That was a close one

I swear that I thought this one was going to go south on me. I swear it.  I was knitting and knitting and going faster and faster, and I kept thinking about how embarrassing it would be for both Lucy and I if this didn’t work.  Two knitters, with at least 80 knitting years of experience between them, fairly clever minds (at least Lucy’s is stellar) and despite all that, and doing a bit of math, and the purchase of an insurance skein, and the fact that one of them is the designer of the project, and we screw up yardage? It would have been entertaining for you, but a dismal performance for us.

six metres 2014-05-02

I should have had more faith. I had 3 skeins, 83 metres each, and that’s a total of 249 metres. Resting there, upon the scarf, see that little butterfly? It contains SIX METRES.  I measured. I got away with only six to spare, and I can tell you that that wee bit there is a smidge sweaty. The last few rows were squeakers.   Holy cats.

All that remains now is my nemesis – crochet. We have an uneasy relationship, the hook and I.  At least I have lots of yarn for that part.*

*I would not say that if I were not totally sure. I know a booby trap when I see one.

 

 

 

59 thoughts on “That was a close one

  1. It would have been very reassuring is what it would have been!

    I’m curious, what do you do with those last bits of yarn. I can never bring myself to throw them away but I’ve yet to find the perfect project that uses them up well.

      • A friend of mine posted a video yesterday of him cutting a bird free from the string around its foot: it had been hanging upside down frantically in the middle of building its nest. Its mate flew around the guy’s head while he cut the little thing free. Please be careful what you put out there and keep the strands short!

  2. I’d say this must be proof positive that knitting faster is a viable solution to running short on yarn!

  3. You know what they say, some days you’re the windshield, some days you’re the bug! Congrats on not being the bug ~ for now! he he he…

  4. Don’t worry, I’m sure one of your knitting friends who isn’t afraid of hooks, would be happy to crochet the edgings for you!
    If I lived close by, I would do them in the wink of an eye. 🙂

  5. Wait – the pattern says 320 meters. How is 3 times 83 equal to 320??? What kind of knitter magic is that, and how can I get some?

  6. Ewww, crochet . . .

    I do love the scarf, though! I jumped over to Ravelry and queued it when I saw it here the other day! I can’t wait to see how it turns out!

  7. Wouldn’t you like matching fingerless mitts. This pattern. Handschmeichler (Hand-Charmer)
    by Claudia Höll-Wellmann, is perfect.

  8. So glad you made it!

    That’s about the amount of yarn I had left yesterday after casting off a shawl that had 450+ stitches per row (and the cast-off is always the wild card on how much a row will use up.) For ten rows I was weighing the yarn each row to see how far I could push it. Thank goodness for digital kitchen scales.

  9. It looks great! I don’t “get” crochet! I can make a great long strand but when it comes to double and treble, I give up

  10. All those holes, each to be outlined in crochet, by a Harlot who isn’t fond of hooks. I can hear the wailing and gnashing of teeth now. Joe and the cat may want to go stay with relatives for the next week or two.

  11. Think of crochet like picking up a stitch, then immediately k2togtbl to bind off, pick up a stitch, k2togtbl to bind off… that’s more or less what a US sc is.

  12. It is possible to do that pattern without crochet if the binds offs are done with a suspended bind off and the cast on’s as a cable cast on. Gives a little structure to the edge without crochet. Now she tells me…

    Julie in San Diego where it was 95 degrees today, whew, too hot for me!

  13. Yay, well done Steph!! So glad it worked out! I know what you mean about the crochet though, I’m none too keen on it either – good luck! xx

    • The crocheting is done with a different contrasting yarn, at least that is what the projects on Ravelry show.

  14. I pass my bits of yarn and fabric to an art teacher in an elementary school. Gets them out of the house, on a regular basis, and I remember how much my son loved doing collages with all that stuff!

  15. I wonder if people actually have more of a learning curve with a second similar handwork than a first. I actually had a bit of difficulty with knitting, because I had crocheted a lot and couldn’t get out of the trick of holding things a certain way. Now? I knit, and love knitting, and look back on those crochet days as long past, but at least I am equally comfortable with both hook and needles.
    Keep at it! After all, you did learn to knit fluidly at some stage, even if you don’t ever remember knitting being awkward at all. It can happen with crochet as well (in spite of your public distaste for it). All the best, how is it going? I hope to see something lovely soon, whether or not it is crochet!

  16. Some bits go to my two friends who have been knitting those beekeeper things for a year or more…. When I moved, I ended up tossing tons of them….. and I usually out out fiber for the birds, to avoid getting caught. When I was learning to spin I had so much “bad spinning” I think the nests were all purple and green and orange from all my discards…

    And – yes I would happily crochet this for you if i were close by. Crochet is fast and easy if you do it enough… I prefer knitting but do it when needed…

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