Sweater Hesitation
I'm encountering a weird knitting/crocheting issue. Here's the thing. I've made a bunch of gifts for other people so far: potholders, market bag, socks, amigurumi, scarves, skirt, and am now most of the way through a knitted sweater for my niece. I haven't actually made anything for myself, and now that the holidays are over, I think it's time. What I'd really like to make is a cardigan, something that fits me well and is flattering in shape. I found a pattern I like (the February Lady Sweater), and I even have some lovely yarn all ready to go (Rowan Kid Classic, which I think is the right weight for it).
But here's the thing -- making a sweater is going to be time-intensive -- it's many hours of work. And I find myself reluctant to put in that much labor on a nicely fitted sweater for myself when deep in my heart, I really think I should be at least a size smaller. I'm still carrying twenty pounds of baby weight, which have stayed stable for several months now, and there's no real reason to expect that to change. Sure, I plan to exercise more, but a) I haven't started yet, and b) that's not going to have an effect big enough to matter for a sweater this winter/spring, certainly. It's just dumb not to go ahead and make that sweater for myself, I'm pretty sure.
And still, I can't seem to start it. :-( Am I just nuts here? Is this a common knitting/crocheting problem?
(Also, if that sweater is way too hard a pattern for a beginner, please let me know. I'm doing fine making the kid's pinwheel sweater so far, although I haven't gotten to the sleeves yet.)
But here's the thing -- making a sweater is going to be time-intensive -- it's many hours of work. And I find myself reluctant to put in that much labor on a nicely fitted sweater for myself when deep in my heart, I really think I should be at least a size smaller. I'm still carrying twenty pounds of baby weight, which have stayed stable for several months now, and there's no real reason to expect that to change. Sure, I plan to exercise more, but a) I haven't started yet, and b) that's not going to have an effect big enough to matter for a sweater this winter/spring, certainly. It's just dumb not to go ahead and make that sweater for myself, I'm pretty sure.
And still, I can't seem to start it. :-( Am I just nuts here? Is this a common knitting/crocheting problem?
(Also, if that sweater is way too hard a pattern for a beginner, please let me know. I'm doing fine making the kid's pinwheel sweater so far, although I haven't gotten to the sleeves yet.)
posted by Mary Anne Mohanraj at 10:21 PM
8 Comments:
Knit for the size you are! First of all, twenty pounds doesn't just disappear overnight. Secondly, your upper torso / shoulders will not change drastically in size, it will mostly be in the lower half of the sweater. Finally, if you really hate the slightly-too-large sweater fit, you can give it to a friend and knit yourself another one!
I agree with Elizabeth. Most of the weight you plan on loosing will be below the bustline, and that particular sweater has a "swing coat" type fit anyway, so it won't matter.
As for how hard it is--well, I just finished all the raglan increases, and I'm ready to do the math and start the eyelet increases before the lace. Except I'm going to do them as a M1, because I don't want eyelet there.
Cathy, I have no idea what raglan and eyelet and M1 mean. Argh. I so ignorant!
Also, I'm going to have to do math??? Is there a sweater pattern that won't make me have to do math???
The February Lady Sweater is a really easy knit. So many people have made it on Ravelry that I'm sure that if you get stuck at any point you can find the answers in the forums. Also, it's not a fitted sweater, so it should fit you for quite awhile while you continue to lose weight. Go for it, it's really fun!
This is very important. Knit the sweater. You are punishing yourself for not being something you are not. Thinner. Thinner is not better. Its just thinner. Make a lovely sweater for the you who created new life. The you who made all those gifts of love for your friends and family. Eat right and exercise daily. Don't diet, its very bad when you have so much responsibility. If you get thinner, make another one! What you are talking about is waiting to love yourself until you meet some ideal you have inside your head. You are perfect now.
I think I do have this reasonably down for clothes I buy -- I buy the clothes that fit me now.
Unless, of course, they're very expensive, like a coat, when I get reluctant. It's the big-expense / big-time items that still trigger this reaction in me. Sigh.
Kate Harding over at Shapely Prose calls it the 'Fantasy of Being Thin' Even when I know it's a fantasy, it's very hard to let go.
But y'all are definitely helping. :-) It's weird -- sometimes I know what the right thing to do, but I still need a bunch of people to tell me before I really believe it. My brain is strange.
Don't panic--raglan is just the type of armhole this sweater has, and the pattern tells you how to do the M1 increases. Just find yourself some appropriate yarn and cast on. I decided that I didn't much like the way the lace pattern wasn't working for me, so I'm now modifying it to stockinette, with the belief that a wool sweater doesn't really need holes in it anyway.
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