Too Good to Eat
It’s been a good week for knitting magazines–Monday I got the new issue of “Interweave Knits” in my mailbox, and yesterday, “Knitters.” I have a hard time getting excited about Spring and Summer issues, though. I’m pretty much never going to wear a knitted tank top, and can’t say the thought of knitting one–or any of the other summer-weight knits–gives me the least bit of a thrill. (Don’t get me wrong, they’re both nice issues, just . . . I’m already looking forward to the Fall 2005 issues!)
Still, I did like this sweater in “Knitters”:
It’s called “Scoop It” and I like the shape; I like the buckle detail at the neckline; I very much like the detail down the cuff of the sleeve. It looks both pretty and wearable. Classy, yet interesting. Not bad at all!
It occurred to me, as I finished twisting my dried, blue-green yarn into skeins last night, that I have yet to summon up the . . . courage (?) . . . to knit any of my handspun yarn. And I wonder why.
I’m not sure “courage” is the right word, first of all. The yarn (after the first really bad skein) has come out pretty nicely and it both looks and feels appealing. I’m not worried about how it will perform, not worried about its breaking. I’m not afraid that I’ll decide that, after all the work, I hate it. I’m not even concerned that the little bit of twist left in that slightly “energized” yarn is going to cause design problems.
Is it maybe that I’m so used to using commercial yarn, I have yet to make the mental leap to knitting something that doesn’t come with a label? (Hey, if that was the only problem, I could make a label!) I mean, I do have quite a nice stash of ready-made yarn just waiting to be turned into something beautiful. And certainly I can’t spin at the fingering weight yet, so sock or lace yarn does still need to be purchased. But I’m not sure that that’s the problem, either.
The little inkling glimmering in the back of my brain is that what’s holding me up is not fear of the yarn working up to standard, but rather the fear that, no matter what I try to turn it into, it won’t be as satisfying as it is right now, rolled into its nice little skein. There’s something very rewarding about having turned roving into yarn, and as it sits right now, it’s just . . . perfect as it is, no matter what “designer” flaws it may have.
Not being a gardner, I’m guessing it’s something similar to taking a ripe, juicy tomato from your garden and being just so smitten with its ruby perfection that the idea of cutting it–even for a salad–is almost sacrilege. I’ve got these perfectly ripe skeins of homemade yarn . . . if I cut into them, will they still be as perfect? Will my knitted “salad” be worthy?
And people wonder why I get my food from the grocery store rather than growing it myself… It’s a wonder I can manage that first slice into freshly-baked bread, huh? Although, of course, yarn doesn’t get moldy if you try to store it!
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House Calls
How right you are! I had the same problem for the longest time. Before I made the recent lace scarf, I tried 5 different designs before I found one that the yarn “wanted” to be. It was hard work coming up with a pattern worthy of my handspun!
Seriously, I have found by knitting swatch after swatch that the yarn communicates its needs to you as you see some really scary swatches emerge!
Greetings: I was like that with my first skeins of handspun. But you keep on spinning and soon you fill a bin, the closet then a room. So then that fear/satifaction with your skeins turns to fear that you’ll be buried in it if you don’;t do something with it soon. I’ve even given handspun yarn away gasp. but to very deserving people only. have you started the Power of one. I’m dyeing to talk to someone about it/ hel;l I’m just dyeing to talk to anyone over the age of five.
I’ve been reading The Age of Homespun, too. I appreciated the approach she took, through the eyes of the tools!
My first (knittable) handspun, which was Gotland wool, went into a head scarf for myself, a scarf with a seam that made a hood in the center. I don’t think I could have given it away. Now I’m doing an afghan, but it’s Bartlett pencil roving, which doesn’t really seem like spinning, just passing the time in front of the wheel.
we are seriously on the same wave link, girl. read MY feb. 16th post!