Saturday, February 24, 2007

Unlucky clover

Soooooo.... I started the clover pattern shawl, as previously noted; I finished 11 loooong rows, and started on a 12th; and then my darling daughter, who had decided it was extremely important that she have more Doritos right now*, yanked on my needle and caused me to drop and mangle about 20 stitches.

Well, I have not the skills to repair the mess that this created. Amidst the storm of bitter tears which ensued (all mine), I ripped out the whole thing and wound it back onto the ball. The three cornered shawl in clover pattern will have to wait until I gather up my courage to tackle that monstrous cast-on once again. When I do, you can bet that I will use a different cast-on method- perhaps the knitted cast-on, or the similar, but differently worked, crochet cast-on (both to be found in Montse Stanley's Knitter's Handbook).

* In her defense, she is only 3 years old and has severe social and speech delays, so I couldn't really get mad at her. I even got her Doritos... though I can't say I wasn't sobbing bitterly at the same time.

8 comments:

Jeannie said...

Oh no!!! I would have wept too. I have a three year old also and can understand how they can effect your knitting. I hope you manage to cast on again for this project. I've been thinking about it since your last post. I like the look of the cable cast on although it might not be the stretchiest. But what if you used a needle a size or two larger? That might give it the stretchiness that it needs for that long edge.

Karin Rosman said...

I also have a three year old and you have my empathy and praise. I don't know what cast on your pattern called for, but I just gave up on one that called for the loop cast on because it was causing way too much tension (in me, not my project). I'd like to think that I would be as patient as you if my son pulled the needle out. I think I would have to step outside and yell first.

Anonymous said...

Oh no. I would have cried too. There are times when a child free zone would be nice. Luckily my girls are old enough now to know my knitting is out of bounds for them. Good luck with the new start.

Lori said...

What a good mama. I have a 7 year old and a 5 year old. We've been there. I bet the cast on goes much smoother and faster this time. Go for it.

~Lori said...

Jeannie, I think the cable cast-on would work, if you used larger needles or 2 needles held together. I really think the key for this shawl is that the cast-on must be soft and supple.

Thanks for the commiseration, everyone. The grief was intense but short-lived. I'm already looking forward to casting on again - but not until I finish the ME sweater that I started in the aftermath. :)

Helen said...

It sounds as if this was nature's way of making you do another cast-on, although I admire how well you dealt with the anguish. If anything so ghastly happens again, the Yarn Harlot has a couple entries, with photos, which might help you cope: see
http://tinyurl.com/esdqs and
http://tinyurl.com/fh9w4
Although the photos are very scary at first view, I found these lessons very inspiring and am now enormously brave about picking back stitches and then zipping them up again.

Karin Rosman said...

Thanks for posting the Yarn Harlot fix. That's such a smart little trick.

Artis-Anne said...

Oh dear I am sorry .Ah the joys of little ones I remember it well and now I have a grandaughter I have to hide my knitting before she comes. My daughter is a knitter also and little Emily shouts 'knitty, knitty' all the time . Guess its in the blood and your daughter was trying to be just like Mama :)