Restless Knitter

Years ago, I was given a crocheted dishcloth. At the time, I could only think “Yuck, why did she give me that thing?” However, I kept it and now I see it in a whole different light. Now I appreciate the gift. When I was reading through some forums recently and saw the old Christmas gift thread raising it’s head, I thought about the dishcloth. After Christmas, there will be posts on how the knitter’s feelings have been hurt because the receiver wasn’t enthused about the gift. The way I see it, the problem lies with both the giver and receiver. Gift giving, especially at Christmas, has become so commercialized. For some people, it’s not what you give or get, it’s how much you spend or have spent on you. That may sound harsh, but I know people who are so focused on the money aspect of gifts that it boggles the mind. Yeah, so anyway. Both sides of the gifting process could use an attitude adjustment.

The receiver: Some of the people we knit for just don’t get it. They don’t understand that we knit those things with love. They wonder what they did to deserve it, why we didn’t spend time in a store picking something out for them. Why we didn’t spend money on them. Those people don’t deserve our gifts of love. Years ago, I was one of those people. Not one of the focused on money ones, but I wasn’t appreciative of handmade either. I didn’t deserve that dishcloth. With an attitude like that, I didn’t deserve anything.

The giver: Yes, we’re to blame too. We love knitting something for someone we love but yet, not all of us take the time to think about the person we are knitting for. I hate to generalize, but I think new knitters are the most guilty of this. They learn to make a scarf that they think is the best thing since sliced bread, therefore everyone will feel the same way and before you know it, every box under the tree holds the magic scarf. They don’t stop to think that Aunt Mary lives in the hottest spot on earth and suffers hot flashes. Aunt Mary never wears the scarf because she’s too damned hot, and the knitter’s feelings are hurt.

I guess all I’m saying is that if you are going to knit (or any type of craft) a gift for someone, take a moment to stop and think about the person you are giving to. Know a little something about their likes and dislikes. If they aren’t going to appreciate what you give them, screw ‘em. Don’t waste your time and energy. And if someone crafts something for you, don’t toss it away because it didn’t come from a fancy store. Anyone can go out and buy you something, but not everyone goes to the trouble to create something especially for you. Even if you’re Aunt Mary, cherish that scarf and see the love that went into it.

Let’s see, what’s new in RK land.

I restarted the cardigan in lavender. It’s not moving nearly as quickly as the first one did.

I had joined the Mystery Stole group and the first clue came out on the 7th. It calls for a provisional cast on so you can either work one end of the stole, then go back and pick up stitches from the cast on and work the other end. Or you can work both ends as the clues are released. I had all intentions of working both ends but I was a dumbass and started working from the cone of yarn. This means the other end is tucked safely down inside the cone where I can’t get to it. So, working one end at a time it is.

You’re sick of hearing it, I’m sick of talking about it, but here it is. I’m once again trying to quit the old smoking habit. I’m trying the patch again. I’ve learned that it’s not really the nicotine that I’m addicted to, but the mental part. Even with the patch, I still craved my little trips to the garage to smoke. I seem to be able to last until about 5 pm, then I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin. But I’ll keep working on it. Maybe today I’ll last a little longer, and tomorrow a little longer than that.

Janice and I went to the Gainesville SNB yesterday. She found out the hard way that I’m quiet at the SNBs but once I get comfortable, I don’t shut up! Ha! In all seriousness, I had a great time. I printed the directions from Google maps, which turned out to be a little off. Damn you Google, I was just bragging on you and this is the way you repay me? We had to call for directions. Here are some of the fun bits of directions we got:

Where are you at now? We can see the courthouse, at the intersection of X and Y.

Is it the new one or the old one? Uh, don’t know.

You’d know if it’s the new one, it’s awful.(I don’t remember the exact word he used. Horrendous? Atrocious? Still..)

Are you on/near the square? Uh, don’t think so

Can you see the square? Uh

Okay, go this way. Let me know when you get to the post office. Okay. Driving. Driving. Okay, see it.

The road is going to fork, and you’ll have to cross a lot of traffic to pull into our parking lot. Good luck. Good luck?? Oh shit.

A lot of traffic meant one car coming down the road.

See how exciting my life is?

Y’know, all the experts tell you to read through a pattern before you start it. My stitch count isn’t right on row 10. I’ve done it 10 times. What am I doing wrong? If you had read the directions before you started, you’d realize that the pattern has the wrong stitch count. I’m getting gauge, but my sweater is 10 inches wide when it is supposed to be 15. If you’d read the directions before you started, you’d have noticed that by knitting to the stated gauge, your piece will indeed be 10 inches wide. I’ve seamed up my sweater and it has a round neck, but the picture shows a v-neck. WTF? If you’d read the directions, yadda yadda yadda.

I don’t examine a pattern before I start it. Send the knitting police, quick. I might glance over it, like make sure it has directions for a sleeve, a front, and a back but I don’t verify each line’s stitch count, how many stitches to pick up, gauge versus schematics, how the thing is put together… aha, there’s my problem. I’m not a fan of seaming. I know it’s a necessary evil, but it’s boring. Guess what. This shawl is full of seaming. If I had read the directions before I started this, I may have never begun. It was bad enough that I had to make four squares, but now I find out that I’m supposed to knit the edge, then sew it to the squares after they’ve been put together. Why have I not learned to read through the pattern? (Chances are, I still won’t do it in the future.)

If you want, you can see the squares together here. I really should have gotten something dark to put behind it, but I was too lazy to go upstairs and get it. Then I tried messing with the camera settings and that turned out much better on the camera than the uploaded pics. Y’all are used to suffering through my bad picture taking skills anway

The third Poinsettia square is done and the fourth, and final, one has begun. Actually, I’m over half done with the final square at this point. Because I’ve been putting Poinsettia on the back burner, I told myself that I had to finish the squares before I could restart the cardigan. Otherwise, it will never get done. (Notice I didn’t say anything about seaming or the edge It still may never get done.)

I checked the ol’ Cotton Ease stash and I don’t have enough of the same dyelot of the white, but I do have enough of the lavender. I’m not sure if I want lavender or not. For the sake of using up some stash, I’ll probably do it. If I don’t like it, I can always rip it again, right?

I got the Stitches East thingy in the mail today. Anyone out there going? There are a few classes I wouldn’t mind taking. It seems like everyone loves going to these things. I’ve been to the TKGA one that was held here in Atlanta a year or so ago but I guess the Stitches one is better?

Have a safe holiday! We’re going to a friend’s house tonight for grilled ‘burgers but other than that, nothing special.