Knit-Along: Elemental Changes Scarf from Aylin’s Woolgatherer - Day 5

The cure for what ails you...

I’ve finished the repeat of section C...it’s hardly worth a picture because it looks, well, just like the section C from last time. And, just in case you were wondering, the dreaded double daisy motif did me in again, but this time I managed to salvage the thing without having to rip out hoards of work.

Today, I had a chance to experience the best of what knitting does for me. Knitting is all about patience and connection in my world. I love to watch how people pay attention when I pull out my knitting in public. And, when you add up the number of hours I’ve spent in doctor’s waiting rooms this year, that’s a whole lot of knitting in public.

What I have noticed is a distinct difference in my state of mind versus those of my wait-mates. We’re all stuck in those vinyl chairs together, but I seem to be having a better time that most of them. Why? Because I’m not leafing through an eight-month-old People magazine or staring holes in the carpet. I’m knitting. The only thing I’m anxious about is whether or not I’ll get through this challenging row before they call my son’s name. Perhaps more importantly, I’m often too pleasantly distracted to imagine all the horrible things they’ll tell me (or worse, do to my son) once we’re let inside.

Today, as we waited a long time in a pediatric (translation: loud) waiting room at a major Chicago hospital where my son’s specialist practices, my son actually said, “hang on, she’s finishing a row” when the nurse called for us. Even if this is a tough pattern, I was embarrassed enough to stuff the knitting in my bag mid-row, risking a major error just to save face (a major error which didn’t happen, thankfully). It was still worth it. Score one for knitting.

Inside, knitting worked another connection. My son’s specialist probably sees hundreds of patients a week, based on the crowds outside her office. Yet, she remembers us. Why? Because I’m always knitting when she comes in the exam room, and her sister knits. My son, ever the guerilla marketer, told her about my blog and pointed out the cool KnitKit I was using at the time (and still use faithfully). She thought the gadget was nifty, and I wrote down my blog address so she could get the link because her sister needed a birthday present. We made a warm connection that first visit, right there in the sterile environment of a hospital. A connection that has grown stronger with each visit. Today, she asked that when we come back for our November visit, we bring Christmas gift ideas for her sister. You can bet I will. She’s a human being to me, not just my son’s specialist. Knitting did that, and I love that about knitting.

And that, folks, is one of the very best reasons to knit not only in doctors’ waiting rooms, but everywhere.

Knit-Along: Elemental Changes Scarf from Aylin’s Woolgatherer - Day 4

The Long Unwinding Week...

Whoa! Where’d Allie go?

Let’s just say it’s been “one of those weeks.” Sorry about that.

For starters, one needs to be careful what words one puts together. “Bestselling Author?” That’s a pair I wouldn’t mind inviting into my life. “Glamorous Lifestyle?” That’d be okay, too (if unlikely). But I should know better than to put “catastrophic error” and “knitting” together out into the universe. The next day...the very next day, mind you...I found myself staying up late to rip out and fix almost an hour’s worth of knitting on this section. Not fun. And the whole time I’m hearing my own words “But I’m not likely to pull out 15 rows to fix a non-catastrophic error. If it’s really going to mess things up, I’ll fix it.” Because it really was about 15 rows that I had to rip out. Ugh.

Life goes on, however, and during this challenging week I managed to finish section C and it’s subsequent repeat (hear Allie say, “oh, now I get why that second set of numbers is there!). It’s looking pretty spiffy. I took a photo of the scarf held up against the light so you can get a good look at the design.

Today, because we have workmen coming tomorrow, I had to do The Enormous Task. This enormous effort was to sort, organize, edit, and store my stash. Yikes. Logistics aside, I was unprepared for how emotional a task this was. Even though some of it was tiny scraps and icky yarn, it felt just plain WRONG to trash it. I actually couldn’t stand it after a point, and fished back into the trash bag to collect a bagful of usable scraps, sure SOMEONE would be able to make use of the stuff.

And then there were the UFO’s--the Un-Finished Objects. There were two--two huge old ones--that I knew, intellectually, needed to go. Not ripped out and stored, not stashed away until I had gobs of free time, just GO. One was an obscenely ugly sweater (no, I will not post a photo...and it’s long gone now so don’t ask), and the other was a Zimmermann Pie-R-Squared shawl that was such a somber collection of black and grey it belonged on a victorian widow. A two-item episode of “What Not to Knit.”

Do you know I had to have my husband stand over me while I inserted them into the trash bag? And it was a physical discomfort--an actual physical sensation--to send them away? I am not a hoarder. I hold most of my possessions (okay, maybe not my Blackberry) loosely. I put my good china in the dishwasher. I wear my good jewelry. But I was blindsided by how nuts I got over the process of paring down my yarn stash.

So why am I laughing?

I have a date to go to Stitches Midwest--the regions largest yarn show--on Friday.

Knit-Along: Elemental Changes Scarf from Aylin’s Woolgatherer - Day 3

Ah, imperfection...

Section B was delightfully uneventful. Well, except for the part where I think I did a row twice and flipped the work over, but since this is essentially symmetrical and reversible, no real harm was done.

Which brings me to an essential truth of knitting: lives are not at stake here.

Perfection isn’t necessarily what we’re after. I’m a big proponent of the Zimmerman saying, “if a man running for his life wouldn’t notice it, it’s not a mistake.”

That’s not to say that I don’t go back and correct things when I find them. I do. But I’m not likely to pull out 15 rows to fix a non-catastrophic error. If it’s really going to mess things up, I’ll fix it. But if it isn’t likely to cause great harm, I’ll embrace the imperfection that is my life and keep on with it.

This, I understand, is what made Julia Child the culinary sensation that she was (although I’ve yet to catch the movie Julie and Julia but it is on my “go see” list). Julia didn’t expect perfection, just enjoyment. That’s how I approach my knitting. With two teenagers in my life, perfection left the building a couple of months ago. Enjoyment is a worthy goal. And yes, enjoyment does include getting it right, just not at the expense of my sanity. And my sanity needs to make progress on its knitting.

It’s the pesky double daisy motif that’s doing me in, and I have three more chances to perfect my technique (more if I plan to lengthen the scarf, which I’m seriously considering doing because I’ve got the yarn and at six feet tall, I’ve got the altitude). The Fat Lady ain’t sung a single note yet, kiddos.

The other life lesson here--one especially true of both teenagers and lacework--is that something isn’t finished until it’s finished. What it looks like now isn’t a true indicator of what it will look like washed and blocked. “Raw” lacework often resembles a fuzzy jellyfish, all puckered and inelegant. Once it’s blocked and stretched, it’s a whole new animal--delicate and elegant and all those things we want when we knit lacework. Teenagers are the same way. What they look like now is only the “raw” form of the adult. They, too, have to stretch and soak to find their elegance. I’d do well--as a mother and a knitter--to extend a little grace and patience on all fronts.

On to Section C...

Knit-Along: Elemental Changes Scarf from Aylin’s Woolgatherer - Day 2

Do over...

After my disastrous beginning, I actually found the first section of this scarf to be quite entertaining. The fact that you are working three distinct patterns on each row is a bit tough to get your head around at first. I highly suggest that you do the first twenty rows on some practice yarn or just expect to frog it and start over. Like entrelac, it’s one of those things you can read ten times over and it just won’t make sense until you see it happen before your eyes. I can’t tell you how many times the words, “Oh, now I get it!” left my mouth on this section.

And make no mistake, this pattern requires brainpower. This isn’t the kind of project I’d take to my local knitting night where we all sit around a chat and drink and eat spiffy deserts while we knit. I can’t be distracted while I’m working on this--which is good; it flexes a different kind of knitting muscle in me than something like socks or a baby hat I can practically knit from memory. I’d classify it as “challenging” rather than “daunting” or “pull your hair out and go get some chocolate.” I had toyed with the idea of doing two repeats of the pattern to make a slightly wider scarf, but couldn’t for the life of me calculate how many stitches I needed to cast on to make that happen. And, no, I refused to cave and call Aylin’s for help (even though I knew very well they would happily guide me). I reasoned with myself that it’s better to stick with the basics on a new project than to go off and get all cocky. No hot-dogging, kiddo. Mature of me, don’t you think?

I found it MUCH easier to use the chart directions on this, even though I’m used to lacework where every other row is purled, so it took me a while to realize that all I needed to do was follow the chart exactly as written. Right to left. Every row. I made myself a little cheat sheet with the basic pattern on the front and the two edging patterns on the back. That made for too much flipping of charts. For the next section, I’ll put everything on the front--basic in the middle with edges on respective sides.

I’m feeling secure, because the next section still uses the same three designs, just in a different order. So that tricky row from the third section I almost botched this time doesn’t stand a chance in the next section--I’m a veteran now.

Up next? Section “B”--stay tuned.

Knit-Along: Elemental Changes Scarf from Aylin’s Woolgatherer - Day 1

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape.

You don’t spit into the wind.

You don’t pull the hat off the ol’ Long Ranger...

If you’re old enough to recognize these lyrics, you’ll know I’m about to discuss a mistake. Or, more precisely, a poor choice of actions. One of those things that should have a disclaimer running on the bottom of the screen. Like the Jeep ad that had the famously rugged car running vertically up the side of a house. As if a Jeep could actually do that. But just in case you entertain the notion, the bottom of the screen read those now famous cautionary words: “Do not attempt.”

I’d like to think that the human race has evolved far enough not to have to be told that driving a car up the side of a house wouldn’t meet with success. I guess I’d be wrong.

But then again, I can’t really call the kettle black on this one.

Don’t worry, I’m getting to my point.

My very favorite caution of late comes from the world of personal electronics. I have a Blackberry Storm. I love my Blackberry Storm. It’s the fourth Blackberry I’ve owned and I’ve loved every single one of the priceless pricey gadgets. I go into cardiac arrest if I can’t find it. My son calls it “Mom’s little black brain.”

But even I don’t have to be told....

wait for it....

“Do not lick your Blackberry to clean it.”

Exactly how has someone earned enough money to purchase a Blackberry if they don’t know enough NOT to lick it? Ever? Even in the name of cleaning it? C’mon people, why don’t you just lick the hotel television remote (reportedly a germ fest) or the handle of a public telephone? Driving a BMW up your new vinyl siding makes more sense!

Nice rant, Allie, but what’s this got to do with yarn?

I, at my advanced knitting years, should not have to be told...

“Do not start a lacework project at 9:30pm.”

Enough said. We’ll never speak of this again.

Until next installment, when I tell you how nicely the first section of my Elemental Changes scarf worked out.

The second time I did it.