Thursday, July 22, 2010

Seamingly Endless

You know that point in knitting a project when you're just ready to be done? Sometimes you get lucky, and it doesn't hit until you're almost done. I recently participated in a lace KAL where I hit that point during the cast on row. The yarn and beads are still stored neatly in a bag in my knitting room, probably never to be seen again. Rarely, you might finish a project and still want more. With Buggy, I reached terminal disinterest about halfway through the back, with two fronts and two sleeves to go. Lately I've been having that problem a lot, which is why my collection of UFOs is growing at a distressing rate. I was determined not to let Buggy go the way of so many others, so I've been soldiering on, despite my loss of interest in the project and my active dislike of the yarn (Rowan Summer Tweed--I tried to like it, I really did, but I just hate knitting with it).

Last night I finished the knitting and put it aside with relief. Today I realized I really, really want to cast on another sweater, but because I know myself well, I made it a condition of casting on that I first finish Buggy. Please, someone remind me the next time I choose a project that's worked in pieces just exactly how much I dislike sewing seams. I have been seaming Buggy for two solid hours now, and I'm not done. In fact, I still have both the side seams AND the underarm seams left to do. The two hours only got me through the shoulder seams and setting in the sleeves. (Could someone please remind me how much I hate setting in sleeves, too?)

Once the seaming is done, I still have to pick up and knit the button bands and the collar edging, but at least that's knitting and not seaming, right?

One more thing...could someone please remind me that I love knitting?

5 comments:

sophanne said...

I try to pretend hard- really hard- that I like sewing pieces together. It's easier when it's straight lines (like afghan squares) not so easy when it's a sweater. When it's a sweater, I have a little more success if I commit to the fact that it does not have to be and is not going to be perfect. Then if it turns out not to have any gaping holes or uneven ends, I call it a day.

I feel your pain~ too bad you can't use one of those SEVEN sewing machines for this job. Now THAT would be a mighty fine invention!

Sharon said...

You're ahead of the curve as far as I'm concerned! The Hey Teach I started last summer is half finished and sitting in a bag. I just finished a cami that was knit flat, with straps made separately and sewn on - 4 pcs. total. It also had a picot hem. Loved the knitting, but the finishing took forever and a day. From now on, no matter how cute the design, if it isn't seamless - Forget it!

Wanderingcatstudio said...

I'm very lucky - if I whine enough and give her that "but pleeeeeeeeeeze" cutsy face, she'll seam for me. But I don't really mind seaming, I just don't like sewing in the sleeves

Anonymous said...

Yeah, I only sweaters that can be done in one piece, too (pretty much) b/c of the seaming issue. Personally, I dislike knitting with Elspeth Lavold Silky Wool, even though it is lovely yarn that gives a beautiful fabric. It is coarse and has no give. Of course, I have 2000 yards of it intended for a sweater...

Wollgut said...

I'll be happy to:

Dearest Yarnhog, you love knitting! And we love that you love knitting! So please continue to love knitting, despite seaming and setting in sleeves.

I suggest you start talking to your knitting and tell it how much you love it. Otherwise it'll get envious of all the sewing machines in your crafts room and decide to be all set-in sleeves, all the time. And summer tweed.