1.26.2010

A Picture Worth a Thousand Words

Here is the current state of my knitting life...
That tangled heap of a cardigan, heartbreakingly close to being finished, is all that's standing between me and three great sweater projects.
...One slightly challenging knit to work on during the Olympics,
...One mindless knit for being, mindless.
...And one that just seems like it will be a lot of fun!

I've got the yarn, settled on the patterns, sorted out a lot of the modifications and even done a bit of swatching but that other beasty is in my way. Its got to be cleared out so I can get on with things.

Typically for the season, My Beloved has three evening events this week. Atypically, I don't have to attend any of them! Hence I should have three evenings to knit by my lonesome and sort through the details of that long neglected project set aside at a moment of confusion.
But despite having ideal conditions, the prospect of mentally crawling back down to sort out just where I've gone wrong, back into the stumbling block I ran from last summer, row 9 of the 27 row chart Ms. Jang so brilliantly designed is really unappealing.


  • Seeing another knitter proudly wear hers in the DKC "Show and Tell" last week didn't motivate me. 
  • Fondling another completed example at Passionknit last Monday didn't either.
  • Parking the project beside my bed for months hasn't done it.
  •  Being heartily sick of seeing it in the top row of my Ravelry projects as a WIP hasn't moved me to action. 
  • Even the prospect of wearing the piece I've been dreaming about owning for the last three years isn't motivating me to take the plunge back in.


Clearly I have to take the gloves off. So I've set all that stuff out in the living room and took a shot of it to use as desktop wallpaper. There will be no escape from the image of Tangled Yoke being an obstacle that must be cleared.

Sometimes knitting for me is a mind game. This is one of those times. (Similar to trying on bathing suits in front of the full length mirror to motivate exercise only much less frightening! ;)  )Will the tactics work? They didn't last night. So I'm going on record with my little struggle and posting it here for all to see.  'Fingers crossed by tomorrow I'll have something more positive to report!

Thanks for dropping by (and getting all the way to the end of this less than uplifting post!).

11 comments:

Anna said...

I'm fighting my way through my UFO's at the moment. I'm allowing myself to cast on for one new thing as I finish one old thing and I'm trying to keep the new projects pretty mindless knitting as it seems that all the old ones are complicated and require my full attention. I have 3 left to get through (one of them I've only knit one sleeve of so that will take a while!) but I'm getting there and it's lovely to be able to contemplate the new projects and the excitement of finally being able to cast on is making me move faster on the old stuff.

Hope you get Tangled Yoke untangled soon so you can get onto the fun stuff! I'm impressed you haven't just said 'stuff it' and stuck TY into a bag and cast on with the new stuff anyway!

Brendaknits said...

Or, you could just keep ignoring it until the style is no longer in fashion, or you have gained/lost so much weight that it won't fit, or the moths take over. All those issues are beyond your control, right - so not your fault. It might work.

Acorn to Oak said...

Wow! That's a lot of big piles of yarn! They're all very pretty and I can't wait to see what they become. I especially like the one that's giving you trouble. It's beautiful! I know what it's like to lack the motivation and try desperately to find it. It can be frustrating. I wish you the best! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you that your motivational techniques work. :-)

elizabeth said...

Ah, but the pictures are gorgeous!

I've found that the dread of the task is much worse than actually doing it. You're so close! You can do it!

Also, please tell us more about your upcoming projects!

Shari said...

I usually have no problem with charts and yet I have messed up my tangled yoke when I came to the charted section also. Can't wait to see how you make out, maybe I'll dig mine out tonight and finish picking out the row where I messed up and see if I can finish with you:)

Anonymous said...

I know it is a real pain to do it, but have you tried writing out the chart, or at least the part of it that is giving you trouble? I've found that if I write out the last row I did correctly, the one that is giving me fits, and the one after that, it clears up the confusion. Of course, this was learned after ripping back far too many complicated cables! I'm looking forward to a pic of the finished sweater!
Barb

LynS said...

Gosh - if you're up to the yoke you've almost finished! And you have all that beautiful felted tweed to urge you along. Of course you can do it.

Michelle said...

Gosh, what a toughie! I'm sure every knitter has been there, though.

The TY at DKC was gorgeous. Its a pattern I love but am definitely not yet up to.

Hopefully writing about it and the photo is enough to keep you at it! Good luck.

Lorraine said...

This may sound obvious- but sometimes checking Ravelry to see if anyone can shed some light on the problem, can help.

Did you contact the designer?

Michele said...

I love the colour of the Tangled Yoke, I can't wait to see you modeling it. And it really won't be long.
The other yarns and projects look nice too.
I've decided I really need some cardigans, as I really don't wear jackets, but you need an extra layer at this time of year. Yippee! An excuse to yarn shop.

Stephanie said...

Oh! I think I wish I had such wondrous-looking and exciting projects to work on. Instead I have - get this - nothing! I'm feeling so ashamed and deprived of knitting. Well, maybe I'll even visit the yarn store today and pick up enough for a sweater. Hopefully I'll do that. Then I'll have something to do when I'm not thinking about school!