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Wednesday, 15 June 2011

WIP Wednesday (15/6/11) - A Sorry Tale (of knitting)

Work In Progress... hmmm, where to start? We should really go back a week. 

If you're a regular reader you may remember that last Wednesday I'd cast on two shawls. All was looking tickityboo until Wednesday evening when I spotted a mistake on the Sitting Room/Faraway, So Close shawl 

Version 1 - with a mistake riiiight back at the start! 
I'd never have been happy with it so, naturally, I ripped it all out and started again. Then sat up late to play catch-up. By Thursday, despite the yarn ball repeatedly falling apart on me, I was this far (again).... 
Version 2 - while things were still going 'well'
... and was fairly happy with it apart from the too-subtle colour change at the start. I considered ripping it out. But didn't. I carried on.  Then I got to a point in my printed pattern where there was a gap in the text. This is the first time I've printed a pattern - I usually work from my iPad/iPhone - I consulted the digi-version and saw the coloured ink had run out in D's printer so I hadn't realised I'd already knitted to the end of the shorter version - even though mine was only as big as a large handkerchief. Then it dawned on me -

I'D BEEN KNITTING ON SIZE 6 NEEDLES NOT 6MM NEEDLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was so annoyed with myself I started ripping it out again until I remembered the fresh ball waiting, and thought I'd use that instead (clean start) and I'd wind it on my yarn roller to get a nice neat centre-pull ball (no more falling apart) and then I'd be able to start it all over again (third time lucky), when... 


... the roller DIED (see that pitifully snapped feeding arm limp and lifeless on the table?) leaving me with one half-wound ball and the other like this:


Distractions
For the last 5 days I haven't even been able to look at this, or any other knitting. Instead I have busied myself with patterns for the Year of Projects Blog-A-Long and pinned some other finds on Pinterest. I sewed a little girl's bag and a  case for my knitting needles and a made crochet hair pin. I made wings and a beak and turned my crochet circle into a mutant chicken and cleared out the Nature Table to start again (complete with a crochet sun). In fact I've done ANYTHING other than knit! 

In advance of WIP Wednesday I did manage to cast on again, but several sections in it looks too loose and floppy, not neat or defined like its two other incarnations. I think I *may* be on the verge of quitting while I'm behind on this one. 


Source: attic24.typepad.com via Sarah on Pinterest


So for the rest of the week I'm planing to start the blanket/throw I've been talking about forever. I've decided to go with this one, and if all the constant colour changes get to be too tedious and fiddly, then I can always change it to Plan B - which has different sized squares and more variety. 

I am hoping that everyone else taking part in WIP Wednesday has had a considerably more productive week. 

If you'd like to find out, click here to view the other links. 


23 comments:

  1. Oh, that's such a pain. I hate it when everything goes wrong like that :( Hope you get your mojo back soon, but good idea to do other things for a bit!

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  2. Oh my! The poor thing probably does need to be in time out for a little while! I love the bright granny-ghan!! Nice colors!

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  3. I think a bit of time out is needed, it does look lovely though. Hopefully it will come right in the end, maybe if you threaten it with a spell in the back of a dark cupboard :D

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  4. Oh no! That sounds so frustrating! Perhaps the time out will make it behave a bit better- I've been known to say that a project and I are "on a break" because "we just aren't getting along the way we used to." :)

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  5. Oh that's awful!! That shawl looked nice, I usually take those projects and whip them across the room, LOL!

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  6. I'm sorry. I hate it when a project goes sour. :-(

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  7. What a nightmare, you poor thing! Its horrible when a project just wont work! Hope it all comes together soon for you and in the meantime you put your creativeness into other things!

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  8. This has just happened to me with mittens, I feel your pain. I think I've knitted every stitch twice to start with and now I've got to undo the $%$%$^ things and start again. Excuse rant, I'm sympathetic.

    I love the blanket - yours will look great!

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  9. Oh no! I'm so sorry things have gone haywire. I hope things go much better with the blanket.

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  10. Oh no - it was looking so lovely too.

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  11. oh sarah.... it was looking gorgeous what a shame...

    i've just frogged my WIP from today :( cat got it and so i had to take it right back to sort out the mess. i feel your pain! I love your nature table though!

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  12. Sorry to hear about the needles mishap. The granny looks super fun - I can't wait to see how it turns out.

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  13. How madly frustrating! And not just the one mishap - it wasn't meant to be (not this week, anyway!).
    The granny blanket will be gorgeous.

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  14. I did post earlier but it would seem that blogger has eaten it!

    Anyway ... I think sadly that someone is trying to tell you that you shouldnt be making the shawl. Its time to ditch the yarn and pattern! Plenty more fish in the sea and all that. Use your time on the gorgeous throw instead. Hugs though as I cant imagine how upset / annoyed you must have been xx

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  15. I know exactly how you feel about just...not even being able to look at that shawl anymore! I hope that you and it can come to a (gorgeous, no-more-frogging-and-bad-luck) truce at some point in the future.

    Also, I love your mutant chicken!

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  16. Oh man, I'm so sorry to hear about your shawl horror. That would deter me as well. So glad that you cast on again (3rd time's the charm?) and are starting that beautiful blanket. I still have to pick my projects for the year long project.

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  17. Oh no! What a pain. I hate it when knitting seems to conspire against you. I hope you feel ready to pick it up again soon.

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  18. Aw, too bad! Maybe after it has a time-out the yarn/ballwinder/shawl will be more cooperative. Lovely colours!

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  19. Ugh, I really feel for you! I think we've all had projects that kick us in the butt like that.

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  20. That is such a shame about the shawl - and I can totally understand why you wouldn't look at anything for days ! Such a shame, that yarn looks so lovely :-)

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  21. I love the yarn. Really hate it when projects give fits like that. Maybe pick a different pattern for the yarn.

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  22. Sometimes it's better just to put the yarn away and let it think about how bad it has been. Just ignore it for awhile and soon it will be promising to behave if you'll just work with it again lol!

    It's a beautiful shawl, but some things are just more trouble than they are worth right?

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  23. Oh no!! So sorry that happened!!! I meant to comment sooner but for some odd reason, I can't see the pictures on your blog from my work computer and forgot to check your blog from home until now....but, my sympathies are with you!

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