Fix – Page 2

February 10, 2005

Thursday, February 10, 2005

all good fun fur goes to heaven and pouts…

Off with Its Thread Part III:

Even though the Midwestern Weather this time of year is enough to drive one either to sleep or drink, for me, it is the best excuse I’ve ever had to just KNIT ALL THE TIME… Why bother trippin’ over the grey skies and dreary temps when one can just FixIT?

hosted by the fabulous Alison…

“The Girl With the Pearl Earring” was such a dramatically slow flick, I was able to completely un-ravel my old project in record time while *watching* it. After I wound the yarn with my ball winder (like this), I skeined it with my swift (like this), then washed it. Here’s what I ended up with.

Hmmm… What’s that I spy on the Left? Although I ADORE this Noro Cash Iroha yarn, it is rather subdued by itself. This subtlety is what drove me to submit it to the tragedy of the Fun Fur collar on the original piece. I used GGH Fee – the funniest of all – not only is it furry, it has little sparkles throughout. I love it so, I could not bear to give it the heave ho and it is now living, for the time being, as a postElizabeathan collar on my Hat Mannequinn…

Back to that pile of yarn – the texture of the Iroha is really smoothe and shiny, in a rustic kind of way. I know, this doesn’t make total sense, but the yarn has a 40% silk content and even though the twist of the yarn is simple, the silk gives it glow. I wanted to contrast the subdued but shiny color with something dramatic and VOILA! the lovely pink yarn joined the mix.

It is lightweight Reynolds Candide in color # 153 – I used it doubled for a sweet little band along the front of a sweet little cardi…

This cardi is a modifed version of the Sitcom Chic Cardi. I changed the gauge and made it in pieces. I also scooped the neckline more because I didn’t have enough yarn to make the original pattern. The Candide is a basic wool spun yarn – it has a flat, no luster appearance and adds a *felted* texture to the smoothness of the Iroha. Yum – M

February 3, 2005

Thursday, February 3, 2005

Before

After

Over the last couple of years, I’ve found 3 Naughty Knitting Things that really amuse me. These things all have one thing in common: they let you do something you would usually avoid at all costs to your garmet.

3 Naughty Knitting Things:

Felting (where you get to SHRINK the bejesus out of a sweater ON PURPOSE)
Steeking (where you actually get to take a sharp instrument and CUT the garment)
Frogging (where you RIP the sucker right back to its roots)

Now, granted #3 is RADICAL. It is time consuming. It is Post-Production, or post-pro, as we like to say in the video trade.

This is the only activity of the above which de-evolves the sweater back to its main ingredients. And THAT is ususally what you are lusting after.

YARN…

If I want the yarn, I have to rip out the sweater.

The sweaters above were the latest RIPfest activity I wallowed in. I wanted that Rowan Magpie Tweed! It was not going to sit on the shelf MOCKING me for my poor choice of pattern/execution – this yarn, for the first sweater pattern I picked was just WRONG.

So, off with its thread, so to speak and now I have a Wearable Cardi to play in for the rest of the Winter (did I mention, here in the Midwest, Phil the Ground Hog sez it’s 6 weeks MORE!).

I feel the same way about the yarn in this sweater, the sweater I’m playing with for Alison’s Knitalong

It is NORO! It is, quoting the Yarn Market‘s blurb: Luxury! Cashmere and Silk blend yarn from Noro of Japan. 40% Silk, 30% Lambswool, 20% Cashmere, 10% Nylon yarn. …

I’ve never owned a non-vintage cashmere sweater – used to have a bunch I grifted out of thrift stores in the day…

But here it is, cashmere, silk, Mocking Me from the Sweater Cabinet, daring me to RESCUE its fabulous little Damson Plum ass…

So, while watching “The Girl with the Pearl Earring“, the RIPfest began.

First, it was imperative that I get the furry neckline off the body of the sweater. This is, besides taking the bold step to rip the thing to begin with, the most challenging part of the task. WHY?

You have to FIND the yarn ends you wove into the garment where you seamed or added collars/button bands. I have a really sharp pair of surgical scissors I use to go fishing with; they can prod and poke and un-tie really well. Luckily, it was easy to find where I’d connected the ends of the fur yarn to the Noro – they left a bumpy little knot.

After teasing the knot apart with my scissor point, I *un-wove* the last row of body yarn knitting from the collar. I really wanted to preserve all the CASHMERE I could.

This is time consuming – you go stitch by stitch and just *follow the bread crumbs* back to the next seam. But it is really worth it if you can’t just undo a cast-off or cut the offending piece right off the garment.

… to be continued – read the Notes here.

February 1, 2005

Tuesday, February 1, 2005

There’s a certain time of year that anyone who lives in this latitude might dread. The days are grey and short (but getting gradually longer). The temperatures are too low to want to do much besides linger longer than one should over the hot coffee, poaching its warmth and stimulation. One is in desperate need of Vitamin KAL!!! Let it begin!

hosted by the fabulous Alison…

Somewhere on the Wardrobe Timeline in my head, I decided that I was going to try and make most of my clothes. I’ve been going through my galleries (some of which mysteriously disappeared due to coding phglem) and it appears, for awhile this was indeed the case!

Hoodies Galore! Simple Cardis and MORE!

The more in this case is the Holiday Sweater. For some reason, I was magnetized to the fact that I HAD to have a new garment for Christmas. For Valentine’s Day. For My Birthday (what, a birthday can’t be a National Holiday?). Easter. Fourth of July. SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!

Great anxiety usually chased these creations towards a deadline, taking the wind from beneath my cheerful sails. I indeed gained a sweater, but alas, lost my thrill.

The Ghosts of Holiday Sweaters Past include:

Thanksgiving 2001

Christmas 2001

My Birthday 2003

These sweaters are worn as much as possible – all within the last week in fact – and continue to amuse and delight.

Others are not so gainfully employed. Observe:

Now, this sweater is so wrong on so many levels that it makes my head spin!

In January of 2002, I made some resolutions – these were actually more like proclamations – but meant to empower all the same!

ChicKnits 2K2 ForReal Resolution #1
Feels Hinky
Looks Hinky
IT’S HINKY!!!

ChicKnits 2K2 ForReal Resolution #2
“NEVER be afraid to rip out a mistake or even a whole project!!!

If it feels hinky & it looks hinky, it is hinky and a few minutes of your time will send it back onto the runway.”

This sweater does not fit me, never has, and is a tremendous WASTE OF YARN!

So in honor of the incredible mediocrity of that project, I offer you this new proclamation:

ChicKnits 2K5 ForReal Resolution #1:
“If it ain’t Bitchin’ Undo that Stitchin’!”

Let the fix begin…