Saturday, May 05, 2007

Knit Quick?

As I sit here at the very beginning of what looks like miles and miles of picot edging that I must complete in order for my ShoalWater Shawl to be officially complete and bound off, I realize that it may take an entire day to get this darned thing bound off. I so desperately want to start something new, because I am anxious and eager, and dammit! I have finally become bored of this and need a quick easy project that doesn't take .. 5 weeks? How long have I been working on this? And then I look at a number of other knitters and the speed at which they finish their items. I know some people who claim to be "the world's slowest knitter" or a "quicki knitter" or what have you. But I honestly have no idea where I fit in to this. At knit night, the ladies come in with the same project, something different, always changing. I can't keep track of what's done and what's not, especially since there are a number of UFO's floating around places. Then I look at some blogs where there is post after post of "look what I just started" then BAM! "look what I just finished!" Sweaters, blankets, tops, whatever pumped out in no time. Are we living in different speeds of time? I didn't consider myself to be a slow knitter... I actually have no idea how I compare. I knit an awful lot while I am home... I hate to admit but I spend more time knitting than I do practicing my dance. So why does it take me so long to finish things, while it seems to take so much less time for others? Maybe I need to drop the size 5 needles and below for a minute and make a sweater than takes a good size 8!

And back to those picots I go. Maybe this will teach me that there are some things in knitting that no; just because it is there it doesn't mean I have to know or do it.

5 comments:

Adrienne said...

Have you considered joining a group that trades 8x8 squares every month? I use it as a great stash buster, and it gives me a second project that's Something Different from whatever big thing I'm working on. I do this one:

http://community.livejournal.com/stitchmysquare/

I know you're a one-project person, but maybe little 8x8s on the side won't feel like a second project?

:)

Kiwi said...

How interesting... maybe working on only one project adn being strictly dedicated is a little much... Maybe I'll try that or work on teeny side projects every now and then.

Thanks for the link! :o)

Nittany Knits said...

Socks! Instant gratification, and oh so portable!

You are not slow. They have no life and house elves doing all their work! Some of these people can knit a sweater on size 2 needles in a dark movie theater and have it finished before the credits are rolling. We are not those people. And we are doing just fine!

Kiwi said...

Socks are definitely next. I also have a sweater that I am dying to work on. Maybe I need to do some shaping to keep the interest going (or at least something other that knowing "this will only get bigger before it's finished"), so socks and sweaters should be great :o)

Are there really people who can do that?!?!?! It's nuts.

Nittany Knits said...

OK so I exagerated a little. But they do knit lightning fast.