinner that night. We went to this awesome cheese store (can't think of the name) on 5th, and got the most delicous selection ever, including my all-time favorite, robiola tre latti.
But I digress. Ryan is a collage artist, and on the way to the cheese store, we had a great conversation about frogging. In short, frogging is not about perfection, but about being true to your artistic "vision" (as much as I hate that word). I frog if the finished product isn't exactly what I want it to be. This does NOT mean that the finished product has to be flawless, or that it has to be what I was envisioning before I started. In the process of knitting a garment, you grow a little, and so your perception of the project and what it should be changes. (I think that's part of the beauty of long-term projects. You see so many more changes as you work. But then again, maybe that's just the quarter-life crisis talking...) You learn to love the project for itself, and for what it can come to be under your guidance. If something is worth making with your hands, it's worth re-doing until it is exactly what you want it to be.
So yes, I am a process knitter. But I have to say, Knitty has been tempting me to change my ways! I have found so much fun stuff there, that my acquisitive side is coming out. Luckily, most of the projects are things I'd enjoy making (or want to learn a new technique from), as well as things I'm dying to wear.
Recently finished:
- Sitcom Chic sweater
Actually, I had the knitting finished in early March, but I only just got around to the finishing. I sewed lime green grosgrain ribbon as facings for the front edges, and got a preciously sparkly button from Windsor Button in Boston:
http://www.windsorbutton.com
- Asana from Spring 05 Knitty (I had leftover yarn from Sitcom Chic, and tried the Honeymoon Cami and The Shapely Tank, but neither did it for me, so I frogged WOOHOO and made Asana instead.
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEspring05/PATTasana.html
I now have a gorgeous and subtly sexy twinset! And the whole thing cost less than $30 (yarn, ribbon, button, thread)!
*** Update: July 7th, 2005: PICTURES!!!***
Sitcom Chic laid flat
Button close-up
Ribbon facing
Facing close-up
Side increases
Asana laid flat, front
Asana laid flat, back
Asana on
Asana on, back (it isn't usually so droopy; my husband didn't tell me it had shifted and twisted before he took the picture)
Twinset (also sitting funny, which my husband also failed to tell me)
Shoulder and yoke detail
On the Needles:
- Wrap with Sleeves from Rebecca #12
I decided to stick with this pattern after all. I found a solution for the dress. I'll make it with cap sleeves that will be work fallen-down as off-the-shoulder, but which I can pull up when wearing the sleeves!
- Hush-Hush chemise
I've put this one aside for a bit, since I am unlikely to finish it in time for the honeymoon. It makes a nice change from the kid mohair of the wrap with sleeves, though.
I will get pictures soon, I promise. (I know I keep saying that, but I do mean it.)
On my Wishlist:
- Clapotis, times three
Now that the whole poncho this is officially "over", I kind of want one. I just don't have anything that fills the gap between a t-shirt and my fall/winter coat. So I was thinking of making a wrap that I could pin/wrap as a semi-poncho to keep warm, but not look completely out of season. After much poking around, I homed in on Clapotis:
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html
I didn't really like it, as it appeared in the pattern pictures, but I kept hearing people gush about how gorgeous it is on, and how luxurious the yarn is to work with. Once I found some better examples (my favorite is at http://dogsstealyarn.com/archives/000291.html), I was hooked. I started looking at yarns. As I was browsing, I kept being struck by how many of the colorways would look marvellous on my stepmother (whose 60th birthday is coming up in July.) So she gets the first one. Then I get mine (I'm thinking Georgetown http://www.lornaslaces.net/colors.asp)! My mother-in-law-to-be is having her 65th next year, and has already asked for one!
- The striped sweater and lace-hemmed skirt from Rebecca #29:
Precious. Need I say more?
posted by Nadira at Sunday, May 08, 2005
2 Comments:
Your sitcom cardigan is gorgeous!!! I have a bunch of the Cotton Ease and i think you are causing me to choose the turquoise color. i also have enough to make a little shell for underneath.j
Great job!!
Bonnie
Thanks, Bonnie; that was my first comment! Sitcom Chic is lots of fun to make and the yarn is CHEAP. It's wearing a bit already, but I'm rough on my clothes. Be sure to post pics when yours is done; I'd love to see how it turns out. I didn't realize that cotton ease was being discontinued; I'm going to have to get some to hoard too!
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