Is it me, or is it the project? That's what I always wonder when a project continues to perpetuate the funk that first envelops it when things start to go wrong... even when you've tried to right the wrong, every which way.
Exhibit A: the unfinished Muande vest, which I'm afraid is now permanently unfinished. The particular ju-ju of this project is Will Not Be Completed. It's an old story that you've surely heard before.
You've heard it before right here in fact, because I was just griping about this vest a few weeks ago. After two - yes two - unhappy endings that were ripped back to the armholes, this vest seemed to gain a new lease on life when I took a workshop on steeking at SAFF. Steeking! The solution to my design problem - to maintain the stripe pattern, I needed to keep working the vest in the round. But how to get armholes? Steek them, of course!
So I did that. Choppy-Choppy!
Then I finished off the shoulders, and all I had to do was work the neckband and the cuffs - cuffs? What do you call the finishing around the armholes of a vest? They're not cuffs. Anyway, you know what I'm talking about. That's all I had to knit. A tiny bit. And that's when I ran out of yarn. Just millimeters from the finish line...
Unfinished.
The sad part is that this was a wonderful one-of-a-kind gift yarn sent by a friend from France. So it's not like I can just go run out the LYS and grit my teeth while I pay for a full ball of yarn needing only 18 inches of it to finish a project. That would suit me fine right about now! I'd be happy to pay for 100 yards of yarn and use 0.5 yards, thank you very much.
And it's not like I can just rip it back and rework it a bit to economize on the gray yarn because I CUT IT UP WITH SCISSORS. CHOPPY CHOPPY.
Unfinished.
Bad ju-ju. It hangs around a knitting project like preteen girls at the stage door of a Justin Bieber show. Go away, project funk! Go funk up a political campaign or something and leave me to my quiet little hobby.
So impressed that you did the choppy choppy! What if you cut the yarn an inch from the hem, took off the bottom, borrowed some of the yarn and made it a bit more croppy croppy? (sorry, couldn't resist) and then knit back down a tiny ribbing on the bottom...
ReplyDeleteI agree I think there is ju-ju with yarn! I had a project just like yours. Took the whole thing apart and tried it with another pattern and it didn't turn out either!!
ReplyDeletedefinatly bad ju juj.... I think we have all had this at some stage. Mine was lilac baby yarn that ended up in the bin after many years of trying various patterns. Either BAG it up and give away to a charity shop or bin it.
ReplyDeleteShazzy
AKA Knitwytch
Could you try posting a plea on Ravelry for a bit of the yarn? If you have the ball band, you might find an international knitter or traveler that could send you enough to finish.
ReplyDeleteOh no ! It can't be !! I need to go an check in my stash if I still have some Muande for you, I'll be back !
ReplyDeleteI hear ya, sister! I'm currently dealing with my own voodoo yarn and, not that I am happy you are frustrated, it is comforting to have reassurance that I am not alone.
ReplyDeleteI do have some left overs of this yarn in grey (lovely yarn, rustic look but sooo soft!). Not much, but maybe enough for your "cuffs" ?
ReplyDeleteDo not hesitate to contact me if you'd like to break the juju !
Sorry to comment on something completely unrelated to your knitting post, but an Etsy shop is selling your free star-nosed mole pattern for $1: http://www.etsy.com/listing/87502464/cute-mole-knitting-pattern-skill-level -- as all of the other patterns they're selling are also free, I doubt this was a one-time slip-up. I thought you'd like to know that someone is stealing your intellectual property. :/
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Kristin! You and some other folks ratted out the seller and Etsy has taken it down. THANKS for looking out for me! : )
ReplyDeletehmmm....if I was in your situation I might just not do 'cuffs'/ribbing, but figure out a way to do a decorative cast off or trim around the neck and arms, perhaps? With the bad ju-ju going on I would just try to brute force it to my will and be done! You WILL do what I want, yarn, NOT what YOU want!
ReplyDelete