Something horrible has happened.
A knitter has surrendered.
I found this on my door step.
Two wonderful pattern books...some freedom cotton yarn (enough for a sweater), some 4ply rowanspun...needles...notations....even a fabulous knitting bag.
I know who left it...my sister.
You see, her work (law) consumes her time. She had attempted to knit, but was never really hooked...let's say as I "could" possibly be hooked (the first step to addiction recovery is recognizing the problem...I have no problem...)
I had discouraged this "occasional" knitter from attempting a sweater of 4 ply yarn...CRAZY! I also tried to sway her from purchasing cotton for a sweater (not so easy to knit with, sometimes painful...literally).
She surrendered her knitting to me.
Now, here is the problem. (yes, there is a problem...not just free knitting stuff!)
Lets say hypothetically that a certain family draws names for christmas gifts. Let's say that a certain person from said family...a knitter, lets say...drew the name of another person...a knitter who just surrendered. Does that knitter knit one of the sweaters that the knitter who surrendered had wanted to knit for herself???
Are you following me here...are you picking up what I am putting down?
Here are the sweaters in question:
Isla by Kim Hargreaves. It is a st st pattern for a raglan pullover knit with 4 ply yarn on US#1 and #2 needles!!!! Can you imagine knitting that?!
the second choice
Monika in freedom cotton DK. A zippered cardigan (I prefer buttoned up) in an interesting rib pattern with some moss st...but knit in cotton.
OR
Do I do something else with the yarn...maybe double up the 4 ply and knit a vest or something.
HELP.
29 comments:
Monika looks eminently wearable.
(And that basket's lovely, too!)
Oh no! These are very tough decisions. The st st sweater would be fairly mindless - almost like socks... big socks, but still. And there's the tweedy goodness of the yarn. The cardi is very cute and more interesting, but the cotton. Is it nice cotton? I'd probably go with the rowanspun and if you don't get it done for Christmas, there's always her birthday.
I guess my answer depends on whether she knows that you drew her name for Christmas gifts. If she knows, then she might think she's helping you out (it won't cost you anything but time and she knows she'll like it)--not knowing just how much time it will take to knit a 4-ply sweater. In that case, I would casually mention plans for it (such as doubling it up for a vest, like you said) and see what her reaction is. If she doesn't know, and it's just a coincidence that she surrendered her yarn to you now, then I say go ahead and do whatever you want with it. By the time Christmas rolls around, she'll have mostly forgotten about the yarn she gave you (non-knitters don't think about yarn so much).
The Rowanspun looks great in cables....perhaps a vesty kinda thing with cables????
O.K. first of all you did not tell me about the sock creature...adorable. And for the orphaned yarn problem...you could always knit something for that very dear friend of yours who comes knitting faithfully (when her husband isn't sick).
i like isla. does your sister not read the blog?
Yes! Yes! you must make her a sweater. It so perfect! My vote is Isla.
Hold it with a strand of wool and knit something else that will flatter her completely.
Knit your sister the "Isla." It's just good karma.
I just finished knitting a vest with the 4 ply doubled and I love it. I would knit the 4 ply over cotton for sure and Isla is very nice.
Was Isla to be her first knitting project? That is insane...but if you knit it for her (in something besides the cotton...) it would be a really nice gift. It really is a lovely sweater.
I like the idea of knitting the 4 ply doubled. She probably would love the yarn knitted up in anything. Sometimes we knitters are drawn to yarns first and then find a pattern to fit it...
I'd knit up the Monika - mostly because it will be faster and there's just not that much time.
Make Isla.
I'd definitely knit her one of the projects she would have knit herself. By surrendering the yarn, she's practically begging. And it would make a nice surprise when she opens the box!!
I definitely agree that one of the sweaters she was going to knit herself would be a fabulous gift. But a st st sweater on 1s? Just no. I don't care how beautiful it is. I vote for Monika.
My thing when knitting gifts is I have to enjoy the knitting. If not, it's torture, and you know you'll leave it until last and on Christmas Eve you'll be cursing the sweater. I say pick a pattern and knit her something you know she'll like and something that you'll enjoy knitting.
Absolutely I would knit Isla and give it to her with a handwritten note that says she is worth every stitch!
you should totally knit her a sweater!!! she can always pretend that she knit it, but then at least she gets to have a hand-knit sweater. Oh, and I like the first one.
:)
I agree with Rosie 100%. It would be such a special gift!!!
I'm so glad I've refound your blog via Brooklyn Tweed, by way of Yarnstorm. I lost the bookmark about a year ago and have been traipsing around cyberspace on your trail ever since - I think you do absolutely wonderful knitting, great taste and projects, and incredibly productive. May I just say that I think I know why your sister surrendered - you set the bar way too high. Just let her know that there are those of us who can quite happily knit way in the D team, muddling through and looking forward to improving our skills - we don't all have to be at the Olympic standard in order to consider knitting a worthwhile hobby. Just a thought.
Isla, definitely.
Don't make yourself crazy--she surrendered because she has no time and gave you her materials because its something you enjoy doing--not so you can knit her what she gave up. Being a working mom myself here's your options: you either 1-keep the yarn and do what you want with it when you want (easiest) and buy your sister something she'd love (show tickets, dinner out, spa, etc.)
2-knit her one of those "surrendered" sweaters if they inspire YOU and give it to her when you actually finish it someday -no deadlines here.You still buy her the holiday gift.
3-ok, so double up the yarn and make a cute vest for her. its got to be something she'd wear, though.
Life has enough pressure---knitting should provoke NO PRESSURE!
btw, LOVE your blog. Grumperina, Brooklyn Tweed, and you...I read, and then I'm inspired to create magic.
It seems to me that you are posing a moral issue rather than a knitting issue. It's similar to asking if you should let your daughter go to the prom that she's just been elected queen of when you already grounded her for not cleaning her room. The difference is that your sister is ostensibly, or should I say, chronologically, a grown-up. (You didn't say her exact age but college + law school almost certainly put her past drinking age.)
In my view your sister's gross error in judgment in putting her career before knitting is not subject to your review. People have to be permitted to make these mistakes.
Just take it on faith that one day she will understand that the law will go on nicely without her but that knitting ties her to the deepest levels of the cosmos. THEN she'll regret that she WASTED all those years drafting jury instructions when she could have been making snowflake cardigans.
HA!! HAHAHAHA!
So yeah, just go ahead and make her the sweater. The easy one.
So So nice to have you back!
You've got to make a sweater obviously. But I suspect you only asked hoping someone would give you an excuse not to (that is certainly what I would have done in your situation).
I'd go with the Isla but maybe I'm a sucker for stockinette torture. I'd say, she put you in this position (aside from whoever rigged the draw of course) so knit the one you're more likely to enjoy (read not hate) knitting and at Christmas she'll act surprised and love you forever.
Hello!!
I've knitted ISLA (photo is here http://www.flickr.com/photos/7909093@N04/1194460378/ ) 2 years before but it's a very hard work.I suggest you that if you REALLY knit ISLA, going into round like a famous HOURGLASS SWEATER.
And in Japan, rowanspan 4ply is often used for swarrowtail shawl and hellingbone gloves.(but instruction is japanese)
http://www.tata-tatao.to/knit/simplegloves/herringbone.html
Hi, Carolyn!
I'm going to pose a different solution for you. I think you should give yourself permission to accept and enjoy your sister's gift...no strings attached! I once gave someone hundreds of yards of beautiful fabric when I moved...but I didn't expect her to make me anything in return...and she didn't. I was truly happy to see her being the recipient of something she loved so much! Please take the pressure off yourself this year...some other time you may knit something for your sister with no time pressures...like finding time to be with your family during the holidays - the greatest gift of all. My favorite gift from my children is the gift of time with them.
I hope this helps...no time for "guilt".
Peace.
Sorry, Carolyn -
I accidentally sent the last comment as anonymous - it's from Maureen (Rhode Island)...sorry!
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