Dear Kay,
This fifteen-minute blog limit is going to kill me, what with all the knitting I’m doing. So many moments of deep and profound insight regarding knitting and life and creativity and the breathtaking and exquisite metaphor that knitting provides.
AW WHATEVER.
Here we go.
If the Fiber Factor challenge is to knit my life, well by crikey it’s got to be something that I like to wear. At this point, I have at least a dozen handknit sweaters in rotation, but the one that I return to whenever I’m really, really wanting a bit of solace on a grim day is:
Back Home in Vermont.
This is a man’s pattern (by Marjorie Moreau, from Barbara Albright’s book The Natural Knitter) that I modified into an A-line. Saddle shoulders, top down with some moments of provisional stitch-holding, an altogether pleasant thing to make. It has been mistaken for an Eileen Fisher. Nuff said. Comfort wear.
I knew I wanted to use the random cable idea that is the signal feature in the Stephen Colbert Socks pattern from our second book. If ever there were an expression of my life, it’s a batch of cables that start off in one direction, then wander around with moments of beauty, awkwardness, and confusion. Where does it all lead? Well, maybe that’s kind of hard to say.
I knew quickly that doing a knit 2, purl 2 pattern was going to mean I’d need to start over with my own calculations for the pattern, especially given that the yarn I chose, Rowanspun DK, is heavier than the Felted Tweed I’d used on that earlier sweater.
On the DAY that I decided to cook up a saddle shoulder pullover, Sally Melville’s new book, Knitting Pattern Essentials, showed up in the mail. KISMET! This book is a MARVEL, I tell you–that rare combination of technical expertise and encouragement for those who are just starting to notice that their sweaters don’t always fit well. Tons of advice in here. Five stars! Love this book so much. Best quote: “We don’t love what we don’t understand.” I don’t even know if I agree with this–all of nature comes to mind, and also Cheetos. But in terms of knitting, she’s right. Once you understand how a sweater is constructed, sweaters become a lot more interesting.
Anyway. Here’s the start of the thing.
Knitting my life is not exactly the fastest knit. Each shift of the cable is a small decision, and the farther I get on this thing, the more each decision matters. A shift to the right, one stitch, and before you know it, you’ve created Spaghetti Junction.
Love,
Ann
So pretty. I love what you you’re doing. It reminds me a little of Lucy Neatby’s Cables After Whiskey, which I admired for years but could never marshal the courage to begin. But this is more elegant, and at the end of the day I think, wearable.
I *love* it!!
Your cable design is brilliant in the way that intuition and bright ideas tempered by experience are brilliant. We Nor Cal folk just love that conceptual stuff. The sweater will be a stunner, and thank you for mentioning the Felted Tweed. I’ve a ton of it and have been lusting for a Back Home in Vermont take-off of my own. Yowzah! jdu
Where’s the “love” button?
Jdu above is right: we NorCal folk – we Silicon Valley folk, certainly – do love that conceptual stuff.
I like it very much – reminds me of trees that grow aerial roots!
Have to disagree with the quote about not loving what we don’t understand. I raise goats, for goodness sake.
Mind-boggling knitting. I admire that you can take your insides and knit them on the outsides. I am not woman (or knitter) enough for that task.
Also best book review line ever, regarding the mysteries of nature and cheetos. True that!
COOL!
This reminds me a lot of “Chaos” from Knitty, Winter 2005, which I am currently making for my granddaughter. Watching the twists and turns of the cables makes the knitting so much fun…and so much faster. I just can’t wait to see what comes next.
This reminds me of “Chaos” from Knitty, Winter 2005, which I am currently making for my Granddaughter. The constant variation makes the rows fly off the needles as I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Sorry about the double post. Patience was never my strong suit.
So glad to see that someone else thinks this book is amazing. My review is here: http://revknits.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/by-design/
Well, since this is a Knit Your Life challenge, I say,”Embrace the Chaos!” Spaghetti Junction would be the perfect name for a project. (And it certainly would describe parts of MY life!) : )
Gorgeous. Can’t wait to see the FO.
I was going to write that for some reason I have always treasured this book. Barbara seemed to cast a spell in her narration that mimics the feeling of the whole knitting experience for me. Then Renee went ahead and said it first. I will have to read her review. Of course, now that I have reason to pick it again up after a long while, I can’t find it anywhere.
Whoops, should have read the review first! It was about Sally Melville’s book. I like her books too!
Love it!
I have two bags of the rowanspun dk in this shade, which I LOVE. However in my case I have to knit it on US2 or it’s way too airy, even after washing. I guess my lots (which are definitely dk, not rowanspun 4ply) are just super lightweight! I truly love this shade of grey.
hey, ann, i like saghetti! but, ok, not on your gorgeous sweater. so we don’ t love wat we don’t understand. i can. wax sooo philisophical about this one, but will spare you the boring details, for now. but i will leave you with a quote: “I like pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.”–Winston Churchill
this chapter of your life that contains all of the juicy twists and turns etched into a foundation of great yarn: Knit On!
can’t wait to see you wearing your life…
lovediane
looking good
How fun it must be to have knitting books arrive in the mail out of the blue!
“Each shift of the cable is a small decision, and the farther I get on this thing, the more each decision matters.”
I think that’s one of the best metaphors for life I’ve ever heard!