New Threads TUESDAY!
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Just in time for the luscious lake-effect Chicago mornings…
Pattern: Chic Knits Cerisara
Designer: Bonne Marie Burns
Yarn: Madil DENIM
Even when the Summer is full on the Windy as strong as a blast furnace, Lake Michigan (thank you, my muse) wraps us in cool morning air. I’m soon to be traveling to Northern Michigan and it will be so welcome to have this to throw on in the early a.m. or late afternoon, where temperatures can be as surprising as the herds (?!) of wild turkeys that walk through one’s yard.
This finish was not without adventure…
First, there was the fun of visiting a new (to me) fabric store in my work neighborhood and discovering the many vintage buttons they carry. I thought this one was especially fun for my new Cerisara: it echoes the lace patterning in a lovely way and was lightweight (plastique fantastiqe!) and really, just pretty.
But, a word of caution! Living in the City, one could be sharing space with some early morning risers, infants, students, workers, who set your clock as well. This in and of itself is ok in my book — I love the early a.m. and get usually get a whole lot done, while lingering over a cuppa, enjoying that morning breeze. But what not to do?
Finishing involving fine touches until one’s fully awake!
After sewing this button on the First Time, I snipped the thread and snipped the sweater itself! HOLEY moley, Batman, that’s a heart stopping moment I’ve done in the past and never wanted to repeat. Big hole. Big head desk.
And I couldn’t even look at this (maximum fear & loathing since last Thursday) but this morning when I opened the back door and FRESH hit me square in the face, I was poked by the Muse to pick up the pieces and get on with it.
Here you see the repaired sweater. I *borrowed* some yarn on either side of the hole, a few stitches away, tightening up a couple of yarnovers (who thankfully where a little sloppy!) and traced the stitchery back into place.
Why this was a good thing: every time you HAVE TO make the effort to get to the goal, fix the mistake, swallow the disappointment, it pushes you to another place. I like that place. There lives accomplishment, and commitment, and yes, bravery.
Doing the grafting fix-it in the little picture at left above (click for full) on my Miss BB sample last year made me very comfortable with re-weaving. Knowing the architecture of the way stitches are made is essential for many other things in the knitting process. And believe me when I say, once the shock and adrenalin fade, makes one confident they might just be able to pull the damn thing back from the cusp of the Inferno…
So, like the saying goes, “What doesn’t Kill Me,” etc. I’d like to thank the Muse for the detour, because on that street I found fabulous.
Wow. I never cut my thread/yarn for buttons that close to the end. I just cut a bit off and weave in the rest. I think my heart would have exploded!
Yes! One of the things I love about knitting, the learning – accomplishing something by my own effort that I wasn’t sure I could (hello, kitchener stitch). Overcoming the fear. Not giving up! Never give up, never give in :-}
Nice save!
and that is why you are such an inspiration! i love that you took a deep breath and just kept on… and the finished sweater is so beautiful! i’ve just moved back to florida and i’m envious at the thought of your cool mornings… can’t wait till we get the same down here!
Stunning cardigan beautiful!
As a stretchwear sewing teacher of mine once said…”There are no mistakes in stretch sewing, there are only new inventions!”, and ditto with knitting, I am also learning. I also, love your cardi and am about to embark on a Cerisara “creation” of my own!
*Lovely* button — on a lovely vest! And yes…”been there; done that” vis a vis the sweater — and the back of the odd quilt, too! You think you’re simply snipping a thread near the binding and…wham!
Nicer recovery, Bonne Marie. :-)
Oh my heavens. It was so scary to read this post! I wish I could say I was as talented as you and could fix the mistake. But, more likely, I would have cried and very, very carefully brought it to my mother’s for repair :) She has saved, fudged, and fixed many a project. Beautiful sweater and impressive fix!