The images above are what Torey and I have completed so far of the Amherst Sweater class sample. I show you our work in progress because I'd like to pose a question.
Have you ever started a project, gotten very near the end, and then suddenly realised you may not have enough yarn? Well, if you have, then you are not alone! It would seem that even owning your very own knit shop does not protect you from such a folly. Torey and I started the Amherst Sweater sample with such anticipation. I was going to knit up the back, while Tore was going to knit up the sleeves. We would somehow divide up the 2 front pieces, depending on who finished first. It was a good plan, a perfect plan even. In theory. It would seem that we may not have enough of the Rowan cotton tape in our chosen color to finish. AArrrgghhh! The frustration! Of course, we could have stopped and done a bit of math before beginning in the first place. And yes, we could have very well chosen to work our project in a yarn that we could re-order. But alas, sadly, we didn't. Instead, we are a cautionary tale. A warning, if you will, of the perils of skipping the absolute irrefutable MUST DO'S of any project that you care to actually succeed in finishing. *Note that last phrase....."that you care to actually succeed in finishing." I emphasize this because I don't always care to finish. (Wait...if you put your ear to the computer, you can probably hear Torey laughing at that last comment. ) See, I think the world of knit and crochet is divided up into 2 seperate catagories. The "product knitters" and the "process knitters". The "product knitters" are completely focused on the end result. They have a finish line in mind and they are going to cross it! However, the "process knitters" a.k.a. my people, are more interested in the journey. If they actually finish the piece, all the more reason to buy more yarn, and start something else. But, it's not really necessary to them. The "process knitters" will buy more yarn and start something new regardless. Of course, I am a "Professional Process Knitter". This means that I start 4 or 5 new things at a time. However, my beloved sister is the "Queen Product Knitter". Torey finishes what she starts. Always. It can be annoying. So, you can understand our canundrum. At this point, unless I find some random balls of cotton tape secretly stashed in my house somewhere, then Houston - we have a problem.
Wait, scratch that last sentence! Just as I was typing it, a little light bulb went off in my head. I could actually see the missing ball of yarn. I get up to look, and YES! It's there! Lying at the bottom of my underwear drawer, a brand new ball of Rowan cotton tape. Mind you, it's 11:40 at night, but I call Torey any way to let her know. For some reason, her intial response to the good news is, "What was it doing at the bottom of your underwear drawer?" I explained that it wasn't my every day underwear drawer. That it was the one where I keep the stuff hubby has given me, or that I recieved at my bridal shower 10 years ago. Now that I think of it, the bigger question isn't why was it in that drawer, but instead, did it have dust on it?! Whew, crisis averted. I love a happy ending, don't you? But let this be a lesson to you all. The moral of the story is to take your time and DO THE MATH, and also to remember that drawers of clothing you rarely use make for excellant yarn stashing.
By the way, this class is meeting tomorrow night, March 19th. I know of at least 2 people who are going to be just beginning the project, along with the folks that started last week. So, if you are ready to dive into your first sweater, or just want to join in on the fun - be sure to come by the shop. There is always room for one more. Also, for those of you who have made some progress so far, I would love to see it. E-mail me some pics to knitaffair@knitaffair.com . I want to document the "journey" for everyone else to enjoy online.
I also have some fun shots to show you from last weeks Saturday workshop. In this class we tried something new. We needle felted. Needle felting is a pretty unique method of adding some really fun embellishment to just about anything. If you haven't had a chance to swing by the shop lately, you really should stop in. We have a whole display of different needle felting kits to show you. The kits range from pretty little flowers to actually being able to put pictures of animals and shapes on things. You'll really have your friends and family wondering how you did it.
In this shot you can see Diane, along with Brooke and Jessica. Brooke is working on some very cute butterflys. We are going to be working with needle felting again on April 19th. Come see what all the fun is about.
Well, I need to be signing off. It's now after midnight and I am sure one, or both of the babies will rise up to rob me of my sleep at any moment. I am going to be in the shop on Thursday, and I would love some company. So, if you feel the flu coming on *wink, wink - call in "sick" and come join me for the day.
Meet you by the wool,
Rob
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