maths: adding up the little things

I am becoming a Knitter. How do I know? I’m now taking the time to work on the little details that turn something from homemade to handmade. It really is the little things that add up and make a difference, things such as my tension in relationship to the project and yarn. While it’s been something I’ve been working toward for a few years now, I credit this more recent reflection to a book I am reading (there’s a surprise). A passage within reminded me that even famous art is handmade, and that made me pause and take stock of the little details around me. Some items I create look homemade and I am very proud of them. Sometimes, however, due to impatience, I often allow homemade items to fly off into the greater world and if I stop to think about it. I shudder. I’m not saying there is anything wrong with homemade. I just want to take my work to the next level where it is ready to go. I’ve acquired the skills, now I need to practice the patience to properly put everything into place. (sorry, i couldn’t resist that sentence asked for it.)

So what does that mean? I ripped back what is photographed above. That was my third attempt at Whisper Cardigan by Hannah Fettig . I kept going down a needle size in each attempt and while this was close, I was not happy with the fabric I was creating. I plugged on for about 5 inches before I really sat and thought about why I was continuing to knit something I was knitting for myself that I was not happy with. When I answered in the affirmative to the question of “could I fix it?” I knew it was time to rip back and try a gain. I am using my wonderful Hiya-Hiya interchangeable set and the wonderful LB 1878 wool. My knitting has loosened so much in the past year I’m now down to 3.25mm as my largest needle in the project to get the proper tension. I am LOVING the LB 1878 — it doesn’t show that I’ve knitted and reknit it several times at this point. Yay! I love the colour (Natural Heather) and look forward to spending some time with the project in the future. I’m about an inch in and loving every moment of it. I look forward to creating a beautiful handmade garment that I will wear.

• Category: handmade