Thursday, May 31, 2007

Knitting Knots

I went to the chiropractor today, as I do every week. As soon as he touched my back, he exclaimed, "Wow, you're tense! What have you been doing?" I was too embarrassed to tell him about the lace knitting, so I mumbled some story about wild sex.

Thank you all for your words of encouragement. I wish I could tell you that I'm settling in and it's moving along. But, friends (deep breath), it's not going well. Does this look like progress to you?

No, I know it doesn't. But I assure you, this represents many, many hours of my life--hours that I will never get back. I was going to blog about the second dropped stitch, and the hour I wasted trying to pick it up before I gave up and ripped back ten rows (Ten rows! Trust me: it's more than it sounds.) But that was so many mistakes ago now that I barely remember it. After several hours of knitting and ripping and re-knitting, I think I am almost back to where I left off two nights ago.

There is a chance that I am not cut out for this. I think I may have a defect that prevents me from knitting lace. Maybe something related to my spatial orientation problem. Because I swear, I look directly at the chart. I copy every stitch. I check them all twice. I count the stitches at the end of the row. And on the next row, I'm missing stitches. Not occasionally. Almost every row. I've checked the pattern. I've looked for errata. It's not the pattern; it's me. Somehow, even as I recite "k2tog, yarn over, knit 1, yarn over, ssk," I keep forgetting the second yarn over. It's not like I've never done this before. My last three sweaters were done in lace stitches. So was the endless blankie. And let me tell you, I can yarn over with the best of them. So what the heck is my problem?

I need a drink of water.

5 comments:

sophanne said...

More water! More Water! Sending knitting sensai samarai thoughts your way. For the record it does look as though you've made progress. It also "looks like it's supposed to" from what I've seen in blogland. Patience grasshoppah. you can do it. Yarn over, drink up, yarn over, drink up.

Anonymous said...

I see a lot of progress! Knit on, I am knitting vicarously through you.

Faith said...

Ahh ha ha! That line about the chiropractor gave me one of those deliriously silly moments where I laughed out loud, then tried to explain what I was laughing at to my boss, who's confused look made me absolutely dissolve. Um, good luck? (Though your frustration is quite entertaining to the rest of us! Sorry!)

Karen said...

Laceweight yarn...or cobweb, whatever you are using, is not for the faint of heart. I had trouble with the pattern when I first started it too and thought maybe I was mentally challenged because I didn't read about others having trouble. Then it just clicks and goes smoothly. Hang in there... and drink more vodka, not water.

Life's a Stitch said...

Stitchmarkers, many of them, are my solution right from the start of the pattern. But then, there are lace patterns where you have to move the markers after every row - still worth it. Lace, for me, is not for social knitting. It requires so much concentration. Good luck,
Li