I knitted this sweater at least eight years ago and probably have worn it in as many times. I submitted it for the Black Sheep Gathering fiber show then, and Judith MacKenzie awarded me a blue ribbon. I'm proud of it. It's the first project I made from fiber that I bought as fleece, had processed and then spun. It has all the flattering shape of sweatshirt, in spite of all my detailed knitting.
It has been a candidate for "reassignment" for years. The fleece is from Terry Mendenhal and I think she said the fleece color was champagne - can't remember. I'm sure it was prettier on the animal than in a garment. I had thought about painting the sweater, ripping it and reknitting but realized that while fun, the garment would probably still not be a wearable garment. I've decided that Sunday is a "should" free day, which means I don't think I should clean the counter, deck, floor, mirror - whatever. I decided I "wanted" to rip out this sweater.It took a few hours but my sweater now looks like this. It's really lovely yarn, a triple-ply Merino. I'm already eyballing several recipes for it's reincarnation. I'm lucky that it was a lovely afternoon so I could sit the front deck to the accompaniment of bird songs. I thought -you really should skein these now so you can soak them. Hush brain.
The most frustrating thing of all, more than snags and knots, were the flies. I was wearing shorts and flip-flops and shorts, and the flies kept walking on my feet and legs. I told Ian I was going to change clothes but he said wait a minute. He came out with this baggie of pennies in water. It's something he had read about in the Handyman magazine. They said if you'd hang it on your porch, it would ward off flies. I don't get it, but I also didn't get another fly.
11 comments:
I think this is a great recycle project! I can't wait to see what the wool becomes next!
Such beautiful yarn! It's kind of like gold, just melt it down and make something else.
Bag, pennies = no flies? Is the bag open at the top?
How weird about the flies! I suppose it's something about the reaction with copper.
The sweater looks beautiful, but if it had gone unworn that long, ripping seems like a great choice. Can't wait to see what it turns into!
Boy....I don't know if I could rip and re-knit even if it was my handspun yarn. You are woman made of steel in my eyes!
The pennies in the baggie...my inlaws, retired dairy farmers, do this on their porches. And believe me cows draw a lot of flies! A fairly innocuous deterrent. I think they read somewhere that the pennies in water look like the eyes of a predator. But if that were true...why are they not intimidated by big ol' me swinging a fly swatter?!
When you don't feel happy wearing a sweater there are only two solutions IMO: make it disappear or rip it. To be honest I'm usually in favor of the first solution and think you are brave taking it apart. Looking forward to seeing what you'll do with the wool now!
Wow - that was beautiful knitting! I guess once you got started there was no turning back. Somehow that little colletion of yarn doesn't look like a whole sweater. Looking forward to the next project.
I, myself, find the process of ripping out a sweater than just isn't doing it for me more cheerful than heart-wrenching. All that lovely yarn can now become something flattering to it's owner (which is what both deserve :-)
That's a great idea to unravel the sweater so that you can use your handspun for something else. I was impressed with your sweater!
I'd never heard of that remedy for flies, but it's good that it worked.
So brave, I have no idea how you rip something out that took so long to make lol
The water in the baggie (have seen it without pennies) seems to have a dazzling affect on their multi-faceted eyes. Apparently they don't like it.
Too bad the original sweater didn't work out as planned, but now it'll get a second chance to be something nice. Of course, the fact that's it's handspun makes that extra special.
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