2003-04-07-9:49 p.m.
I'm getting my tail kicked by a ball of yarn, a measly ball of yarn. This yarn in fact. The gray one on the left. It's got thready bits and then furry bits and it doesn't like me at all, which is sad because I like it quite a bit.

I've learned to cast on from a book. (I think). And, I dreamed up my own little project which would let me learn how to increase and decrease. It's meant to be a spring scarf. Not too thick. No wrapping. Button closure. Dicky front to tuck in coat. However, it's going poorly because of the yarn. The whole thing ends up leaping off the needles and I have to start over entirely. Making each stitch is arduous because the thready bits and furry bits get hung up on each other, so I just feel like I'm fighting with it. I'm using the right size needle. I don't think my stitches are too tight. The yarn just has no glide and it's clearly not a yarn for the novice knitting squirrel. Aieee. It's practically impossible to count stitches as well because it starts to look like muppet skin pretty quick.

So ---- any comments/advice from knitters appreciated. I really want to use this yarn even though it's clearly not working. I'm stubborn -- at least for the moment. :)
I tried doing this out of single crochet with a different yarn and that gave me the right density and stretchiness but I abandoned that project because of the yarn as well. It was too wooly. If I held the scarf to my neck for a few minutes my skin started feeling like I'd been bitten by fire ants. I can only just tolerate merino wool. Lesser wools feel EVIL -- so I didn't finish it because I'd never be able to wear it.

Anyhow, I could go back and try this yarn with crochet I guess. I just wanted more knitting practice. I know I should make something out of a book with recommended yarns but I never want to do things that way. I always want to leap in and do my own thing before I even have a grasp on the fundamentals. I'm an idiot.


Man -- It's snowing like crazy outside. We could have six inches by morning. The chipmunks came out of hibernation a week or so ago. I hope they can go back in for a bit.

previous - next