When Knitting Mimics Writing --- Again
I'm still working on the Vortex shawl but it's gotten a bit big to carry around. Add that to my issues with project monogamy and I cast on a new shawl. Right now I have a fascination for lace so I cast on this project....
This is Girasole - a pattern by the talented Jared Flood. You can see it on his blog or on Ravelry It's not a free pattern but it's well worth the small charge.
Right now I'm making it in KnitPicks Gloss fingering weight yarn in a color called Serengeti. It's a discontinued color that's a sort of butterscotch.
Now here's where writing and knitting seem to mirror each other. I've started my Egyptian Steampunk story, Desert Alchemy, but find myself unhappy with the start - over and over. I think I've restarted this story about three times so far. It's being a problem-child.
The shawl I've restarted six, yes SIX, times. I kept making mistakes and was obsessed with perfection so rather than fudging something so I could keep going (it's only for ME), I ripped it ALL out and started again. As of today, I'm on chart D and it's looking nice. There now are a few fudges in it where I made a mistake and couldn't figure out how/where but I'm not ripping the damned thing out again. I swear.
Today I'm going to try that with Desert Alchemy. Just write, stop fussing over every word. I can go back and fix or massage them later.
We'll see if my resolve holds....
This is Girasole - a pattern by the talented Jared Flood. You can see it on his blog or on Ravelry It's not a free pattern but it's well worth the small charge.
Right now I'm making it in KnitPicks Gloss fingering weight yarn in a color called Serengeti. It's a discontinued color that's a sort of butterscotch.
Now here's where writing and knitting seem to mirror each other. I've started my Egyptian Steampunk story, Desert Alchemy, but find myself unhappy with the start - over and over. I think I've restarted this story about three times so far. It's being a problem-child.
The shawl I've restarted six, yes SIX, times. I kept making mistakes and was obsessed with perfection so rather than fudging something so I could keep going (it's only for ME), I ripped it ALL out and started again. As of today, I'm on chart D and it's looking nice. There now are a few fudges in it where I made a mistake and couldn't figure out how/where but I'm not ripping the damned thing out again. I swear.
Today I'm going to try that with Desert Alchemy. Just write, stop fussing over every word. I can go back and fix or massage them later.
We'll see if my resolve holds....
Labels: knit picks, knitting, Maura Anderson, Ravelry
posted by Maura Anderson at 1:56 PM
5 Comments:
Have you learned about lifelines yet? I went through a lace phase, but it made me crazy because I was obsessed with perfection, and I was only knitting scarves! Someone finally told me about lifelines, and they really are.
You just string contrasting yarn through the row of good stitches every so many rows. Then if you mess up you only have to frog back to the lifeline, pick up the stitches from the line and away you go again.
Someday soon I'm going to get up the courage to try the lace shawl that I've had pattern and yarn for for years....
Oh wow! That Girasole is GORGEOUS! I can see why you say it's worth the charge.
Knit Twit is absolutely right: lifelines will save your sanity. I've been working on a vastly less ambitious lace project than your shawl. Without those lifelines, I would have gone stark, raving mad. I obssess over perfection too, and have ripped out oh so many rows where I've lost my concentration and botched it. With my lifelines, I only lose eight rows of complicated lace knitting at most.
I think you have the right approach for DESERT ALCHEMY as well. Just keep writing. I find I often need to change the first scene once I get to the end of the book so all the sweat I spent on it is a waste anyway.
I learned to just keep going from April Kihlstrom's Book in a Week method. (Not that I have ever even attempted to write a book in a week. The idea boggles my mind.) However, her methods apply to just regular ole writing a book stuff quite well.
Gorgeous pattern, Maura. Keep us posted as to how it's going.
Book in a Week, Nancy? Sounds like an interesting challenge.
I forgot about lifelines and could have used them two projects ago.
I'll have to put in a lifeline now. I just finished chart D. YAY :)
It's gorgeous. I need to wind another skein of yarn and will start chart E tomorrow.
I think I have some crochet cotton I can use for the lifeline -- assuming I know where I put it....
i am glad i am not the only one who had to restart! i got to clue 3 twice before i got to keep knitting and not frog it and reknit~ in the last row friday i feel like i lost a stitch somewhere but have taken the row out and reknit and cannot locate it so i said screw it! (and added a stitch!)
Post a Comment
<< Home