Thursday, January 17, 2008

Finally Fetching



The yarn: Rowan Tapestry, 70 percent wool, 30 percent soybean protein fiber

The pattern: Fetching by Cheryl Naimath, from Knitty's Summer '06 issue
I started these mitts months ago and worked on them now and then. I had such trouble with the picot edging -- and so I'd knit a bit, rip out, knit again, put them away and pretend they didn't exist, pout, buck up, and try again. I'm still am not happy with the results. But by God they're finished.
My first attempt was a total disaster because I knitted the last section in the car while the instructions were 30 miles behind me, in the bag in the living room. So much for bravado. The next attempt was much better. And the edging on the second mitt even better, though still a little uneven and amateurish. How frustrating is that? It's not a particularly difficult pattern, and the cabled cast-on in the picot edging isn't a difficult technique. I just seem to have a mental block there, keeping me from mastering it.
It kind of reminds me of my high school shorthand class. (That dates me - do they even teach Gregg Shorthand anymore?) I aced dictation at 100 words/minute and 120 words/minute. But 110 words/minute - what a mess. I failed that level time after time, and I honestly think the teacher took pity on me and slipped in a 120 and called it 110 just so we could move on.
There'll be no such tricks this time. I have another ball of Tapestry. I shall persevere.

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8 Comments:

Blogger Kenyetta said...

Very nice! I love the color! ua

5:28 PM  
Blogger Fran Baker said...

Pretty! And they look like they'd just fit me. LOL

7:35 PM  
Blogger Nancy Herkness said...

Lovely, lovely mitts! Gorgeous colors! Tell me more about the picot edging--what makes it tricky? I've never tried anything like it.

10:58 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a pretty colorway. Enjoy.

6:59 AM  
Blogger kshotz said...

They're gorgeous! Kudos to you!

9:31 AM  
Blogger LauraP said...

Nancy - the picot edging is just the cast-off with a twist -- you use a cable cast-on to add a stitch every so often then cast-off that stitch with the rest. It makes a comfy, non-binding edge -- such a contrast from my earliest mitt attempts way back when. I just had trouble wrapping my brain around the concept of casting-on while casting off,and my stitches were so uneven while I was learning it.

11:31 AM  
Blogger Cindi Myers said...

Nice. I have mitts from this same pattern and love them.

11:35 AM  
Blogger Nancy Herkness said...

Thanks for the explanation, Laura! I haven't ventured into the wilds of cables yet although I'm planning on attempting a cabled scarf soon.

12:10 PM  

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