Wednesday, September 15, 2010

It knits like yarn

So, I swatched with the handspun I posted pictures of last time, and it seems to be acting like, well, not to put too fine a point on it - yarn. I made yarn! Yarn that can be knitted! Into a garment! (I hope. Still keeping my fingers crossed that I've calculated my yardages correctly, or the sleeves on this will be "bracelet length"; read: I didn't have enough yarn for the usual length.)
That appears to be knitting, doesn't it? I can get even closer, and it still looks like knitting.
Yup, lumpy and bumpy a bit, but I am still very happy. What this means, of course, is that I am absurdly proud of a feat that, two hundred years ago, could have been accomplished by a seven-year-old. Nevertheless.
The way this sweater works is that I knit the shoulder straps, then picked up stitches and am now knitting down the back for a bit; I will do the same for the front for the same length, then join them together and knit in the round until the body is finished. This is a lot of stockinette, so I'd planned to save it for knitting in meetings. That may not work, as I'm having a lot of fun with this thing. On the other hand, there may be other distractions on the horizon.

This brings me to a request I've been meaning to make. Could all y'all please, really just please, stop finding beautiful things to knit? You're killing me here. The latest distraction came from Lori. I've already bought the pattern and am in the process of assessing the stash (do you think Briar Rose alpaca laceweight held double would work? I really want it to...).

I beg of you, no more!

17 comments:

Lori said...

Yes Jocelyn, but could a 200-years-ago 7 year old teach linguistics? I THINK NOT. You win. :)

The yarn is knitting up beautifully! Like real yarn making a real sweater, which is real cool.

Wanderingcatstudio said...

It looks great! Love the colour!

EGunn said...

It's beautiful! I guess it's good to know that in 200 (2000? 20000?) years we still haven't managed to stop being humbled by children.

I'm afraid that I won't be able to stop finding fun things to knit. Does it help that I never share the patterns? You're just lucky I don't have time to knit all the things swirling around in my brain...the knitting plans have kicked into full September mode now...

twinsetellen said...

Oh, this post does me good. I am in total agreement - that sure does look like yarn. And the humility of acknowledging that this isn't a major human accomplishment underscores to me that it is a major accomplishment - you have connected to our history in a profound way.

(Me next?)

Willow said...

Isn't it amazing to start with a sheep and end up with a sweater?!

On the beautiful knits front, OK, I'll only knit ugly things for a while. Let me know when I can stop :)

Jane said...

As my DS2 would say, it's just like what real people make!
It's knitting up beautifully, you are rightly proud of yourself

Nana Sadie said...

hehehe. 200 years ago that 7 year old would have been doing a lot of things that 7 year olds don't do now, but hey, 7 year olds now do computers!
;)
It all depends on what we steer them towards...and I suspect, like Lori, that 7 year old couldn't teach linguistics. You were steered in another direction!

I LOVE your yarn - and your knitting. You go, girl!
And am NOT going to be seduced by your new pattern. (I'm still lusting after your cat mittens...that's on my queue) Nor am I going to be sucked into spinning...no way.
(((hugs)))

Gwen said...

I believe you're right. That looks like real yarn! in real knitting! WooHoo!

7 year olds today, they don't know how good they got it. Or something.

Laurie said...

Oh dear gosh that's a great pattern - tell you what, I'll stop if you will! LOL!

Your yarn is lovely and truly yarny. That seven year old would be proud of you. :-)

Mary Lou said...

I can't make yarn. That sure looks like yarn to me. And a color yarn that they probably didn't have 200 years ago.

FUZZARELLY said...

I made a sweater from some of the first handspun I ever created. I even used natural dyes, (walnuts,) to color it. And? In spite of the slight uneven yarn, it turned out wonderfully and I would still wear it if it fit me.

I ended up spinning lots of three-ply yarns for sweaters, as it resulted in a more round yard that was also more even.

Your yarn and sweater? Incredible and beautiful!

Rachael said...

It looks lovely!!!

Alwen said...

I'll be good and just put on my Talk Like A Pirate Voice to say "Yarrrrrrrn!"

AlisonH said...

Funny how that inspiration thing works...! And keeps on working.

Okay, word verification: molepi.

Does Elizabeth Zimmerman know about that? Is it a mixture of M1s and O's in that shawl?

(Annnnnd... We're off!)

Unknown said...

Hooray for handspun!

Bea said...

Yay! Yarn that looks and acts like yarn!! I think a very good thing that I've been busy and can't troll blogs means that I have less of those lovely distractions. Of course at this point anything on my needles would be good but I have nothing.

Carrie#K said...

No such luck, temptation lurks everywhere.

For example, here. That looks fabulous.