The plan was to spin and knit a pair of mittens. I just recently procured the Magnificent Mittens & Socks book which I absolutely love so I couldn't wait to get started. My project was doomed from the start due to my lack of preparation. I picked the wool to spin from my stash on day one which is something that I should have done prior to starting.
The wool is roving that I dyed alongside Erin in Boogey's dyeing workshop that I took at SOAR last year. I didn't write down the type of fiber we dyed but I know its wool. I doubted that I'd have enough for both mittens but I didn't feel like starting over. I spun the yarn worsted and navajo plied it because I wanted the yarn to be pretty smooth. Only problem is that I spun the singles way too tight and plied it even tighter. So I basically made rope. I ended up with 1 and a half ounces each of worsted weight ROPE! I thought it might bloom a bit in the wash but it didn't. I knew the project was doomed but I casted on anyway.
Mittnes are usually knit at a tight gauge so you can imagine the cramps I had in my fingers while trying to cast on and increase with worsted weight, twine-like yarn on a size 4 needle...go ahead and picture it...yup, and I kept on knitting, can you believe it? I knitted all the way until I got to the thumb. I could not find another pair of size 4 needles in my stash and I couldn't wait until I bought some the next day so I knit the thumb in my size 5's. I finished knitting the thumb and joined it to the rest of the mittens. I knit a couple of rows and then I couldn't take it anymore. This mitten is fugly and I life is too short to knit fugly stuff. I'll rip it soon but for now, I am officially throwing in the towel. This is why I don't join stuff!
11 comments:
Well you lasted a LOT longer than I did. I think I didn't even make it more than two days on my project and I said "fork this!" Now I'm knitting for fun and not challenging myself, and I LIKE IT!!
Challenge is for other people.
Fugly, folksy; po-tay-t, po-tah-to. You could sell them if you could bear to finish them, but after the aggravation, no price would be too high!
Life is challenging enough...
OOOOH pretty yarn and pretty mitten!! what pattern is that? love the needles too! what are they?
um i like the mitten...especially the pattern. looks like you have tiny white "x"s throughout the mitten. tres chic. too bad you're not gonna finish :(
I'm so glad I'm not the only one! My Twinkle cardigan can talk to your mittens about gauge, wpi, and appropriate needle size! Bah, Ravelypmics. I feel like the skier who fell right out of the starting gate!
Ladies, this conversation is making my day! Thanks for the self-flagellation over WIPs together with the photos that attest that one knitter's fugly is another's WOW. Me, I saw some beautiful fair isle and lovely colors. I'm impressed any kind of way with all the work and planning those photos reveal.
The yarn is pretty.
I am the Rad-Hatter on Ravelry.com
Take Care~
Honestly, I like the mitten pattern, but i understand your frustration knitting with rope. Don't worry. You have 2 years to prepare for the next Ravelympics, and more than enough time to spin to your heart's content!
That's alright. You've been spinning pretty yarn. You knit a cute shrug. gLife's good!
Your mitten pattern is very pretty and I love the colors you chose, but why wear steel belted radial tire wire on your hands for warmth?
Still, there's no shame in trying.
Hey, I totally hear you! I was there!
I have WAY too much to do. And if there's no prize involved? Forget it!
I'm just no obsessive like some of the folks on Ravelry.
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