Episode 28: Second Chance

Episode 28: Second Chance (37:57)

This week we talk about what happens to the knits that just don't work for us. In our second segment we return to the bookshelf for more books we love that we still haven't knit from.

Second life knitting
What to do when your knitting just won't cooperate.

Panda Cotton
Life in LaLaLumay Land
Salt Peanuts
Simply Marilyn
Flashdance
Grace by Karen Stockton
Blue Cherry
Tulips
Princess Padme Amidala (of Naboo!)
Kurasawa
Cabled vest
Kureyon vest
Moorish Lattice sweater
Retro prep
Boobholder pattern
Boobholder double-breasted
Jenny's Bolero
Turtleneck shrug
Fitzgerald
Elann Cuzco Wrap

Books we love that we have never knit from
More books for our coffee tables.
Norsk Strikkedesign
Handknit Holidays
Handknit Holidays-along (for pictures of FOs from this book)

Music:
Dig Me Out: Sleater Kinney
Shumba: Cosmas Magaya
Oxbow: Continental

Comments

[tekopp.]

A friend of mine just knit one of the sweaters from norsk strikkedesign... her work was fairly good but the sweater turned out very weird, and it has everything to do with the pattern. The sweater is very short and the arms are almost as wide as the sweater itself at some point.

I don't think very highly of the patterns in that book, the charts and colors are nice. But all the shapes are pretty silly (huge HUGE arms at the top)

[Nancy in Holland, Michigan]

Thanks, Jen and Nicole, for another great podcast. Your conversations are so much fun, and very thought-provoking. I love that you have in-depth discussions about many aspects of knitting, knit-shopping and -planning, and then you share them with all of us. Keep up the good work!

[aija]

Nice show! Yall have me thinking about my stalled ufo's (namely a starsky sweater started forever ago that I've fallen out of love with). Time to start reconsidering its fate, taking up space in the "stash" :)

[Deborah]

I've frogged before because I loved the yarn but it just wasn't right for the project. But if the yarn just isn't for me, I'll give it away (i.e. the Blue Sky Dyed Cotton tank top. I ordered the same color that was shown in the print ads for the pattern, a vibrant orange called Poppy. It looked terrific on the model, but my husband said it made me look like a traffic cone!)

[danielle]

this brings up an interesting question about the definitions of process knitter vs. product knitter...

i've always defined myself as a process knitter BECAUSE i don't mind frogging an entire project (just more knitting to do). i've knit things, realized i don't like them, frogged them, rewound the yarn, and knit them into something else.

and yet you defined yourself as a process knitter for NOT frogging something and just finishing it instead. which also makes sense-- because in a sense, you're knitting for the sake of knitting... and yet... you still seem invested in finishing the actual product.

see? confusing.

[Erica]

I love "knitting coffee table books", too. Even if I don't end up actually making something from them, they serve as terrific artistic inspiration. Someday, I'll have a coffee table for them...

Hey, I posted a bunch of pictures to the flickr group, including some "oneskein" ones. More to come.

[Kristine]

Yea! I love continental and I love when you play them on your podcast.

[Leslie]

another great show... i, too, cannot imagine frogging a whole sweater. in fact, i have actually given sweaters away to goodwill rather than frog them. if the sweater didn't turn out right, the yarn (no matter how nice) ends up making me cringe by the end. plus, i cannot imagine undoing hours and hours of work. i'd rather just give it away and hope that someone else found a good use for it. that said, i have started to unravel *in process* projects (socks or hats) that don't seem to be working out. but that's a much smaller scale and i also make that decision well before i've bound off. on your other topic, i also loooovvvveee pretty knitting books even if i've never knit from them. two examples from my collection include mason-dixon knitting and fitted knits. thanks for another great episode.

[tarahsolazy]

Another fun podcast! Thinking of frogging an entire sweater here, too. What possessed me to knit a bulky short jacket in Sheepsdown with a color patterned band when I'm a little chunky myself? No idea. But I look distinctly Michelin-ish in the thing.

[Abigail]

I'm glad you talked about Handknit Holidays, you reminded me that I want to knit the menorah pillow for my grandmother this year!

Thanks. :)

[Glenna]

Hurray! I'd forgotten about the new podcast on Tuesday but today now that I've remembered, this will be the thing to get me out the door again for a run. I'm off to download and put the shoes on and enjoy. :)

[Sally Villarreal]

I think I've already mentioned my the sari silk shawl/throw I saved halfway through. I tend to frog sometime before I finish. I've frogged a good portion of SWTC Oasis (or was it Phoenix?) from a lacy poncho that didn't work.

I think sometimes you should just save a disaster as a conversation piece. And some things (Like the peacock turtle neck shrug) are great for hanging out with other knitters who won't be so baffled.

I am a Christmas person, and I see myself using it as a great excuse to use gaudy, sparkly, furry yarn. There was a new Christmas knitting book at my LYS that really inspired me. The only thing is I associate Christmas knits with cheap yarn.

[Sally Villarreal]

PS - If the cats love the unfelted stuff, why not just leave them unfelted next time?

[Courtney Quintana]

Another GREAT pod cast lady's :-) Speaking of second chance yarn, I had 8 skeins of Cascade superwash 220 and I started a sweater but when I saw the Hemlockring blanket, I frogged and started it, it is a beautiful blanket and an easy knit. It is on Brooklyn tweed's blog (http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/08/hemlock-ring-blanket.html) There is also a KAL for this for anyone who is interested: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hemlockringkal/..... anyways, it is a great pattern and anyone can see pictures on of it on my blog(www.confessionsofaknitter.blogspot.com) , I am making it out of sage green. Happy Knitting :-)

[BrookC]

I just found your podcast this weekend. I know your trying to destash but man are you two making me want to run out and buy a bunch of fancy yarn. I thought my stash was a little bad but now I feel the need to add to it because it is nowhere near yours. And I'm only on episode 4. Thanks for the great podcast!!!

[Julie Boylan]

What is the "vested wrest"? vest Nicole mentioned? I didn't see it in the show notes and I probably misheard the name. It had ribbing at the sides for shaping.

[Holly]

Another great show, ladies! I have a manos poncho that I am considering repurposing; I don't know if I want to frog it, because I worry that the nature of Manos will make it sort of "sticky" and difficult to frog. I had thought of throwing it in the wash and felting it, and letting the cats use it as a resting pad, but I bet my cats would be as persnickety as yours, Jenny. It's 6 skeins (two strands held together, I think), so I could get a good bit out of it. Maybe I will frot it and make a purse - just what I need - more unknit yarn! Thanks for getting me thinking, though.

[Kimberli]

My first S&B post!

1. Thanks for the great podcasts!! I'm learning so much as a newly addicted knitter. I've known how to knit basic stitches for years but only this summer really got sucked into stash-land. Just last week I was finally sucked into Ravelry...you know what that means...endless hours of trolling and creating and NOT knitting!. I have to force myself to step away from the computer, plug in the earbuds with loads of Stash & Burn, and knit, knit, knit.

2. My main question before digressing above: Is the picture of the purple fluffy stuff with the lovely kitty (?Abyssinian?)Elann's Cuzco? I'm searching for a good fluffy, marsh-mellowy, soft, cozy yarn to knit wraps, socks, nighties, afghans. Would this work do you think? Colors online at the moment look really beautiful.

So now it's time to stop ignoring my 4yr old son and fix dinner!

(Back away from the computer Kim...)