while the progress of the crocuses opening has not been impeded by the gale-force winds and driving rain we had yesterday, other projects have suffered some setbacks.
see that? it looks just the same as yesterday, right? that’s because it pretty much IS the same as yesterday, only reborn a little. there is actually no excuse for what happened—none at all.
i sat down to knit last night while i chatted on the phone with my mom, intending to do the project bonding i talked about yesterday and get loads of knitting accomplished—i was all set to add inches and inches of fabric, maybe even a foot if i was really focused.
after a few rows i realized what i had known all along since i first cast on and was effectively blocking out: the wrap was quite a bit wider than i’d planned for the intended size i was knitting (petite). way too big.
normally i would have shrugged and made it the tall size and carried on but i checked out my yarn supply and saw that if i did that, i’d basically end up with something that was very wide and only just barely overlapped in front. not exactly the comfort wrap i envisioned.
to make matters worse? i realized also that i had figured all the numbers right after all (it was scrawled on my note sheet in black and white), but blithely cast on for the wrong size anyway.
(furthermore, i proceeded to write the numbers into the pattern wrong, so good thing i caught that. heh.)
sigh. really it’s not a big deal; i was only about 5 inches into it and i managed to rip back and knit back to the same length i was before in a short amount of time. what concerns me more is how i just lost my mind completely when getting started—i seriously can’t remember any details about choosing what number to cast on and why i didn’t follow my notes. must’ve been on total autopilot. or—heh—chatting with my mom . . .
that could explain it.
and that’s why we have sock knitting, right? to soothe away what ails us and ensure that we go to bed at night feeling like we actually accomplished something?
also good for soothing the brain and upping the accomplishment quotient—blocking.
even when it’s not my knitting (you know how i love my blocking).
this is vanessa’s completed maplewing shawl in woolen rabbit whisper merino lace, colorway chiquita
i honestly hardly recognize the yarn, now that it’s knitted up (more autopilot??). i remember the skein as being purple, but clearly it is not just purple. or even predominantly purple.
actually, who cares what color it is—it’s gorgeous, right? i blocked this one wider and shorter than i blocked my own, because i wish i had blocked my own this way.
did i mention that kim has a listing in her shop now so anyone can pre-order a kit for the shawl?
i think we’re getting very close to the release date—rachel is in a place where she can go forward with proofreading; we should have a finished pattern in a couple of days.
and nan finished her shawl in kim’s oakmoss colorway—you really should go over to nan’s blog to see it (i’ll wait). is that not beautiful? BTW, for the petite people in the audience, nan is tiny and she knit up the petite size, which seems to be fitting her very well.
so now that we’re all whipped up into a maplewing frenzy again, i need to go see about that wrap and getting some real work accomplished on it.
31 thoughts on “sometimes progress goes backward”
Wow! The maplewings just get prettier and prettier! I’ve pre-ordered mine in Kim’s new Pussywillow colorway. I decided to step a little outside my usual color choices; I know I can’t go wrong with Kim’s colors!
I feel your ‘ripping out’ pain right now. I much too blithely ingore the call of the life line, so I had much the same experience with my Caricia over the weekend. Oh well…it’s all part of the experience (I keep telling myself).
Maplewing in Chiquita… I hardly know what to say, it’s so beautiful. The wonderful design and the amazing color give perfection in form, function and beauty. Nothing more could be asked for.
I pre-ordered the kit in the Pussywillow colorway. I can’t wait to get the kit! Just finishing up the Woodsmoke sock. Love that heel and the pattern. Once I got use to that K3tog without breaking a needle (I hate when that happens), I was fine.
just some days…. thank you very much i am waiting
If the designer would give a girl a hint as to needle size, this girl could start it while she’s sitting in Big Sky, Montana!!! I think I have 6 choices of yarn, including one from the Woolen Rabbit.
How amazing! I love the Chiquita color. I’m thinking there will be quite a few people stalking here until Maple Wing comes up. Another fantastic shawl!
You love blocking? Can I come visit you when I finish my Maplewing? 😉 I ordered a kit in Arabian Nights – I have a love thing with the purple – but I may need a red one and a gold one too…
your shawls just blow me away everytime. I know I have commented before, and you know I love your work but when I see your shawls it just takes my breath away. I need more hours in a day so I can knit them, any ideas?
It’s good to know that I’m not the only one who does things like that! That maplewing looks absolutely STUNNING — the colors just keep getting better. I’ve go to go check Nan’s out. 🙂 (P.S. Still loving that sock.)
Anne- It’s one of those designs, where the motif is large, that any color would look amazing.
It is simply stunning.
Maplewing Shawl = Beautiful = Making me drool and getting itchy knitting fingers. 🙂
I cannot wait for Maplewing to come out. Even my husband made impressed noises- he appreciates the knitting and thought behind the patterns, too.
Happy Wednesday!
maplewing is just breathtaking! my feeble knitting progress can’t keep up with your gorgeous designs!
I have been a fan of your knit blog for over a year now, I’m currently in the middle of Twinings…however Maplewing constantly calls out to me. I love the gentle swaying pattern.
WOW! I have a good idea how mine will turn out now in that color. 🙂
That Maplewing is stunning!!
i really don’t need any tempting on the maplewing…bad enough when i went to woolen rabbit to order yarn for a different project i was tempted by the pre-order (and so many pretty colors – i don’t think you can go wrong) but you keep showing it here! ya must want us all to knit one or something, sheesh…. 😉
you think my boss would notice if i start knitting on the job?!
Every time I see Maplewing (no matter the color) I am just gobsmacked! So very beautiful.
My only fear is that if I cast on one more thing, my house will explode. Probably worth it, though…
So Ohio is responsible for the wind that’s howling around my house, blipping the power, and ruining the evening’s online experience …
Maplewing is beautiful indeed. I already have a long list of Knitspot projects to accomplish. Right now, it’s to knit Boxleaf in white-with-silvery-glints yarn as a wedding present to my soon-to-be DIL. Your patterns are so beautiful, and so tempting.
Maplewing looks just as great in Chiquita and Oakmoss, too! Let me know if you can get your brain off of autopilot. I’d like to try that with mine. 🙂
oooo, this one’s for me. Mine is ordered in Pussywillow, cannot wait to get me stubby widdle fingers around the ol’ needles!! Thank you, Anne, for a another heavenly objet d’art!!!
OMG! The shawl is gorgeous…..
Maplewing is gorgeous! Someday my knitting skills will b e up to that.
This may be my all-time favorite shawl. Gorgeous! I wish lace knitting didn’t make me want to stick and Addi in my eye.
Maplewings has to be my all-time favorite shawl. You were really inspired when you designed this one. And I have to agree with Suzanne in the comments – I love lace knitting, it doesn’t love me. Not one bit.
Can you believe I’ve forgotten how fascinatingly swirly the bottom of Maplewing is? Well done all!
Well I’m ordering a kit ASAP. Who needs to eat anyway. 🙂
You are creating such beauty! Every time you show a picture of the Maplewing shawl I love it more, she is quite simply a work of art. And I am really looking forward to this sock pattern!
Can I just say thank you soooo much for telling us about your little autopilot moment. I can’t speak for everyone but it sure makes me feel a bit better about mine when I know awesome knitters like you do it too occasionally. Of course, you recover way faster than I do. hee hee hee
I wish I loved blocking… I know it needs to be done, I know it’s satisfying when it IS done, and yet I hate doing it. Hunched over on all fours, sticking little pins in every 2 inches… Gah! 🙂
Droool… is this what happens when I fall behind on bloglines? 😉
Comments are closed.