Greetings from Sleeve Island, where I’m still hanging out with Donner. I’ve been knitting and knitting and knitting I finally find myself here:
About thirty rounds until I’m finished the second sleeve. I can’t believe how long they took – I don’t have very long arms and they’re just 3/4 length sleeve so I feel like they should have whizzed by me so fast they made a breeze but nope. The same dumb slog that sleeves always are. Worse – right before the sleeves I had what felt like a wave of brilliance, and turned out (as usual) to be kinda dumb. I was knitting along on the body and wondering how long I should make it, and wondering how much yarn I would have left after the sleeves and the neckband, and I was properly tired of the sweater and eyeing up the next project and I thought about putting it down, and then it occurred to me that I could just put down the body and move onto the sleeves and it would be so totally great. It would be like a new project, and the sleeves would get done and then I’d know exactly how much yarn I had left for the body and after the sleeves were done I could try it on, and decide how much longer to make the thing. It felt like a genius idea, so I pushed the stitches back on the needle, stuck the ball of yarn on there, and then put on a stopper. (I love this clamp kind called “ewe clips” but near as I can tell they aren’t made anymore, which is a sad thing indeed. Cocoknits sells stoppers here that are pretty handy.)
I knit the neckband, and now the sleeves and let me tell you, this definitely scratched the itch I had to ditch the whole thing. Turns out my mum was right and a change is as good as a rest and I’ve only thought about abandoning this sweater 16 times a day instead of a million. The bummer is that it should be that when you’re finally released from Sleeve Island you pack a sweater out with you, but now It’s back to the body for me, which is a bit of a let down but I suppose it’s the price I pay for my clever evasion earlier. Still, I can’t see this going on much longer no matter how much I stretch it out.
I finished a pair of socks, a friendly rainbow pair to celebrate Pride and in a tremendous show of commitment to the sweater – I didn’t cast on more.
(I did bring down another skein of rainbow sock yarn but that was just a moment of weakness and I didn’t cast it on. I also didn’t put it away again when my strength returned so we’ll see how long this lasts. It’s sitting about a metre away from me practically waggling it’s little label at me.)
These are Must Stash Yarn in Kama Sutra (I think) and I knit a plain tube with cuff and toe and whacked a true afterthought heel in at the end. (I documented it for The Patreon, but that particular post isn’t up yet. Joe’s upstairs tut-tutting over the sound edit as we speak so it won’t be too long. I don’t know exactly what he does to it, but I do know that it sounds better after he’s done so I leave him to his own process.) Joe is still pretty one-armed and working a little slowly- the part of his broken wrist that was fixed with surgery has healed beautifully, but five months later the other broken bone is still…broken. We’re waiting on an MRI and a hand specialist, but the pandemic has everything so backed up that it will be a while. I’ve never before been grateful that Joe doesn’t rely on knitting for all the things that I do. I always thought it would be wonderful to have a knitting spouse (sharing of the stash aside) but if I imagine myself not able to knit for five months I’m not sure our relationship would survive and I’m glad he’s got other outlets. (Like editing sound.)
The next time you see me (I so vow) I will be finished this sweater, and it’s funny you know – even though I’ve done nothing but complain about how slow the linen is?
I’ve got another linen top in the queue to be next. (By the way, I’m under the impression that I’m finishing that one by the time I get on a plane next Wednesday. Hilarious, right?)
Thanks for the lovely post. I find it SO relatable as I sit here:
1. Knitting a never-ending linen top
2. Helping my son, who just broke his arm yesterday and wiped out my almost 13-year streak of having no kids with broken bones
3. Thinking desperately about knitting rainbow Pride socks (and purchasing some Must Stash yarn because it is SO glorious)
4. Waiting for my sound editor husband to help me with some sound editing for a sorting hat thing I have coming up for work.
5. no joke, sitting here with a toy dinosaur next to me about the same size as the one on your table. Except mine is a tiny velociraptor and not a skeleton.
And here I thought my life was full to the brim of unique. Apparently not. Apparently I’m living a shadow version of yours.
Karin, that is amazing. The fact that you are paralleling Stephanie makes me almost as happy as her posting today.
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Genius ideas often have an unforeseen catch like that. But think how great it will feel when you finish the body and don’t have the sleeves yet to do!
I also started some rainbow socks, though I’m not that far along. And I just wound a nice Gauge Dye Works rainbow skein for a shawl, once I commit to a pattern. Decisions, decisions!
I’m halfway through a pair of rainbow socks and I’m only putting off cast on the second because I know that if it doesn’t match the first I won’t be able to wear them!
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Second one is the charm, you’ll have that linen tee-shirt/sweater done in a snap… as fast as a pair of rainbow socks, I say!!
Personally, I agree that it was a genius idea to put the body on hold so you could make it as long as you want/as long as the yarn allowed. Almost like toe-up socks (which sadly, I do not make as I haven’t found a fit that works better than heel-flap-and-gusset), where you can use up every bit of yarn! True, it makes the body/reminder of the sweater a bit of a slog, but you know it will go very quickly as you don’t have much left. I certainly sympathize with the call of new and colorful yarn.
I’ve not tried it, but the theory is good — like stopping the body and knitting sleeves. Start with a provisional cast on, knit a couple of inches of cuff, then your favorite heel flap and gusset, down to the toe. Then back up to provisional cast on and knit up the cuff until you run out of yarn or decide to quit. Last bit will be 1/2 stitch off, but shouldn’t be noticeable– and if anyone’s nose is close enough to notice, you can give them a quick “unintentional” kick. Good Luck!
I’m glad those rainbow socks helped you through the sea of green linen. Keep the skein you pulled from stash handy because you’re going to need it — that other top also has a body knit in the round. Therefore, you’ll get that top done by the third Wednesday in January…. (PS to Joe: I hope that arm gets fixed soon!)
I’m just horrified about Joe. Five months? What a nightmare.
Poor Joe! That is really no fun for you all, all speed for the specialist waiting.
I just love that dinosaur, must pull out the hand painted one my now 19 yo did and see if the squeal matches the one she made when I found the box with her train set (My train!!!!).
Shall I tempt you towards the next top by asking which pattern you have chosen for it? Bravo for your progress. I am STILL on the back of my top. But I finished another wool scarf….
Just love the rainbow socks, they are fabulous.
Enjoy your upcoming trip!
I was on planes in May, for the first time since March 2020, and it was indeed weird. I kind of forgot how to pack. Did you know there are no longer paper Canadian customs forms to complete on the plane? That was news to me. But the trip was worth any hassles.
Poor Joe. That is a very long wait. Can you find out if the specialist’s administrator is a knitter?
Wait! You’re traveling again?! Is it for work? Where are you headed?
Probably to Puget Sound for the Strungalong Retreat.
Pretty amazing pride socks. My wife and I are actually both knitters but different as night and day how we approach it. I like to knit lace, every once in a while a baby blanket or a pair of socks. She is a streak knitter. One year she had this thing about knitting dog sweaters and she didn’t stop until she had reached about ten. Another year it was knit caps. So its nice. Not competitive but companionable. I really hope Joe heals up soon. I don’t imagine there is anything worse than spending a short Canadian summer laid up and not being able to sail or swim. Where ever you are going bon voyage and stay safe.
I adore those rainbow socks. And I so hope Joe gets seen soon and heals.
(If you knit more gorgeous wool socks after all that linen that’s okay, too.)
I’m off on a totally random tangent thinking whether your new yarn is the right colour for my bedroom walls. Sorry, you wanted knitting content? I can’t decide whether I like the sleeves or not on the next top, they look lovely but would mean I couldn’t wear another sweather over it and summers being what they are here, I would need to.
I may be scarred by my great dolman sleeve experience of the 1980s, so much knitting and so little practical use.
Happy upcoming birthday. I know some don’t embrace for many reasons, but, you’ve done the time, accept the cake and singing. from one birthday Stephanie to another…
Cocoknits makes such elegant as well as useful knitting tools, but they are not cheap (as they certainly should Not be!) so I am acquiring them slowly. Those stoppers, though, look like a bargain, so they will be next on my list. My linen top (surprisingly named Linen Top by Kat Coyle) has some amazing versions on Ravelry but mine is not one of them because forever is too long and I stopped about 3 inches shorter than I should have. Maybe you can make a deal with yourself to knit only X amount of rows each day then go on to the funner projects?? Might take 6 months but you could always call it a “lifestyle.” Linen fabric is so excruciatingly beautiful that one day I WILL add those extra 3 inches and because your photos are really inspiring.
I’m sorry to hear Joe still isn’t fully healed. Perhaps if he did knit, it would help? They do say that knitting is good physical therapy! The socks are delightful.
By the time you get OFF the plane, for sure.
Just a quick comment about needle holders – these Needle Wranglers from Tempestry Project are the BEST! And from a small business, too. I am not affiliated at all, I just have a set and love them! https://www.tempestryproject.com/product-category/needle-wranglers/
Those are really cool!
Sending get well vibes for Joe. This has been a very long slog for him. And the second linen top? Does it have sleeves? Keep the rainbow yarn handy.
Thank you, Steph, for letting me know I’m not the only one who thinks about throwing a mostly done sweater out of the window of a moving car. I’m so sorry about Joe’s arm. I know what you are dealing with, my husband broke his foot in August and we are still waiting for surgery and I’m dealing with amazing amounts of complaining! here’s to healed husbands and fast sleeves!
You may well already know this, but a VERY useful trick to try when you’ve gotten an appointment way in the future is to CALL that office and ask if they have a cancellation list: everyone wants to keep both doctors and big machines running at peak capacity, and people cancel all the time…if you know how long a lead time you’d need to realistically get there (travel, needing to be NPO or fasting for x hours, whatever), you can offer to be on “stand-by” for a test or a first specialist appointment. Not all practices do it, but with those that do we’ve shaved months off of wait times….worth a try!
I agree that was a genius idea fie a)change and b) true yardage left for length mods. If only shawls had sleeves and neckbands…sigh.
Yes yarn labels do waggle and flirt-and they have no kryptonite. Occasionally an impatient muggle LYS chaperone can postpone the inevitable but like a toddler with new shoes we run like the wind when they’re not looking, only to be found a few blocks from where they last saw us, now humming and skipping with a big grin and a full yarn bag.
Poor Joe-sending him healing vibes-I’m sure he’d like to be on the boat.
Oh..that must’ve been a typo-the sweater will be finished AFTER YOU GET OFF the plane. Right?
Yay! A blog post! I dutifully overpacked yarn for my hike across England on the Coast to Coast trail. I was under the impression that I would have many hours in the evening to knit. Instead, I am in bed right after dinner. 15 miles a day with elevation changes apparently has consequences!
The heels on those socks are gorgeous.
I don’t know if it’s relevant, but mum had a big operation to put a plate into a nasty break in her upper arm a *year* after the initial injury, and she healed beautifully. And she was in her seventies!
I have done exactly the same thing. I have knit a colorwork yoke and when I divided for the sleeves, I decided to knit them first so I could make sure I had enough yarn to make them long enough (I have long arms). Hopefully this won’t come back to bite me in the butt and I will have enough for a decent length in the body.
And let’s not talk about knitting a wool sweater in 104ºF weather….
I’ve done this exactly, when I had a limited amount of handspun and wanted to maximize tunic body length. Worked both sleeves and the standup collar, then the body—totally the right choice, was so pleased I risked smugness! You’ll be fine—very worst that might happen is you learn you don’t have enough for the length you want, but hopefully that is a malleable variable!! 🙂
Paracord stoppers are cheap and convenient and look like a less fancy version of those Ewe Clips. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cord+stoppers&crid=38SQ9YNAB9CDP&sprefix=cord+st%2Caps%2C950&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
By the way: on the Patreon video, when I asked it for closed captions it asked me if I wanted English or English Canada.
Say what? (I guess I should add, eh?)
Wow this gave me the much needed push to get out of sleeve island. For a while I was basically addicted to my sweater project, but once I got to the middle of the second sleeve it was like I stopped being a knitter I was knitting like 2 rows a day. It feels like a never ending project. But this post made me feel seen and I was able to vent a bit in my head along with someone who understands. So thank you for that! I have the motivation to finish.
Thank you so much for sharing. Undoubtedly, buying plane tickets online from reputable sites such as ghasedak24 can make the travel process much easier and more enjoyable.
Oh dear…Joe’s got to be going bonkers with frustration! I sure hope that healing progress happens very, very soon.
You guys really don’t have any fun with it, so hurry up and see the waiting specialist.
I must dig out the hand-painted dinosaur my now-19-year-old painted to check if the shriek it makes matches the one she made when I discovered the box containing her train set because I really adore it.
Needle stoppers? I use the whoozies that are on drawstring on jackets, the push button spring tensioned thingies? You can find them in sewing notions where sewing notions are sold.
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I love it! I will do it!
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Thank you for sharing your regular articles.
It’s like, you know you can do it, but the motivation just dips. I love how you described that moment of “brilliance” that turned out… not so brilliant. We’ve all been there! It reminds me of playing doodle baseball sometimes. You think you’ve got the perfect timing, swing, and… strike! But you learn from each miss, adjust your timing, and that eventual home run feels amazing. Keep pushing, you’re almost there!
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