I was figuring that today I would impress you with any number of finished things. It was going to be a virtual parade of wonderful item after item…lovely thing upon thing, beautiful finished knitting flowing freely through the blog. Clearly, I forgot who I am.
I was going to show you a finished baby sweater:
but I lost the buttons I was supposed to sew on.
I was going to show you a finished scarf:
but there’s a mistake and I have to rip it back. See it? No, of course you don’t. That’s what happened to me. You can’t spot the misplaced stitches while lace is shriveled like that. It’s infuriating.
(Before you all ask again, it’s whisper scarf #1, in Cherry tree hill Suri lace, in colourway “Green mountain madness”. ) This pattern is not difficult, though there is no going nighty-night while you do it. Each row needs your attention. I made the mistake of attempting to watch “The Cave” while I was knitting it. (The first mistake was picking that movie. Not so much with the intrigue, that one.) Looking up to see who was getting eaten by what (in a predictable way, naturally) has left me with a misplaced series of yarn overs and a desire to gnaw this Orenburg style lacework into little ramen bits with my pointy teeth. On the upside… you can see in that picture that the spinning wheel is back in it’s spot. Tree out, wheel in. Peace restored.
The worst though, the biggest hit was finishing this:
Teva Durhams leaf lace sweater. A good, easy, quick knit.
No problem, as long as you have a pretty good idea about the size you are.
Which I do not. Apparently I have shoulders where this sweater does not.
Let’s try the parade again tomorrow, Shall we?
Finally, a nice thing. Apparently (I have got to get around the blogs a little more when the kids are home.) I have won in “The Knibbies” hosted by Queerjoe.
Many thanks to those who nominated and voted for me. Very flattering. Best New blog went to See Eunny Knit (which is a very good new blog), and best tech blog (how disturbing, considering the above entry, would it have been if I won that one?) went to the incomparable Jaywalking Queen Grumperina. She deserves it just for that. I’m probably the only blogger who hasn’t Jaywalked. I’m starting to feel it.
Oh my word! First to comment…..
Crongrats on both Blog Awards….. and love the baby sweater.
ooops… obviously: congrats
Oh am I first. Lots of stuff getting sorta finished. I love after Christmas. They look really good Steph. I had a similar weekend. Ripped out the back of a new sweater about 5 times because of color pooling. yuck. Finally the problem is solved with a creative change of gauge midway through the piece. just need to knit the final sleeve and hopefully not run out of yarn…
Am I the first?
Congrats on winning the Knibbies!
That baby sweater looks lovely–I love those yarn colors. Too bad about having to frog the Teva Durham sweater. I’ve been looking at that ever since it was published in Interweave Knits, and have thought a lot about making it, but haven’t bought yarn yet or anything….
There may be a mistake in the scarf, but it sure is beautiful….love the texture and the colours.
I hope to do some jaywalking, once i get through all these birthday gifts.
As parades go, it was a little more comic than most =)*) — I like the baby sweater, too bad about the shoulder ratio, tho in the other, it’s a cool sweater. =(
I am Jaywalking at this very moment – or well… when I stop typing I will be – It’s a fun and easy pattern. You could even watch a GOOD movie while making it!
Congrats on the blog award, and yes Grumpy deserves hers, too – Now off to check out the newbie! yaay
Congratulations on your Knibbies! I’ll have to pay more attention to Queer Joe so I can vote next year.
I’m telling myself over and over I do NOT want to Jaywalk. Coz then I’d need to get me some STR. (shuddup – I would so) And all my yarn money for about the next, oh 3-4 months has already been spent on my other hobby (which you will kindly forget if I pick up a skien of something at LK on Wednesday. It’s for a previously intended project)
But hey–you knit a mobius scarf (or at least started one) and survived winter break without strangling any of your young–that’s nothing to sneeze at. And really, buttons only sort of count as not finished (you’ll buy a better pair with some more yarn… and that’s something to look forward to!) And lace is sneaky… there’s always a wild noodle in the box– And as for the Teva Durham sweater… as much as I admire her patterns, (I really do–beautiful and original all…) are you sure the models in the book actually have shoulders? I mean, after studying those patterns for weeks, I came to the conclusion that they all weigh about 92 lbs., and something’s gotta go…
I love a parade! Especially one that makes me feel not-quite-so-bad about the not-quite-finished-in-time holiday knitting that I still haven’t, er, finished. Or in some cases started. Going to knit now.
Maybe… could you… be…
too much of a perfectionist? 😉
Lining up the top of the wine glass with the top of the wine lable and wine level in the glass even with bottom of the shiraz band – did you think no one would notice?
Drink more, line up less, me hearty Harlot.
As someone who has jaywalked enough for the entire North American continent (six pairs down, one mismatched, mate at the heel flap) it is a wonderful pattern. I’m having a lot of trouble knitting anything else. Which only bothers me a little bit.
I’m going to regret this, but you probably already know I’ve been hosting the KAL. Which has STR yarn as a prize at the drawing on Feb. 14. Details here: http://www.januaryone.com/archives/jaywalker_kal. Right now the rules say I’ll be giving out 3 skeins of sock yarn to three lucky people – but I’m probably going to bump that number up significantly because everyone and their mother has joined.
Tell your mom she’s welcome too. 😉
lace infuriates me which is why i have as of yet not finished any lacey stuff.
i have done openwork patterns with yarnovers and things but no real lace and im not sure i want to:)
but congrats on winning the best blog.
oh and my daughter learned the lesson of crawling off the side of the bed.
there were tears on both sides but she is ok and has a healthy respect for the sides of the bed now.
on the plus side she was much quieter and less rambunctious afterward.
but there are no injuries and she is fine (she did not land head first and there were no broken bones or cuts)
Ha! Your ‘parade’ reminds me of my hubsand’s hometown of Empire, Michigan and their “Anchor Day” parade. It is so small that it goes around the block a couple of times. The big highlight is the septic pump truck decorated with t.p. and dragging toilet seats and toilet plungers. It brings a tear to my eye everytime…
Pretty scarf though-I ooohed right out loud. Congrats on your Knibbie!
Ah, well. I see you had the antidote (Yellow Tail) on hand, though. What yarn are you using for Lace Leaf? It’s been on my to-knit list for ages while I try to find a yarn.
You could jaywalk with that Vesper sock yarn I sent you. I’m just saying.
You’re not the only one having problems with the size of that sweater. Check out Alison at the blue blog (http://alison.knitsmiths.us/).
Although this blogger: http://mindofwinter.prettyposies.com/archives/000207.html
didn’t seem to have size problems.
Good luck!
Almost forgot-I had a heck of a time with my leaf lace sweater. Quick to knit, and good thing. I think I re-knit it at least three times before I could get it to fit the way I liked. Glad to hear it is not only me that has shoulders in strange places on sweaters.
Yes, you should succumb to the lure of jaywalker. I’m knitting my second pair right now. I made some for myself, and now my daughter (who has the same size of feet as me) is waiting on her socks-in-progress. People are always so impressed when they see me knitting them. They love the zigzag.
Oh no, and that’s knit from both ends, so you have to take off thw whole top…
I haven’t even looked at the jaywalker pattern, although I have admired the ones I’ve seen on the blogs. It’s jsut that there are too many of them, know what I mean?
COngrats on the awards!
I haven’t even looked at the jaywalker pattern, although I have admired the ones I’ve seen on the blogs. It’s jsut that there are too many of them, know what I mean?
Congrats on the awards!
Oooo good wine. That always helps.
YAY! The wheel is back! 🙂 I saw one this weekend at an antique store… The Boy glanced at it and said, “you need that” sadly it didn’t include him actually PURCHASING it for me but it was a step in the right direction. (No I did not purchase it for me either)
Oh, I have to see that sweater on…please, the next parade? I may knit it. You must jaywalk! I am going to do a pair for myself next!
Harlot, you are getting me in trouble.
First, I keep looking at your spinning projects and thinking about my own wheel, up on blocks in the basement with a broken flyer, and the new flyer that has sat unstained and unloved in a padded envelope for 5 years or more. I keep telling myself, “You don’t NEED to open that door again, you don’t NEED new roving (and that’s a fact), you don’t even need new yarn!!!”
Then I think of all my singleton socks, pining for mates, forced to listen to their married friends gossip about how they are still singleton socks after all these years, and I try to tell myself, “You don’t NEED to start any new socks until you finish the ones you’ve got…”
So now I’m sitting here with a hardware store bag containing a can of Minwax and a staining pad, printing off the Jaywalking sock pattern.
Curse you, Harlot…you have totally corrupted me.
The real response Jan Tink, is that you don’t NEED to stain the flyer for it to work! Naked flyers do just fine — break open the envelope!
Congrats on the award – totally deserved 🙂
That sweater just looks wrong to me. It does look shoulderless.
Hmm, to be a sheep and make some Jaywalkers or not. Heck, I made some Broadwater Ripple socks, of course to my own pattern….
You are helpless to the lure of the Jaywalk. All who try it are hopelessly sucked in for all eternity. Give in! You know you want to…
Hmm, does the Yellowtail have any relation to your knitting woes? ;p
What? You’re not Jaywalking? You’re missing out on the chance to win a custom-dyed skein of Socks that Rock???
http://www.januaryone.com/archives/jaywalker_kal/
Is it wrong that it makes this newbie feel better when she sees that expert knitters need to frog mistakes, too? No? Whew!
I don’t know if anyone else posted this, but Alison over at the blue blog is having Issues with the shoulders on the Lace Leaf sweater as well. . . It may not be knitter error.
mmmmmm…. Yellow tail…..
sorry, what were you talking about? Oh yeah, the parade. Should I ask how the Dale sweaters for the Tinks are coming??
Congrats on the Knibbie – I should probably jaywalk soon, myself.
I love a parade…
Congratulations on the Knibbies. You definitely deserve them.
Don’t worry, Steph…I haven’t Jaywalked either. (Because I am -so- the person you should judge yourself by. Wait…maybe not.)
The Leaf Lace sweater was lovely, even if it wasn’t so much with the fitting…small consolation now, I know.
Congrats on all of your awards! I noticed you got Canadian top blogs too 🙂
As always, you’ve made me laugh. And congratulations–I know you’re one of my favorite bloggers to read. I’m glad you won! (I mean, I voted for you, and everything.)
Congrats on your award – very well deserved indeed. My tree left my living room as well, if only I had a spinning wheel to put in its place. Ah well, soon. I have not yet Jaywalked either – too much Christmas knitting to be wandering around the streets. Lovely works in progress and I’m so sorry about the Teva Durham – it looks like it was a really nice sweater.
Rams, Rams, I know naked flyers work just fine.
But then it wouldn’t MATCH. I have a thing about matching.
BTW, I’m from Kazoo originally. I live in Redford now.
Yay for Yellowtail Shiraz!! 🙂
Boo for having to rip stuff back. I’m an inexperienced enough knitter that I have a really hard time getting my stitches back onto the needles in usable shape. Hah! I have a good time messing up though, so I guess that’s all that counts, really. 😉
Oooh, the knitting is nice, but what’s the mosaic thing going on behind the yellow tail?
Congrats on the award — undeniably earned and deserved. Love your wit and style.
Congratulations from another non-Jaywalker
Two Very Good Knitters having trouble with the same pattern in the same place? Yeah, I’ll be rushing to fit this one into my knitting schedule. Or not. Until you all figure out how to fix it, that is.
Congratulations on the well-deserved awards!
You have most certainly jaywalked. I was there. You told me I was stupid for rushing. You said, “What are they going to do? Hit you?!”
Yes.
I have not Jaywalked, unless we’re talking crossing against the light. So you’re not the only one 🙂
Well, what do you know; we drink the same thing. I have a bottle of that Yellow Tail Shiraz just waiting for me at home.
OMG! They’re all gorgeous, despite whatever flaws you mentioned!
that yellow tail shiraz is tasty stuff!! mmm it has been too long since i had any.
see, but here’s what separates you a host of other knitters from mere mortals like me: had I made a sweater that didn’t fit, i’d have to frog the whole thing. i haven’t got a clue about how to fix mistakes. i said that to a room full of my wonderful knitters this weekend, and I got the pat answer “oh, of course you could…” but i actually can’t…yet. i will learn how. yes, i will. someone ought to offer a regular class or tutorial on how to fix common mistakes. i’d sign up for it in a new york second. the baby sweater looks grand!
Love the baby sweater. I feel empathy for you, I just frogged almost an entire Samus. I couldn’t stand it anymore and cast on for Jaywalker with some Apple Butter yarn in Party Time. Go for it! I am already planning more Jaywalkers. However, it is 70 degrees here in northern Alabama, and I can’t wear all these wool socks. Congrats on your awards, I think.
Stephanie:
I’ve seen many a knitter frog her Lace Leaf pullover because the sizing was wonky. That sweater looks like it has *no* shoulder ease at all! It ain’t just you, bay-bee. Cheers, mate.
Though today may not have been a grand parade, I’m sure that one will be coming soon! I love the color on that baby sweater and the leaf detail is such a nice surprise on your sweater. I’m sure it’ll look great on you, once it has shoulders and all.
another sweater to cross off the list of “maybe I’ll knit that because it looks realllly good on the model” sweaters; thanks for the heads up. (you have shoulders, I have SHOULDERS.)
Nice shoulders. Or not. Actually, my father in law has shoulders like that. We tease him mercilessly.
Hi and congrats on the win!
This is my first time commenting on your blog, though I have lurked here a few days. I first saw this site mentioned in the Easy Knit & Crochet Ideas (Woman’s Day Specials) magazine and thought I’d check things out. Have enjoyed what I’ve read so far, and will be coming back again!
Your blog sounds like the Little Critter book “Just for You”. Poor LC has all sorts of good intentions for his mom – “just for you” – that don’t work out until the end when he does something that works out – a hug or something. Amanda can’t find the book. And after reading it to her & Kyle 50 gazillion times I didn’t memorize it!!!
Your wheel looks so much like mine!
Mine MUST come back out of hiding.
Do you think if I just plunk it into the living area it will compell me to spin again? or perhaps I could just use it to frog the latest mistake I made in my Jaywalkers… you’d think I’d SEE something that dumb before I’d not only finished the heel flap, but turned the heel AND finished the gusset? Likely I would have were it not for the movie “Malice”
Congratulations! Had I known queerjoe was hosting blog awards, i would totally have voted for you: you’re the best!
Hint: Trekking + Jaywalker = awesome (proof: http://www.plasticsoul.org/blog/2006/01/state-of-jaywalker.html)
And congratulations on your win! I had no doubt that you’d be numero uno.
I’ve made 2 Lace Leafs (Leaves?) so far, both good. The better one had a looser gauge, so it was floppier. Just used whatever was in the stash, because I figured it was a pretty forgiving pattern. I think the thing with this jersey is that it’s meant to have a strange droopy fit, judging by the length of the sleeves (and the way they cover the model’s hands). When I wear it I’m reminded of the very very big jerseys I used to wear in the 80’s.
Wondered about your experiences with Cherry Tree Hill yarns. The discussions at Yarnstorm regarding their sock yarns are pretty dismal. Colors fade in cold wash, very bad customer service. Wondered if you’d used their yarn previously.
I haven’t Jaywalked either, but I feel the pressure intensely. I think my next pair of socks will have to be Jaywalkers. Monkey see, monkey knit.
I’m so sorry about your Teva Durham disaster. The prettier the sweater, the harder it is to rip out, even when it Just Doesn’t Fit. 🙁
you have to Jaywalk… everyone’s doing it…
the pattern is awesome… you are getting very sleepy.
Congrats on the blog award! You deserve it!
Don’t worry–I haven’t jaywalked yet, either. But I feel the urge coming on….
Oh yeah, knowing what size I am…. Oh, did you mean this year? I have one sleeve to go on the Pacific Grove sweater by justonemorerow and I have a sneaking suspicion that I needed to knit this in 2001.
I’m a huge fan of Yellowtail Wines. Good taste!
I must say I’m more flattered by your kind words than by winning the award – I read your blog before I knew what blogging was all about.
The sweater looks nice….too bad it was small. Good luck!
I knit the Lace Leaf pullover this winter too, in the most delicious alpaca, and was horriby disappointed with the results. I too am apparently horribly misshapen. The smallest size hung off me like a sac, and I looked like i was drowning in alpaca. And this was after all that grafting!
Lace Leaf Hell! I made that sweater too, and it sure doesn’t fit me. It was great fun to knit and is lovely, but for whom…..
My shoulders look like a linebacker’s in this thing.
Congratulations on The Knibbies! You deserve it.
That sweater, just looking at the shoulder slope makes me shiver. Is that a 45 degree angle? Is anyone built like that.
Makes me want to go do some math and show people how to fix that!