When It’s Time to Break Up…
Somewhere along the way, most of us have relationships that reach a point where we have to go our separate ways. It’s usually difficult to come to that point, and even when one knows one should no longer invest time and effort in maintaining the relationship, we find it hard to call it quits. We find it hard to start the separation process.
To push it off the needles. To pull the yarn. And to unravel all those hours of knitting. Yes, it’s time to break up with that knitting project.
I just pulled out a moebius cowl that was in the "Delayed Project" basket...or more accurately the step right above knitting hell..."the state of limbo". This cowl was started years ago when there was a contest going on by Imperial Yarn Co for their Tracie Too sport weight yarn. I had designed and knitted a beautiful waistcoat out of that yarn with an embossed diamond all across the back and "floating" diamonds on the front. It was a complete success...in my humble opinion.
Diamond Back Vest (GoodforaBoy Designs) in Tracie Two, Imperial Yarn Company,
Diamond Back Vest (GoodforaBoy Designs) in Tracie Two, Imperial Yarn Company,
Having come off that success, I thought it a smashing idea to use the same embossed diamond pattern in a moebius cowl, since being reversible, mirrored embossed/indented diamonds would be visible no matter how one twists it. Of course, it had to be an impressive length to allow those diamonds to tumble into vision as one doubled it. Conceptually, it was awesome. It soon became apparent...especially while trying to knit to a deadline...that a moebius cowl was ENDLESS! (Catch the pun there?) Each mobius round had 600 stitches. (Whatever possessed me? Some tortuous knitting demon, no doubt.) It wasn't going to happen in time. Into Knitting Limbo it was cast.
Now it rests in front of me. I look at it. It's not working.
The embossed diamond pattern whose texture worked so well on the flat surface of the back of the waistcoat is simply being lost in the mirror image of the moebius. Maybe if I knit more, produce more fabric to get a visual, get it off the needles onto a waste yarn so the fabric isn’t cramped up on needles. Those are often good things to do…it gives you more sense of the actual piece. So I even knit another round—all 600 sts. Nope. It’s not working.
It’s over. The fact that it’s literally been years on the needles helps make the decision easier because I can’t remember all the hours already invested in it. And let’s face it folks, we need to question the viability of any project that’s been untouched for more than 2 years. One year might be a better standard for ripping out, but I know how much we like to ruminate over knitting intentions. (And it once took me 7 years to complete a sweater…but I did…and it’s gorgeous.)
Here we go…
FREEDOM!! The yarn is released from knitting limbo and can once again bring joy and comfort! And fortunately, no knitter’s remorse…off the needles it was definitely clear the stitch pattern wasn’t working.
other yarn souls to free from knitting limbo:
Humm…what’s this in the “Limbo Basket”?
Looks like the prototype of my Minstrel Cowl…it too will be released. (Note to self: The beads do look good with that color…so keep that in mind for designing…)
And this is a herringbone scarf started at least 10 years ago from my handspun spun probably 15 years ago. I’ve known for a long time that the color was too dark for the pattern…I wonder why I felt I had to finish it? I do remember feeling that. Life is too short. Today is the day this sucker gets ripped out.
And remember when these Rigatoni or Potato Chip scarves were in fashion…only about seven years ago… Hey, it’s almost finished… but why? Time to let this one go. And somebody doesn’t know their pasta, because Rigatoni is just big hollow tubes. This is more like Fusilli.
And I don’t even know what this ribbing was for…but this is really nice yarn (Classic Elite Fresco—60% Wool, 30% Alpaca, 10% Angora. Time to reclaim it for something else.
The rest of the Limbo Basket can legitimately be renamed the UFO Basket now…the remaining pieces are to be finished…at least with an intention of within the next year. I’ll revisit them next fall and see if another purge is needed then. But I do plan to get back to those projects. Really. I really do.
The UFO—-Unfinished Objects—Basket…only six things in it! I can do it!