5.13.2013

Keep it Simple with Zen

"Zen emphasises the attainment of enlightenment and the personal expression of direct insight..."


Over the weekend, with Deco's second sleeve cap done and on a piece of yarn I was ready to begin the button bands. I tried it on first then  I measured, re-checked gauge, remeasured, stretched the thing and rationalised what miracles might be wrought out of a good blocking

Then, suddenly, in front of the mirror with an apparently shrunken outline of a someday cardigan straining around my underarms I attained "enlightenment" as to the fact I have no idea how big I am/what size a garment must be in order to fit me. (Yes the last sweater I finished was miles too big, lets not get distracted here...) this issue - (once again) is failing to understand how big I am/what size a garment must be in order to fit me.

The inch of insurance width I added at the underarm? Ha! How about more like 6 inches!

SIX INCHES!

Reconsidering the pattern from this enlightened point of view I see I need to express that direct insight by working a version of Deco two sizes bigger than the one I have almost just completed. Although I might momentarily want to set fire/drive over/shred/leave at the cottage dump I can't abandon this project, however long however much Zen it takes. I 'love the pattern the yarn, the colour and process of knitting it all together.

Re. Knit.

'Thing is, I hadn't the heart to frog 5 weeks of dedicated knitting to cast on and start over just then...but I was working on "Zen" for Deco why not take a bit of break and knit with Zen (Garden Serenity) for this little cutie? 

So that's what I did. at the cottage, in the car, back home watching the Players and the Hockey Game I knit something called  "Keep it Simple" worked with Zen Garden Serenity Worsted and some remnant Galway Heather.
"Keep It Simple" hat by April Klich - free pattern on Ravelry
After each repeat of the pattern I took it off the needles and tried it on. The good news is I seem to understand how big my head is. Now all I have to do is sort out the actual size of all the stuff below that!

Onwards (with Zen but lets face it, once this hat is blocked, little chance I'll try to keep on keeping it simple! There's no sustained fun in that!)

Thanks for dropping by!

4 comments:

Sandra said...

Ow! Ripping out a whole sweater is painful. But I applaud you having the guts to do it. I'd be finding someone who fits the existing size...

Brendaknits said...

Ouch!. But really I think it is not that you don't know how big you are. I have realized that every sweater is different. The yarn, the style, the needles, how the garment is to be used, all those things play a role in how that garment fits. I can make two different sweaters to the exact same dimensions only to find one fits, the other not so well. It's not you.

LynS said...

Oh dear! This is what I feared with the Deco. It's sad to have to unravel so much wonderful knitting, but there doesn't seem to be an alternative. The hat, by the way, looks excellent.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for sending me to the lovely yarn shops on Queen's Street in Toronto. I was there May 14, in the midst of some very cold Canadian weather--at least it seemed so to this Texan. It was great to buy beautiful yarn and imagine my warm sweater, which I may wear on my next visit. Many thanks. Sharon Flournoy