It has been since I last bought yarn!

Monday, September 29, 2008

The Slog

There comes a time in all knitting careers where the knitter stops and thinks to themselves, "I will never finish this damn project". Since I'm the kind of knitter who needs to see the end of their project before they can cast on anew, this is particularly hard for me. I call this time of doubt and agony "the SLOG".

The slog is when you're muddling through something, just grinding out to get it finished. You hate the yarn, hate the pattern and hate yourself for ever thinking you could knit this in the first place. You're somewher between the start line and finish. Usually the finish line is just becoming visable- but you just feel as though you can't go on, as if you cannot possibly wake up tomorrow and knit anything else. You desire for new! and! exciting! projects/yarn! is at your highest. You want to do something else, knit with something else, ANYTHING ELSE, instead of carrying on. The slog is when I'm most tempted to buy more yarn- because anything shiny and new is more exciting than what I'm working with.

Ladies and Gentlemen, (yes there's one of you- HI DAD!), we're in full SLOG zone.

Slog #1: The Pink Powder Sweater of NEVER.ENDING.STOCKING.STITCH.


I want to finish this so bad. I'm going to Cuba in two weeks and I think it would be the perfect light sweater to wear over my bathing suit or in the cool of the evening. (Does the "cool" part even happen? I'm highly doubtful.) The thing is, I'm sick to death of this project. I hate the yarn (HELLLO splitty!) and I'm pretty convinced that no amount of blocking is going to even out the stitches in some parts. I know I just need to keep going but I seem to only be able to knit a few rows and then my brain threatens to completely shut down in boredom.

What I'd rather be knitting instead: The Holiday Sweater. (Ravelry link- sorry non Rave members) The pattern isn't even out for this yet- the designer is still "tweaking it" but I want to make this so bad. The only thing getting me through the boredome of the pink sweater is the idea of the Holiday sweater.

Slog #2: The Rise and Shine Socks of I JUST WANT TO KEEP SLEEPING I'M SO BORED!

Yes. I'm still working on them. Yes. This is all the progress I've made. Yes. The color did pool rather nicely didn't it?

To be fair- these are my "travel" socks. They get worked on random flights and lunch hours at work and I'm not expected to knit them up in 20 minutes. But I'm just done with them already! What kills me is this is only sock 1- I still have another sock to go! Oh the evil slogginess!

What would I rather be knitting? The Endpaper Mitts. I feel like I'm ready for the fair isle challenge. My office temperature varies between "North Pole" and "Meat Locker" and I can't help but daydreaming how toasty my hands would be all wrapped up in these fancy little delights. Hell, I even have STASH YARN to use! But no. I slog on with the socks of boringness.

Slog #3: Baby Hats Total or WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING PLANNING TO KNIT SO MANY?!?

Bringing the process of slog to a complete snail's pace are the baby hats. I'm behind the tally. My goal was to be at 39 hats by the end of September. I had to put down my needles and grind some of these out or I was never going to be able to meet the year end goal of 1 hat per week. What kills me further is that there are so many hats to go... whenever I think I can just grind the pink sweater out I remember that I need to devote some of my time to the hats and catching up. The hats are my goal for the year. I want to get to 52. I need to say I did that!

I will give the hats a little kudos... they're depleting the acrylic stash slowly but surely. I've long wanted to get the stash down to yarn I'm not ashamed to show off to people. The more hats I grind out- the more acrylic stash space I acquire.

What I would rather be knitting? These mittens. Again- I've got stash yarn to knit them in red and I want to make a matching scarf. I know someone who would love this for Christmas- and they'd be quick too! But no... hats first. I have to catch up to the hats. Maybe I'll make mittens next year?

Slowing the slog even more: In a moment of pure insanity, I promised to knit my entire Breast Cancer Team pink ribbon cuffs for our walk this coming Sunday. All projects have been put on hold until I churn out 9 of these puppies! (Thankfully they go quick, I knit 3 today!) There will be pictures when they're all done- but YEESH how do I get myself into these slog situations!?

So that's where I'm at- in full slog zone- praying to the knitting gods to grant me speed and clarity (because the last thing I need to do is get to the end of a project and realize I need to rip back the whole thing for an error), so that I can just hurry up and finish already.

And so- without much to show for myself in this post- I return to the slog.... where I live on the faint hope that someday I'll be posting finished photos of these objects and we can all rejoice together about something new for me to talk about!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

You go with your sloggy self! At least the hats are cute, the sweater is all pinky and cute, and the sock is almost done! Have fun!