Projects
Birkin: Fixing a Weirdie
Dear Kay,
I can’t remember if I mentioned to you that I’m going to be heading out of town for a bit.
After our visit to Chicago on Friday for Vogue Knitting Live (mood: stoked), I’m veering off to Edinburgh on March 10 for the Edinburgh Yarn Festival.
Did I mention this? Like, a zillion times? Like, answering the phone in a fakey Scottish accent? Saying the word tartan a lot? Saying, “Oh wait, let me close out this Google map of the streets of Edinburgh . . .” Is there anything more annoying?
Sorry.
I will send dispatches as I go, needless to say. Dispatches from the front lines of knitting are my favorite subgenre of knitting post, second only to tales of terrible knitting mishaps. (Foreshadowing. Keep reading.)
Now, the Edinburgh Yarn Festival doesn’t commence until March 15, but when you’re traveling with a group of hardcore, no-foolin’, we’ll-cross-an-ocean-for-a-yarn-festival sassy Sues, you don’t want to cut anything too close. You want to arrive at EYF rested, wristbands applied, with empty tote bags and clear eyes. And sweaters. New, if possible.
In anticipation of this thrilling trip, I’ve got my Carbeth ready to go, and just this minute I finished a new Birkin to take with me, too. I don’t think I’ve ever traveled with two new sweaters at once. Fancy.
Here it is, in its unblocked glory, maybe three minutes after I bound off the last stitch. If this were a baby chick, it would be flat on its bug-eyed bird face in the incubator, damp and flapping one stumpy little wing.
To recap: This is Birkin by Caitlin Hunter, featuring Alice O’Reilly’s deliriously cheerful Backyard Fiberworks Sock yarn, in our MDK exkloosiv shades Patio (bluegreenaqua) and Jamberry (hot pinky red veering occasionally into actual pink, which makes the yoke a lot of fun).
After finishing that 25-square-foot blanket on size 8 needles, this fingering-weight merino feels like the most intricate, miniature knitting imaginable. Elves knit this stuff. Leprechauns.
A split hem, an inch longer in the back than in the front, is a feature. I am hoping it will block out to be less squooshy than it is here.
The Patio color continues to amuse. I am begging Alice to make more yarn for us. Not sure what it’s going to take, but I’m nothing if not naggingly persistent.
The four rows containing bobbles may be my favorite thing about this sweater. I never would have thought to enbobble a yoke. High five, Caitlin!
A Repair
(Here’s the terrible knitting mishap part.)
See it?
See the weirdie at about 7 o’clock?
I can’t remember what caused me to blow the stitch pattern—this was back in December. I think I was all jacked up on that giant can of popcorn my dad sent me.
But I do recall calling an audible, as they say in football when a play is changed at the last second, whereby I made the leaves along the bottom garland reverse to the opposite direction.
Now that I’ve finished this, I threw a little duplicate stitch in there to make the weirdie less weird.
It’s still weird, but maybe if I keep moving, the Scottish people won’t notice my weirdie Birkin. I suspect they will all be too busy trying to teach Americans how to dance all Scottishlike at the ceilidh.
(Annoying mention of Scottish thing. Sorry again.)
(Here’s a very fine duplicate stitch tutorial by Very Pink if you’re curious about this handy technique.)
Literary Corner
I finished this Birkin while listening My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. To end a sweater and a juicy novel at the same time? I’m double bereft! Curious if any of you have read this series of novels set in Naples, Italy. (Naples, Florida would be a whole different deal, just sayin. Family shoutdowns at the outlet mall. Furious face-slapping over buckets of seashells. Dumping dirty dishwater off the condo balcony onto the villainess below.)
So many friends have talked my ear off about this series—enraptured, addicted, swoony. It took a bit for me to get the fever for this story of two girls growing up—but having just finished Book 1, count me enraptured, addicted, swoony.
Love,
Ann
Beautiful Birkin! But, sigh, those giant cans of popcorn. Love them and husband always wants to buy a can for the house Cheddar fingerprints abound.
I didn’t count the syllables, but I feel that this should been written as a haiku. Or, at least as a poem.
OMG yes.
But, sigh, those giant cans of popcorn.
Love them and husband always wants to buy a can for the house
Cheddar fingerprints abound.
The Birkin is adorable. I read the Elena Ferrante series a couple of years ago and Could Not Stop until I got through all of them. But Outlander is better reading for Edinburgh — one of my favorite cities.
Outlander is my favorite book series. Sigh, Jamie, Claire! Good to see fellow knitters love it too.
Outlander! I gobbled that series up—such storytelling!
Nice save on that Birkin yoke! Your sweater is stunning. Have fun!!!!!
Enbobbling!
Looking forward to clocking your Carbeth amongst the others at EYF. And that gorgeous Birkin x
I listened to My Brilliant Friend, and then the following two books in the trilogy (the Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay), as I was assiduously attempted to untangle a huge bunch of cotton indigo yarn that I had taken off a cone, tied into my version of skeins (total failure) and washed to try to remove some of the bleeding blue dye. What a mess! –but thank goodness for the incomparable distraction the books were. I couldn’t stop listening, which kept me on track as I tried salvage that fiber.
If you loved the first book as much as I did, you will love the next two as well!
Elena Ferrante is an amazing writer and her translator, Ann Goldstein, deserves kudos, too. It can’t be easy to make language so intense and perfect in translation. I’m very happy that I read each of the books back to back without having to wait for the next one to be published; the books don’t stand alone. And don’t forget about the fourth installment, The Story of the Lost Child. If you haven’t read it yet, go find it asap.
Loved those books with the first one being my favorite!
Please tell us every detail of your Edinburgh yarn festival experience …Edinburgh is my favorite city on Earth lucky lucky you
Ann have a fabulous time in Edinburgh. I have a recommendation There is a shop at 23 Castle Street called the Royal Edinburgh Repository And Self Aid Society – perhaps its shorter name is A Treasure Trove. It is a place to support women who craft to sell their wares – primarily knitting and crochet – to provide a little extra financial support for women of limited means. I loved it. The prices are incredibly fair and for me, the most charming were the intricate baby blankets and the knitted animals. All going to a good cause.
Enjoy!
How wonderful! I will definitely make a visit! Thank you for the ide.
Beautiful save on the weirdie. Can’t wait to see you wearing this, and Carbeth, in Scotland.
After years of missing your writing style I have reconnected with you through “Bang Out a Carbeth” , can not express how this starts my morning off in a good way.
Have a wonderful time at EYF!
Have the best time ever!
Just a little envious .
Love the sweater, the colors, the mistakes, the fixes.
The Scots will just think it is another weird Yank thing and move on! I love those color choices every time I see them. Have a great time!
Why do we feel compelled to point out our mistakes? They are nothing but artistic license, a design decision, if you will. Kaffe Fassets own creations are filled with knots and hanging threads, and he has done quite well for himself. We need to all be like (our idol) Sonya Philips, and love every creation as it is. And, as a last resort, there is always the artfully placed strap of the crossbody bag,
And don’t forget dancing Scottish dances very poorly!
I could never tell but a wonderful save-especially when I had to really think “where is 7 on the big hand”?
If that Birkin really was a baby chick, Kermit would be all over it…or was he? (Have fun in Edinburgh, and say hi to Nessie for us!)
Thanks for the book recommendation! I’m always looking for good audiobook series to listen to on my commute. Right now I’m re-reading the Fall of Giants series from Ken Follett via audiobook. And your save looks great! Can’t wait to see modeled shots of the sweater in action.
Duplicate stitch is also awesome for fixing double knit ‘issues’///
And now I’m yearning for Jamberry!
Garrett Popcorn
I love this sweater, and as my father would say, a blind man on a galloping horse will never notice that fix for your weirdie. Also read, didn’t listen to, My Brilliant Friend, and know just what you’re talking about. You can’t take your attention off those characters, sort of like a car wreck. Have to say it dampened any desire I had to visit Naples, Italy. I bought the second book in a fever after finishing the first, and then got distracted and didn’t get back to it. But maybe getting the audiobook is the ticket. I’m in the market for a good audiobook, so am off immediately to download it. Enjoy both Chicago and Edinburgh.
The narrator is terrific. And somehow the endless names are easier to keep track of when listening.
Gorgeous Berkin! That CC is A-MAZing! And excellent dup st work. Makes me feel so much better about my mistakes in knitter far far more simple.
Enjoy Scotland!!!!
Your Birkin is lovely, and your repair of the weirdie is magnificent. My just-of-the-blocking-quilt Carbeth ended up with an inadvertent yarn-over on the right shoulder. My repair of it wasn’t nearly as good – now instead of a yarnover, I’ve got an odd sort of lump.
Enjoy Edinburgh – I want to visit Scotland so badly!
Oh, you’re going to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival? How thrilling! I eagerly look forward to your dispatches! Even without that, this is a truly great and funny post. I read it out loud to my partner. The new baby chick analogy was especially pleasing!
Love the Birkin even with the tiny bloop. I’m also going to the Edinburgh Yarn Festival!!!!!! It is a fun festival in a fantastic city! Enjoy.
We are so looking forward to welcoming you to EYF! Your imperfect knit can join ours Jo & Mica
Thank you, Jo! You guys are doing an amazing job—what a fine time ahead for us all!
Am I the only one thinking–if a person is looking at your yoke bobble weirdie that closely, they are staring inappropriately?! Good save though. Wear it in good health and have a blast in Scotland!
Nice save on the weirdie!
Love your Birkin, the colors are amazing!
Like Edinburgh well enough, I’m sure you will have a great time!
Personally I don’t miss Scotland one bit, but Edinburgh is beautiful
Hope you have a little extra time in Scotland to go to Glasgow, and the West Coast, and Loch Lomond
Do not like Elena Ferrante. I have not read this series, but I read a couple of other books by her, and found her writing (in Italian) very disagreeable.
But EVERYBODY else loves her, so it must be me…
It’s not just you. The 1st book left me cold. Glad I’m not alone.
I have not read the Ferrante books, but I feel exactly the same way about the Outlander series. I read the first book and that was more than enough. Claire is the most irritatingly silly main character I’ve encountered in a loooong time.
I would have just left the weirdie and named the sweater Nemo
You will love Edinburgh and the Edinburgh Yarn Festival. I went last year and there is sooo much to see both at the festival and around the city. Take good shoes for walking because Edinburgh is a great city for exploring on foot, and consider the sightseeing bus too for a good overview – always assuming that you have time amongst buying far too much yarn, chatting with more yarny people than you’ve seen in one place this week and generally having a fab time! 🙂 xx
The Ferrante series helped me win a sock KAL prize from you (Neopolitan socks). Loved those books! Currently Banging out a Birkin and feeling such envy about your Edinburgh sojourn. Happy trails!
Ok, ok, you’ve all convinced me to give My Brilliant Friend another try. I started listening to it last fall and had a hard time getting into it. Maybe the timing just wasn’t right. Oh, and the Birkin is beautiful! I’ve been planning a Sunset Highway with my Backyard Sock, but I may rethink that.
Beautiful colour combination! And nice duplicate-s fix! 🙂
So excited for you about the upcoming trip to Scotland. While in the city do try to have a meal at the quaint but spectacular Three Birds. It’s a charming dining place that is small and homey, with delicious food. We ate there on our first night in the city when we visited two years ago… it was the beginning of our “eat across Scotland” tour. 😉 BTW, your sweater is stunning. Those colors. Pool. Aqua. Amazing. Enjoy wearing it on your trip.
Took me a while to get into the first one too, but once I was in, enraptured is the word indeed. Read on – they are all wonderful and the ending is powerful too. Beautiful Birkin, unique, design mod not weirdie surely! Enjoy EYF.
Personally, I’d wait for someone to spot the leaf and make a comment about it. Then in my best New Yawk accent, I’d say “You got a problem with it?”
But that’s just me.
Loving the sweater and the duplicate stitch looks perfect. Excellent Scottish references too 🙂
No worries on the sweater fix…it’s beautiful! And yes, I have read this book series and loved it. And not to be too annoying…we had the chance to travel to Italy last fall. Last stop was Naples for two days. Did not do the neighborhood tour, but did get to experience a bit of the city.
I’m bringing Birkin to EYF too!! Blaer and Hadley will be joining me as well. They sound like friends! Three sweaters! But, hey, it’s Scotland and the wind can be cold. Hope to meet you! One more sleep until departure!!!!!
Do finish the other three books in the Ferrante series. Well worth the time. Almost as entertaining as the stories themselves is the back-story of the author – a total mystery woman whose name is not actually Elena Ferrrante! No photos on the internet, never did book tours, and gave only one written interview.
So funny…thanks for a moment of amusement while taking a break from housework and remodeling…
Your Birkin is beautiful! Would love to see it on you.
A group of knitters from Urbana Illinois will also be attending the Edinburgh Yarn Festival, yippee. We are all so very excited. have you been before? Any tips or thoughts? We will look for you there.
Wow, gorgeous! Can’t see it from a galloping horse or even a horse statue.