Not quite. I sent my Level 1 TKGA Master Knitters binder via first class air mail on January 24th. It arrived 8 weeks later. What an epic mail fail! I knew that deliveries were a bit delayed due to extra precautions stateside, but boy! I think some folks have their binder returned within 8 weeks, mine just barely arrived!
I find it funny that it took me 3 weeks to complete the work and more than twice that time to send it! Well, not so much funny as perhaps bitterly ironic.
Regardless, I'm focusing on the positive. The binder arrived! Woohoo! And now the real nail biting waiting begins as my binder certainly is in the hands of the committee now!
Other news, I finished and sent off my first garment for publication. In all honesty, it's really lovely. What I find really interesting about the process is that it gave me an entirely new level of scrutiny for my work. Not to mention a few mishaps along the way. Since I may not be alone in my unlucky or distracted ways, I'll post the disasters and solutions for the unfortunate souls. If you're unlucky, click on read more. If you live a charmed life, go back to your knitting. You would never snip the wrong thread.
I find it funny that it took me 3 weeks to complete the work and more than twice that time to send it! Well, not so much funny as perhaps bitterly ironic.
Regardless, I'm focusing on the positive. The binder arrived! Woohoo! And now the real nail biting waiting begins as my binder certainly is in the hands of the committee now!
Other news, I finished and sent off my first garment for publication. In all honesty, it's really lovely. What I find really interesting about the process is that it gave me an entirely new level of scrutiny for my work. Not to mention a few mishaps along the way. Since I may not be alone in my unlucky or distracted ways, I'll post the disasters and solutions for the unfortunate souls. If you're unlucky, click on read more. If you live a charmed life, go back to your knitting. You would never snip the wrong thread.
Disaster 1: Almost finished! Just wove in the 2nd to last end! Distracted by crying toddler. Console the little one, turn back to my work and snip the wrong thread right at the base of the garment. It immediately starts unraveling through the ribbing. Aaack!
Step 1: Set everything down, out of the way of the toddler. Take a few deep breaths, put the baby down for a nap, and then when the house is entirely quiet and distraction free, pull out the knitting.
Step 2: Cut a foot long length of yarn and thread it onto a tapestry needle. Start an inch "up stream" of the unintentional cut and duplicate stitch alongside the cut thread to reinforce it. In the last few duplicate stitches pierce the cut end through the middle as you stitch to "weave" the new yarn together with the old yarn. Weave in the new end. Snip. Open a nice bottle of red wine to celebrate your brilliance.
Disaster 2: Completed, blocked, and absolutely lovely garment wrapped up safely in a bag to prevent any unintentional snags until I get to Fed Ex. Step out of the door carrying, knitting bag, purse, keys, cell phone and precious knit. Toddler takes off to the left, 4 year old to the right as I swing to keep both girls in my sight, catch the bag with the finished knit on a rose bush, tearing the bag and putting a 2 inch snag in the knit! Ugh!
Step 1: Calm down. Tuck the girls safely in the car, sing nursery rhymes on the way to the creche to drop them off.
Step 2: Drive to a remote and quiet location, pull out knitting and inspect the damage. One of the 4 strands in the yarn has been pulled about 2" out of the knitted surface. Carefully inspect the stitches around the snag to see where most of the slack should be taken up. Use a blunt dpn to gently and gradually tug the snag back in line with the yarn it was separated from, working first one direction and then the other until all stitches are uniform and the strand is "retwisted" with the yest of the yarn.
Step 3: Rush to Fed Ex and send it out before any more damage befalls it at my hand.
Step 1: Set everything down, out of the way of the toddler. Take a few deep breaths, put the baby down for a nap, and then when the house is entirely quiet and distraction free, pull out the knitting.
Step 2: Cut a foot long length of yarn and thread it onto a tapestry needle. Start an inch "up stream" of the unintentional cut and duplicate stitch alongside the cut thread to reinforce it. In the last few duplicate stitches pierce the cut end through the middle as you stitch to "weave" the new yarn together with the old yarn. Weave in the new end. Snip. Open a nice bottle of red wine to celebrate your brilliance.
Disaster 2: Completed, blocked, and absolutely lovely garment wrapped up safely in a bag to prevent any unintentional snags until I get to Fed Ex. Step out of the door carrying, knitting bag, purse, keys, cell phone and precious knit. Toddler takes off to the left, 4 year old to the right as I swing to keep both girls in my sight, catch the bag with the finished knit on a rose bush, tearing the bag and putting a 2 inch snag in the knit! Ugh!
Step 1: Calm down. Tuck the girls safely in the car, sing nursery rhymes on the way to the creche to drop them off.
Step 2: Drive to a remote and quiet location, pull out knitting and inspect the damage. One of the 4 strands in the yarn has been pulled about 2" out of the knitted surface. Carefully inspect the stitches around the snag to see where most of the slack should be taken up. Use a blunt dpn to gently and gradually tug the snag back in line with the yarn it was separated from, working first one direction and then the other until all stitches are uniform and the strand is "retwisted" with the yest of the yarn.
Step 3: Rush to Fed Ex and send it out before any more damage befalls it at my hand.
RSS Feed