But not a lot to show for it.
My inventory of what I have made so far this year has a paltry sum to show for all the work that went into it. I realize that out of the last seven sweaters that I've started, I have finished, um, uh, one.
It may be the lowest work to success ratios in the history of knitting.
Primrose Path has sat ready for the armseye seams for over a year. Yesterday, I finally pinned and started in on that task.
There was the Blue Heron Hourglass Sweater that took so long to show progress that I got bored and cast on something new. I picked it up again for awhile, but got side tracked again for the same reasons as before.
There was Hallett's Ledge, which despite my enthusiasm for the knitting, was foiled by a farm yarn label that told me there was more yarn than there was. Considering the current vogue for short sleeve sweaters, I may revisit this sometime soon to reevaluate.
There was the giant green Berroco Pinot sweater that I second guessed all the way into the UFO pile, since I ripped and reknit it twice, only to still wonder if the instructions could be leading me to a different sweater than what I thought it was.
There is Vitamin D that stalled after I divided for the arms, and now daunts me with many short rows. I'm currently knuckled down and working through those, and light is shining at the end of the tunnel. We could have a sweater before too long, if only as an existential gesture of defiance.
And there is a sweater that you will be seeing soon that is my only success for the last few months. Nothing like a publishing deadline to get you to follow through on something.
So if ever you feel as a knitter that you're getting nowhere, that you knit and reknit something only to put it down in frustration, remember me.
OR if you ever have a partner who asks you why you need more than one size 6 addi turbo, show them this post.
AMEN on the needles. And I bet some of those sweaters are going to be super stunning!
Posted by: Amy | August 03, 2011 at 11:19 AM
i would tell you how far i am on my sweater to help you feel better, but i really don't think it would help. lol. keep on keeping on, you'll get there.
Posted by: april | August 03, 2011 at 12:13 PM
OMG! I hate the need for multiple needles because if this issue! Well, hope you get some of these sorted out soon.
Posted by: Crystal | August 03, 2011 at 12:59 PM
I feel a little better after reading your blog. It seems that I have been reknitting things all year with not much to show for it other than a pile of UFO's and failures. Do I even know how to knit? I am finally wrapping up a top and your phrase, "...if only as an existential gesture of defiance" is just So Perfect!
Posted by: Earin | August 03, 2011 at 01:22 PM
If by more than one you mean 6 or 7, I'm right there.
Posted by: Wendelene | August 03, 2011 at 02:57 PM
It is a decided "pleasure" to see someone worse off than me..... And, very lovely yearns.
Posted by: Mary K. in Rockport | August 03, 2011 at 06:56 PM
Wow. You have been reading my mail.
Posted by: Lynn in Tucson | August 04, 2011 at 02:05 AM
I think you just gave me an excuse to go cast on my next sweater. No time like the present . . .
Posted by: garret | August 04, 2011 at 09:46 AM
I thought I was suffering from a bad case of "startitis" that wouldn't let go, but I see it's one of those contagious problems. Now I feel a whole lot better after reading this post-so when we do get a severe case of 'finishitis', won't we have a lot of wonderful projects to show for it?!
Posted by: Sandy | August 05, 2011 at 04:12 PM
that's a whole lot of started sweaters! I don't know what I'd do... having to rip and reknit so many times... it would take a lot of coffee. or at the very least - wine. a bottle maybe two.
Posted by: margaux | August 12, 2011 at 05:58 PM