Depends on how you look at it.

Well there’s good news and bad news today. I’m either a triumphant, victorious knitter, deserving of praise and the spoils of war…or…really someone that’s going to be the butt of obtuse knitting jokes. Be kind.
pointplanAfter much trial and error, comments reading and swatching for the swatch (I wish that weren’t true….) I worked out how to handle the corner. I tried working the uber-point but it was going to be too pointy (Claudia…I know you think there is no such thing as too pointy, give it up) After experimenting with short rows that maintained the integrity of the lace, and then deciding that it was really a better idea to impale myself on my DPN collection, I opted for a fairly straightforward sort of gathered-attachement plan to ease me around the point. It wasn’t easy, it wasn’t pretty and I’m not proud of how long it took. It was way into the night by the time I had it figured…and I went to sleep feeling like the queen of the world.
Then I get up this morning and two things happened. Firstly, after having spent a hugely unreasonable amount of time working this out, I discovered that Lori had very nicely sent me a comment suggesting (with nice little directions) exactly how to do what I had spent hours working out. In fact, her comment landed in my inbox while I wasn’t reading comments because I was busy trying to choke myself to death with a pad of graph paper and the corner of a laceweight swatch. (I, Stephanie, do hereby swear that after I ask my readers for help I will wait a reasonable amount of time for them to weigh in with clever and timesaving ideas. I will not charge ahead, doing things the hard way, frothing around the living room in the dead of night, whacked out on cold medication and giving my spouse another thing to write on the “Ways I can Prove My Wife is Insane In a Court Of Law” list.) Thank you Lori. Your attempt to save me from myself is duly noted.
Secondly, after I had recovered from the shock of realizing that if I only had checked my email I’d have three hours of my life back, I put the plan into motion. I nimbly knit to the critical starting point for the stunning Point Plan, and launched. The joy, the relief, the thrilling climactic ….oh…..
screwthepoint
Crap. Do you think that the “Point Plan” should take place somewhere even close to the point of the swatch? Do you? For crying out loud would somebody just kill me. I cannot believe that after this much freakin work on this shawl swatch that I would notice that I shouldn’t be PAST the point when I begin the Point Plan! Who doesn’t notice that! Who? Public mocking is too good for me. Today’s knitting segment will feature Stephanie tinking back edging, screwing with the number of stitches before the point and stringing together expletives in new and creative ways.
In other news, these are quite possibly the cutest bootees in the history of the universe.
tigerbootees
If they would fit me, I would keep them. For anybody who was asking…the pattern is from 50 Baby bootees to knit, by Zoe Mellor.

10 thoughts on “Depends on how you look at it.

  1. I have only dabbled in lace knitting so I am quite impressed with your swatch and how you are winging the edging.
    The booties are sweet. I have been tempted to get the Mellor book for a long time.

  2. Oh, come on. To quote “The Sweater Song” by Meryn Cadell, “…and you don’t have to die of humiliation. You are a strong person and this is a learning experience.” (It’s really dang funny if you know the song)
    Your time was in no way wasted. You are a more experienced knitter for the misery, and I’m sure at some point, something you learned during those hours will come in very handy. At least, that’s what makes ME feel better in like situations. I think I speak for everyone when I say that, in view of the fact that you have knitted this, creating as you go, and not following any sort of pattern, YOU ONLY WASTED THREE HOURS???

  3. Well, maybe you could knit the booties on size 78 needles or something… they’d undoubtedly fit!
    And just remember, the shawatch is lovely. And it’s just a swatch, so when you make the real shawl, it’ll be perfect!

  4. Hey, I think you should pat yourself on the back for even trying to work it out beforehand. (Says she who tends to just whack it out and get frustrated _after_ the project looks like sh–.)
    I love the booties. And I *heart* the idea of knitting together a string of curses. (What an exciting sha-watch _that_ would make!)

  5. swatching with expletives…now THERE’s an episode worth tuning in for…*hee* what size needles will you be using for THAT?
    Might I just say that the feeling of going to bed feeling like Queen of the World is something that non-knitters (or those who just knit from a PATTERN, can you imagine…) will probably never experience.
    Only THREE hours, indeed. I say wear the tiara, stand tall and say POINTEDLY (oh sorry) how PROUD you are to represent your nation of Knitters…
    KNIT ON!

  6. I bow to your assessment of Appropriate Pointy-ness. In large measure, because I don’t want to be responsible for sending you screaming over the edge.
    Oh. That already happened? Never mind.

  7. While on cold medication, I once worked out a very tricky cardigan front and neckline treatment. Then I knitted it. The whole thing is sitting in a bag waiting until I am unpissed enough to unpick the thing. 3 hours is nothing. And it’s like socks in the washer. They disappear as sacrifices to the gods of the washer. 3 hours have disappeared as a sacrifice to the gods of knitting. It was a necessary ritual.
    And Jon, I love the word shawatch. Perfect.
    Barb

  8. Oh, Stephanie! I don’t know whether to say, “I’m sorry,” or “You’re welcome!”
    I’m glad that you liked my suggestion, and totally bummed that I didn’t post it until late in the evening. From now on I promise to harlot (can that be a verb?) earlier in the day.
    I love the term shawatch.

  9. Those booties are sweet!
    You could definitely resize them to normal person feet with worsted yarn. I’ve done it. It’s an… interesting process, but I’ve done it.
    Bloody hell, woman, if you can freestyle a lace shawl, resizing booties should be a snap! Half a snap!

  10. Oh, those booties are so cute. They’re like my tiger socks, but so much better. Of course, you can only work out complicated lace patterns while on cold medication, due to its amphetamine-like effects.

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