I am trying to finish the Shedir hat for the woman I know who has started chemo this week. I worked on it a lot last night--and discovered that one row is VERY easy for me to get "off" on--had to rip back a whole row in which only one stitch in 9 is NOT twisted. Doing that row twice caused my right wrist to begin to twinge and give that carpel tunnel-y feeling. Uh-oh. Good thing I now only have to do that particular row one more time.
As you can see from the photo, this is a very twist-intensive pattern. And it is very pretty! But I believe I have re-discovered a physiological and psychological fact about me: I don't like twisted or single traveling stitches in large doses. My hand gets all tingly, like when I crochet too fast for too long, and my mind gets tired of remembering which stitch to put the needle in first to successfully make the twist go the right way. I'd hoped this would be less of an issue when I totally stopped using cable needles, but it's still an issue. Plus, on that complicated row I keep forgetting to look down and see when I hit the edge of the motif.
"Gosh, Suna, they invented the stitch marker to help with that"
"But putting stitch markers between repeats makes me feel like a Baby Knitter."
"Oh, so you think you are too good for stitch markers?"
Gulp. Oops.
"Well, I am almost done with the main part of the hat now, so the point is moot."
I should have learned this when I tried the Circle of Friends Socks and gave up halfway down the first leg. It's not that I can't do it; I just don't enjoy it much. I like yarning over, knitting two together and slip-slip-knitting, like in lace. That doesn't hurt any part of me.
I admit it. I also don't like doing intarsia. I didn't like seed stitch until I started knitting the Continental Way.
What techniques or patterns do YOU like and dislike?
As you can see from the photo, this is a very twist-intensive pattern. And it is very pretty! But I believe I have re-discovered a physiological and psychological fact about me: I don't like twisted or single traveling stitches in large doses. My hand gets all tingly, like when I crochet too fast for too long, and my mind gets tired of remembering which stitch to put the needle in first to successfully make the twist go the right way. I'd hoped this would be less of an issue when I totally stopped using cable needles, but it's still an issue. Plus, on that complicated row I keep forgetting to look down and see when I hit the edge of the motif.
"Gosh, Suna, they invented the stitch marker to help with that"
"But putting stitch markers between repeats makes me feel like a Baby Knitter."
"Oh, so you think you are too good for stitch markers?"
Gulp. Oops.
"Well, I am almost done with the main part of the hat now, so the point is moot."
I should have learned this when I tried the Circle of Friends Socks and gave up halfway down the first leg. It's not that I can't do it; I just don't enjoy it much. I like yarning over, knitting two together and slip-slip-knitting, like in lace. That doesn't hurt any part of me.
I admit it. I also don't like doing intarsia. I didn't like seed stitch until I started knitting the Continental Way.
What techniques or patterns do YOU like and dislike?
I don't like to graft the toes on socks. Just started knitting the socks from the new Cat Bordhi. No grafting!
ReplyDeleteRight now I'm knitting brooklyntweed's Koolhaas hat. there are a lot of crossed stitches in it. You can see on Ravelry that a lot of people haven't gotten very far on it, probably for the same reasons you have. Anyway, we persevere.
Intarsia, hands down. Unfortunately I'm doing quite a bit of it at the moment!
ReplyDeleteThe hat looks good!
Katie K, I hate grafting, too. Love those toe-up socks.
ReplyDeleteAnd Lynn, your intarsia looks wonderful, even if it's not your favorite thing to do.