Dear Ann,
Sometimes I ignore a rule for so long that I don’t even remember whether it’s a rule anymore, as I would imagine an astronaut living on a space station starts to wonder whether gravity was really that big of a deal.
One thing that I know to be true is that if a knitter is faithful to a project, and knits on it daily, that project gets done. Even if it is a very big project, and the knitter is a medium to slow knitter, the stitches cram into rows and the rows pile into centimeters and inches and in some cases, meters and yards of knitted fabric. This is one of the blessed assurances of knitting: unlike so many other aspects of life, if you put in the work, you get what you set out to get.
Life gets in the way of me following this Rule of Knitterly Fidelity, as when a project gets laid aside for something more portable or TV-friendly, or a Drop Everything And Knit This Now pattern crosses my peripheral vision. I even have another rule that gets in the way of me following this rule. I generally believe that since knitting is my hobby, and hobbies are for fun and enjoyment, I should do as I please and cast on as often as the mood strikes, and damn the torpedoes. My hobby, my rules.
Lately, though, I found myself following the Rule of Knitterly Fidelity with my Tokyo Shawl. In recent weeks, I’ve had road trips (Maryland) and train trips (a pilgrimage to the Hudson Valley seat of the Mysterious Great Color Picker) and then, last weekend, two plane trips plus many hours of sitting and visiting and being driven around in Omaha, Nebraska, where the scenery is imprinted on my memory from infancy. As a result, today I find myself a mere three stripes away from accomplishing the 29 fine-gauge stripes of my Tokyo Shawl.
Which means I have approximately 7 hours of knitting left to go.
(Yes, I timed a stripe. I was on a plane. It kept the mind occupied.)
I write this post as a testament to the Rule of Knitterly Fidelity, and in hopes of giving a helpful kick in the pants to anybody out there who needs encouragement to keep knitting on an endless project. Shawls do come to an end. And then you can cast on another one.
Love,
Kay
I have just finished a huge Groovy! It was knit mostly at my Monday night knit togethers, with a few episodes of suspenseful tv added (the kind of watching that needs simple soothing knitting, the Danish suspense type of thing, Nordic Noir). 5 skeins of luscious cashmere helped too…..indigo dyed. Then when I realized I was getting close to the end (the digital scale came out) a Sunday afternoon blitz finished it off. A few rows on a regular basis really does add up!
Monday nights are now going to be sock nights…..I want a drawer full of hand knit socks. With the Rule if Fidelity, I now know that can be a reality! 🙂
It is so true ! True about the Rule of knitterly fidelity, and true also about the hobby argument (i’m moving from one to another position all the time !) and as always, i smiled during the whole reading ! Thank you !!
Brava! and it looks lovely.
and yes, ou offered us a reason why sometimes we have many wip’s lounging around. There are all kinds of knitting …
I’m at a conference. Starting a toddler size sweater for a baby present. Should be able to get a lot of it done.
It looks beautiful. And thank you, yes, I need that reminder of the rule of knitterly fidelity right about now. The sweater I’m knitting right now seems to be taking forever! And it’s not even fingering weight. I’m so tempted to flit away to something else…..
That shawl is a beauty! Love the way the tones are gently working together. Reminds me of a misty morning.
The idea of being driven for long distances – even long flat distances – while I knit steadily away, is the material of fantasy. I rode shotgun on a trip to a distant feed store a couple of weeks ago, and although the conversation turned out to be too high-energy to permit knitting, I did have a sock in my bag, just in case.
High-energy conversation during a trip to a distant feed store sounds like the set-up for a play or short story. You really should run with it.
But hasn’t that one been done to death? 😉
Ahhhhh, what lovely motivation!! The Tokyo Shawl has been in my Rav queue since it came out. I may have to start searching for the yarn so I can cast on…as soon as a make a bit more progress on that silly second sock! ;o)
Thanks Kay!
I really needed that kick! I haven’t finished anything for months!
Now back to that “one sock”!
Spot on, Kay! Just because a UFO is off the table, so to speak, does not mean it is not loved or it is forgotten. A category of UFO that bogs me down is that of knits that have gotten to the uninteresting part. All the shaping, figuring out, or mystery is gone, and it’s simply a slog to the hem. That’s when I tend to cast on something new. Bad habit. But as you say: my hobby, my rules.
I have the opposite problem — if I make an error or need to figure something out or it’s not becoming the size I envisioned, then it becomes a UFO.
And while in theory I want them all in practice I still haven’t knit one inch for the 2 inches on 2 socks tvat will complete the set. However, I did cast on for a shawl…. The yarn arrived, what ense could I have done? Oh, right, the socks.
This is beautiful and your thoughts on Knitting Fidelity are inspiring because I am the worst cheater in the history of the craft. Which is why I don’t finish things as quickly as I would like. I spent last night at my LYS Knit Night and I made huge progress on my current project, the Hayward sweater, and I resolved to stick to knitting it and only it. That lasted until I fell in love with a skein of yarn in the most gorgeous shades of blue by a local company and came home and hit Ravelry looking for cowl patterns. But the sweater is getting too big to easily carry with me everywhere, so I needed a small project. Right?
Kay,
Hate to rain on your parade, but it seems you’re finishing the Tokyo Shawl because you are in heavy denial regarding the Big Floral Damask Thing. The next thing we know, you’ll be trying for the Guiness Book record for the longest Dr. Who scarf…
Damn. Have just written three long comments and ruined them all in misclicks. Too much coffee? Not enough? Anyway: something like: 8-year-old/timing/count to a million. How many times a knitter stitches a million. How many knitters have knitted a billion stitches? Knitting fidelity: ancient project revived: my suddenly summer-hot apartment covered in wool blanket nearing “only the border to finish”
Knitting Fidelity is so real. Your post sounds so very much like me. Fortunately, I was able to finish 2, TWO did you see?, sweaters a couple of weeks ago. They had both been on the needles for ever. I still have possibly 3 more that have taken “forever” to complete, but I now have reinforced to myself that they will eventually be completed. I always have a pair of socks for the small, travel project and I’ve even cast on a cotton poncho for summer in hopes of having it by July!! Hooray! Thanks for the post! 😉
Your hobby, your rules! Hear, hear! I tell folks a variation of that all the time. My professional life is deadline-oriented–short and long deadlines, but always deadlines. So I refuse to have deadlines for my quilting/knitting/crocheting/needlepoint projects. Some part of our lives should be stress-free, right?
I’m a writer and I just had to blurt out that I love the way both of you write. It’s so engaging and refreshing. I’m also a knitter of 15 years, but that’s beside the point.
I’m not a writer, as has become quite obvious, and I whole heartedly agree!
I think you have moved beyond a shawl and into the blanket realm.
I needed to read this today. I’m currently in the very boring, neverending stockinette body of a fingering weight sweater. It sounded like a good idea at the time.
Thanks for hitting this point home. I started a laceweight scarf last summer. The pattern is amazingly simple; however the laceweight yarn kints up really, really, really slowly. IMHO. So I abandoned it until a week or so ago when I decided to knit away on it while I debated what I really wanted to knit next. Strangely, it is growing. And I now seem to be in a groove with it. I’m not sure if I will stay loyal to the end (see my knitting, my rules rule) but I think I’ll continue to slowly plug away at it.
Which means, if my math is correct, that the Finished Object will represent nearly 68 hours of knitting? Oh, my …
Something like that. La la la la la I can’t hear you
My name is Diane and I am a knitaholic (EZ does it!). Yes, I have been known to start a new project whenever, for whatever reason. On this forum I can confess and receive understanding and support.
Today’s post has lead me to question the internal life/approach to knitting of knitters who lived in times before the knitting machine. They HAD to knit, otherwise there would be no sweaters, hats, mittens, socks (especially socks), etc. Folks would freeze. Their knitting circles probably provided support to “keep on keeping on”, baby needs a new sockie. No MDK, no Kaffe, no Noro. I hope they had fun, anyway.
LoveDiane
That is exactly why I must become part of a knitting group! Well, other reasons too. I used to hang at my LYS, but for boring reasons i can’t seem to get myself there. Thanks for the reminder.
That’s such an interesting thought. Knitting was just another form of housework in those days. I’m sure that made it more challenging to stay motivated.
Yay! Hurrah! You give us hope. I start a road trip today to Kansas and then Oklahoma and I have 2 projects (THE socks, and a cowl of school colors) neatly tucked away. Can’t wait to hear about the replacement project you will be starting.
Substitute “afghan” for “shawl” and this post could be about me. I started two afghan last year to be Christmas presents for our two grown-but-still-single sons. If I can Just.Keep.Knitting they can still be Christmas presents, just a year later than originally planned.
Christmas is a fluid and rhythmic concept!
Just started a project that I have done before and know it will take a very very very long time. So thank you for the reminder that it just needs doing!
I too feel knitting is MY hobby and I get to make my rules. So what I have 8 projects on needles, (including the one above) there was shawl that I HAD to start, by casting on 487 stitches…I do love knowing I have the beginning of a new yarny relationship started and waiting for me. Sigh….smile.
This post makes me think I’d better start a shawl and two pairs of socks, in addition to the Large Sweater, socks, Small Sweater, and Other Shawl that I already have on the needles. My hobby, my rules! And besides, it’s nearly Christmas.
Absolutely stunning shawl. I think I’ll cast on ! Is the Japanese pattern easy to follow?
And then you will have an extremely useful garment. I wear mine ALL THE TIME. I’m sure I’ll wear it out.
I’m sure you’re right, as soon as the weather cooperates with alpaca!
The Rule of Knitting Fidelity. I didn’t know it had a name, but I was thinking about it on my train commute this morning as I knit on my shawl. “Darned if this thing isn’t getting close to being finished. Good thing I had the train ride to force me to work on it every day.” Followed by the subversive, “It’s getting kind of big to carry around. Maybe I should bring something else along.” Thanks to your post, I will stick to the shawl.
My hobby, my rules. Words to live by.
Yet again you’ve read my mind. I’m slogging away on a moss stitch shawl knit on #2s. I remember being on FIRE to start the darn thing. Now… not so much. This morning, I thought “I just need to keep going and get this OVER with.”
I hereby swear I will get it off the needles by continuing to knit faithfully!
Yes, this post came at a good time for me, too. I flirted with the idea of the sock knitalong, but instead stayed with the Truckee Shawl that was already on the needles, with alternating grey linen and MadTosh Birch grey sock yarn stripes, on size 5s, in garter stitch. I was doing fine until I noticed a wonky stitch in a linen stripe. Eighteen 200-plus-stitch rows back from where I was in the pattern. So I took a deep breath and then unknitted and re-knitted, which used up a lot of my enthusiasm for making a large (in this case long or wide) shawl. I stopped at 252 stitches, and am happy to report that I am now working on a K2, P2 ribbing border in another yarn. (Not in the original pattern, but yes, “my knitting, my modifications!”) I’m really ready for a short and sweet project, like a hat. In worsted weight, but “summer” fibers….
Yes! We have to feel the love to keep on knitting! A kind of Kon-Marie-ing.
I’m feeling virtuous because I eschewed the one sock KAL in favor of finishing my own huge Match and Move Shawl ( tho with at least 30 UFOs around here, virtue is hardly a word I’d apply to this situation).*
(Okay, 30 is maybe a lowball estimate).
Now I’m racing through a Missoni-ish top – Botticelli – and practicing another knitterly skill: denial! The bottom of the sweater front is rolling up – and it shows that in the pattern photo! – but I’m telling myself it’ll flatten out later.
Maybe I should bail, and cast on a Tokyo of my own!
Oops! Forgot to reference my asterisk: what’s a post without a nod to Hamilton!
Ah yes……”shawls to come”….I remember your love of the honey cowl….and its brothers, sisters, and cousins!
I’m still knitting the Icelandic sweater…