That's right, in my infinite wisdom I have cast on three different projects that each have miles of stockinette I am required to knit. Currently on the needles are Isabella, Hey Teach!, and Twirly Skirt. What makes it even worse is that in wanting to make things easier on myself (and see how well that worked out!), I adjusted two of the three projects, Isabella and Twirly Skirt, to be knit in the round so all I am doing is the knit stitch, over and over until the coming of the Apocalypse (at least that's what it feels like!). Thankfully Hey Teach! gives me a little break as it is a button front cardigan so I am knitting it flat, one row knit one purl, although admittedly I am knitting the two front pieces and back piece all as one instead of in three seperate pieces so the rows seem to go on forever!
I'd give anything for some lace work or some fiddly cables right now, even some scary colorwork would be welcome. But no, I have to perform the knit stitch, ad nauseum. Theoretically I know it will be over eventually, but first I have to cross this boring desert of knit to either finish the item or progress to a far more interesting section of the project to work on.
Why not cast on a new project that has a more interesting stitch pattern you ask? Let me present Exhibit A, the Lacy Shell that took well over 3 months to finish. That may not seem like a lot to you, but I prefer to finish things in a more acceptable period of time (by my own standards, I am not judging anyone else's productivity here!) and this one kept getting put off with other projects so I instituted the 3 project rule (and I'm sticking to this one by gawd!) of no more than three fiber projects in progress at any one time. So for now I am in the hinterlands of stockinette, but I will cross this seemingly endless expanse of desert and move onto something more interesting. Something like the Haruni shawl I have planned, doesn't seem nearly so scary now that I am bored to tears. Note to self, in the future make sure to cast on different kinds of projects, something with cables or colorwork, lace, ribbing, anything but endless row upon row of stockinette!
I found your blog on Rav and am I glad I did! Stuck in Stockinette Land is brilliant because sometimes I feel like the only resident here! I am somewhat of a newbie knitter (can't say intermediate until I tackle teaching myself dpn's and circs--I am afraid of both!) and feel like stockinette is best friend to the straights! Love your pics, too!! Good luck!
ReplyDeletePatience is a virtue! This'll teach you to overdo it....awww who am I kidding?
ReplyDeleteI like your analogy of crossing a desert when describing endless rows and rows of stockinette stitch. I have been there!
ReplyDeleteAw, shucks, thanks for the kind words! Except for you Grumpy, be nice or no handknits for you this christmas! I am getting up the courage to cast on some lace work as a relief from the monotony. I'm sure I'll have a post soon about how well that goes!
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny because I know exactly how you feel. Having been stuck in stockinette before, it makes me want to kill for a cable or something. Then I end up switching to a project that involves so much concentration I can't just do it while watching TV and I find myself yearning for stockinette again. :)
ReplyDeletelol, i feel for you hon, I wish I had a 3 project rule, perhaps something to work towards
ReplyDeleteYeah, I can't stand to have more than one plain stockinette project going on at once, I start to go insane otherwise!
ReplyDelete