Feb 07 2010
Cry Me a River
So, this was not the update I was planning to give. But, sometimes, things don’t go as planned.
This is proof that the unexpected does happen… and it happened to me this time around.
I have knit several patterns in translation – primarily Norwegian and German – and I know that English pattern writers, specifically North Americans, tend to “coddle” their knitters with step-by-step instructions. Countries with a long-standing knitting traditions tend to assume that their knitters know what to do since they have been knitting since they were in diapers…
Well, I am North American and didn’t learn to knit in diapers, but I am pretty intuitive… and I totally missed the three little words amongst all the others that said “continue in stockinette”. So, I went along on my merry way with the established rib pattern – 4 inches in, to be exact. Once I realized the folly of my ways, I just took a deep breath and knew what I had to do.
Instead of ripping back the WHOLE body and losing many hours/days of work, I decided to surgically repair and just rip back that section. I saw Stacy Shutterhoney do it last year – with cables, no less! – so I just bit the bullet and ran my lifeline and rip rip ripped it. Thanks for the inspiration (and the courage), Stacy!
Maybe I am delusional, but I feel like this is still under control… and I feel like I might still be able to finish this baby in the next week before I leave.
Here’s a progress photo *before* I realized the mistake…
So, body has a few more inches, including some colorwork rows, and then the steeking, and then the sewing shoulders together and picking up for the mock turtleneck. Doable, right? Right? *sigh*
Luckily, there are multiple feet of snow on the ground outside, so I am not really going anywhere for the next while… we’ll see what I can do today!
Hang in there, Lolly. The sweater you already finished for Kris is awesome, and you’re so close on finishing yours! I’m impressed by your surgery, and I know your finished sweater will be so worth the stress.
Hang in there! You will be happy when it is done and corrected!
Oh no! You’ll be able to knock it out! (I kind of liked the cables going all of the way up…)
Ugh, what a pain! Good luck with the deadline – maybe the snow was sent for a reason
oh i’m crossing my fingers for you! hope your sweater surgery goes well, and yes that snowstorm should help keep you trapped inside to work on the rest! good luck!
Oh, the frustration! I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a successful reknit!
You are very brave!!
I recently had to do something similar with cables, and it saved me so much time! Keep at it. You’re almost there!
I just know you will finish this sweater in time for the Games!
Oh, you can totally do it!
Sending good yarny vibes your way
oh, rats! that is definitely a bummer but your positive attitude is clear from your post and you WILL make it — i know you will. the colors you chose are terrific — it’s going to be beautiful!
Trapped inside with your knitting!—–I could think of worse—If anyone can do it you can! By the way I LOVE the color and what you have done so far!!
Oh noooo!!! How frustrating for this to happen on a deadline project! Believe it or not, I was just thinking about your sweater last night and wondering how it was going. Totally fixable though, so at least you have that going for you.
You can do it, Lolly!!
You can do it, Lolly!! I am rooting for you, and this sweater will look amazing!!
p.s. those colors really suit you – excellent choices!
Oh my, that looks SCARY. I’ve never had the courage to drop more than about five stitches at once for a repair like that! I hope it’s going well!
Oh, ow! Still, it looks great, you’ve come so far, and you can do it! Go, go, go…
It’s going to be beautiful! Don’t worry, you’ll finish.
Hard, yes – but doable. You go girl!
i’m sure you have it under control!
Keep going, it’s working – I’ve done it several times before, even with cable patterns (but one was so complicacted that I ribbed the whole in the end to safe time).
Yes, this endless written describtions of a pattern are really awfull and that’s a reason why I don’t work with them – it’s no fun knitting like this.
Coming from Europe I’m used to charts with a short explantion since my childhood.
Easier to read, easier to follow, easier to stop in the middle of a row and pick up the work later, easier to get an understanding at one look of the whole pattern, easier to modify or design a sweater of your own in combination with other patterns.
I’m reading your blog for quite a while and like it a lot, your style, the themes (well, not actually the hockey parts). Thank you for sharing.
Ugh. That sucks, but you’ve still got a week – and a flight to the other side of the continent, right? I think you can do it!
brave lolly! you are an inspiration
It can be so easy to miss three little words… I’m sorry it has happened to you while you’re knitting on a deadline.
By ripping back the section that was wrong, I think you’ve already done the hardest part of what had to be done in order to fix it. From now on, I’m sure you’ll only be moving forward!
oh no! i know you’ll be able to fix the mistake in time. i hope it all gets done before you leave! i’m so excited to see all of your photos from your trip!
Oh. My. Gosh! That looks crazy. I know you can do it but I wonder if I would have the guts. You totally rock for your bravery. Your sweater is looking gorgeous.
Definitely doable!
Your ripping and reknitting is impressive. I’ve done something similar, but not with as many stitches – my needles bow to your expertise.
The sweater looks great in the photo!
Keep on knitting!
Good luck! I know you can do it, and you are so close to the end
Can’t wait to see the finished product.
You can do it!
Good luck — I hope it works out. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that you get plenty of knitting time so you can catch up and finish up!
My thoughts…”Oh that color scheme is breathtaking!” and then “Jaysus, she ripped back for surgery!!!!!”
I am sure it’ll work, since you’re adding stockinette, right? Just a lotta little stitches, and as you said, you’re snowed in, so no distractions. Good music, wine, tea…this is in the realm of possibility!
Good luck to you! It is SUCH a gorgeous sweater.
Oh noes! I have all my fingers crossed for you. Sending positive vibes your way.
Pictures like that first one just make my eye twitch!
Impressed with your courage and your ‘fixing’ skills I must say. For me to finish on that schedule? Totally not doable. For you? Doable all the way!
That’s too bad! But the effort is worth it as you are going to have one beautiful sweater when you are finished!
THANK YOU for posting this. I now find myself in the same predicament. I’m doing the v-neck version and I did the same mistake and didn’t realize it until this post. I’ll finish the color work and then go fix the ribbing. Have fun in Vancouver!
Wonderful you are coming to Vancouver for the Olympics. I’ve lived here for 30 plus years and have been vegetarian for half that time. You must eat at a Buddhist vegetarian restaurant called Bo Kong, located on Main street near 15th Ave. It’s essentially vegan Chinese without the use of garlic. Both “The Nam” and “Bo Kong” are consistently voted Top Veg. Restaurants every year. Vancouver has a great variety of restaurants because of our diverse ethnic mix, so even if you don’t make it here, there are lots of great cuisines.
You must try their most popular dish – Bean curd skin rolls, in black bean sauce. If you are inspired it will come up even in google searches…. Have a look at this fellow’s posted pic’s of the dish. http://www.flickr.com/photos/qousqous/3132348619/
I’m sure you will have a fabulous time – enjoy your trip. I look forward to seeing your posts.
I’m sure you’ll finish!
And I think that we in Norway (and other nordic countries) may use scharts more instead of writing instructons for every rows.
And it’s going to be beautiful!
I agree with you that english/american knitting patterns has a lot of writing instructions. When I first started to knit from english pattern I got a bit annoyed by all the text I had to read through
Good luck with the fixing!
You can do it! I always find that that sort of surgery takes less time than I think. No problem! Knit like the wind!
Folly Lolly??????
I am so vicariously involved in your trip and excited for you both that I am nervous about all this snow you are getting and when you are leaving—I hope you get there ok!
I’ve gotten a great deal of knitting done over here in central Delaware, too, with so much snow. Husband says he’s already done enough snowing, and refuses to do any more untill May! Stay safe, warm.
Well? Enquiring minds want to know? How is it going?
Oh no! Good luck finishing up, you can do it!
[...] So, I ripped back. I think I need to do one of two things: rip back to the point where I made the first mistake (stockinette and all) and just start over from there – OR steek about 2 more inches so that [...]