Maintenance and Repair

Earlier this month on a frustratingly cold and icy Sunday, I suspected that something was up with my boyfriend. Evening was approaching, and I had yet to hear from him. At last, he sent me a vague text implying that he was having a bad day. Instinctively, I called him right away. Judging from the tone of his voice, I began to prepare myself for the worst possible news. A car accident? Death in the family? Stabbed by an icicle? I began to panic as he went into the story of his day, telling me that he was attempting to walk out onto his deck through the sliding glass door. I held my breath in anticipation for the news of certain pain and anguish…

“My scarf got caught on the handle,” he admitted. I had a mixed reaction, thinking, “That’s it?” and “Uh-oh…” all at once. My brain immediately projected an image of the beloved Fisherman’s Rib scarf from Christmas reduced to a pile of knotted and frayed yarn before my eyes. I had to remain calm. These things happen. It is one of the hazards of making things and sending them out into the harsh world of winter.

I asked him straight up if it was destroyed. He didn’t think so. One of the wide V’s of the Fisherman’s Rib hooked into the door handle as he was walking out, and he took a few good steps before he realized this. He managed to pull out a loop about 6 inches in length! It was unreal to him how freakishly long the loop became, and the nasty looking hole underneath it was very upsetting to see. I quickly realized that this may not be as bad as it sounded. “Is the yarn cut?” I asked to make sure. He assured me that the piece was intact, but stretched. I asked him to email me some pictures so I could assess the damage. Yes, it looked quite ugly. But it was only a big, “yank.” As long as the yarn remained untangled and intact, it could be worked back into place.

eep. 

Casting a dark shadow over the scarf. 

Just whoa. 

I encouraged him to gently pull and manipulate the fabric directly around the snag to slowly draw the offensive loop back into its proper place. He refused to do this, feeling he had done enough damage. He insisted on professional intervention. I wished I was there with him so I could get it over with and ease his mind. After a few more rounds of reassurance that the scarf was fixable and that I was not mad, I promised to meet up with him for the necessary repairs as soon as possible.

Later, I armed myself with my finest kit of crochet hooks and darning needles and set off to meet him. I was a woman on a mission. I ordered a strong cup of coffee and set to work with laser-like focus. As I worked the fabric in between my fingers, I too had my moment of doubt. The Fisherman’s Rib seemed to have all of these extra loops and bars, and the ribbing was so much looser. How would I ever figure out what goes where? After a few minutes and a few false leads, the answer dawned on me: The row of V’s all around the yank were now so tiny they almost disappeared into the fabric. The sheer force of the pull had shrunk them to almost microscopic proportions. I grabbed one of my hooks and began to pull up the loops of each V across the row. Miraculously, the “yank” began to recede back into the ribbing!

Working it out. 

Ta-da! 

As my boyfriend calmed his nerves by reading a copy of Whurk magazine, I finished the not-so-major operation. “Done!” I announced as I handed the scarf back to him. He put it on and we walked outside, knowing it was good to go for at least another day. To celebrate, I took his picture next to a huge display of ice-melt. In hindsight, maybe we should have bought some while we were at it! By the next afternoon we had almost 4 inches of snow!

Back to normal. 

Way cute! 

Make do and mend. These words represent a concept/lifestyle that I value, but I believe I truly lived the meaning of these words for the first time on that day. The feeling was warm and fuzzy, yet blended with a practical sense of accomplishment.

Snags, holes and tears will come at me all the time. This is for certain. It’s part of the reason why I invest in buttons, pin cushions and sock darning eggs! But now I know for certain that I am prepared to deal with these situations as they come.

Oh yeah, another thing I’ve learned is that it’s a good thing to always leave home with a crochet hook or a yarn needle in my bag! 

A mighty tool! 

Extra Yarn: A Tale of Every Knitter’s Dream Come True

One afternoon last August, I was browsing through Cracker Barrel after a leisurely lunch. Even though it was 90 degrees outside, the store was already stock piled with Christmas and winter items. Holiday season seems to begin around July over at Cracker Barrel! Among the cold weather stuff was a children’s book that appeared to be stuck in with some knick knacks and scented candles. It was Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett (illustrated by John Klassen) and I gasped in excitement when I realized that I had found yet another children’s book about knitting! I mustered enough self-control to hold out and read it once I got home. I was so impressed by the story and the illustrations that I felt like I had to share it with the world. Now that we are in the middle of a particularly cold winter, the time and place to share seem just right. 

Stockinette lettering! 

Extra Yarn takes place in a small, seaside town during the winter doldrums. It has been cold, dark and snowy for some time now, and its people are just plain fed up. On one particularly bleak afternoon, a little girl named Annabelle discovers an old box in the snow. She opens it up and finds that it is filled with a ton of bright, colorful yarn. 

A random box in the snow.

Luckily, Annabelle is a knitter, and she gets to work right away on a sweater for herself, and a matching one for her dog. After she is done, she has a lot of yarn left over. She continues on, making sweaters and hats for her friends and family. Despite all of this knitting, her newfound stash never seems to dwindle. Any color or amount she needs is always there. Annabelle does not question her magical discovery, and continues to live every knitter’s dream. (Not to mention working at what is seemingly superhuman speed…)

A nice change! 

After every man, woman, child and animal in town has a sweater or a hat, Annabelle’s stash of yarn remains full. Still eager to knit, she gets creative and resorts to yarn bombing. Soon every house, car, mooring, mailbox and bird feeder in town is warm and colorful against the drab winter landscape. The spirits of the town’s people are lifted as they become distracted by the warmth and beauty Annabelle and her yarn provide for them.

Before, kind of a downer. 

Quite lovely after Annabelle's yarn "make over." 

Word of Annabelle and her infinite yarn supply spreads far and wide. Her small town is now attracting tourists, and among them is a smarmy Archduke from a castle across the sea. He has a passion for fashion, and is willing to pay Annabelle millions of dollars for her magic yarn box. Annabelle is quite dismissive of the Archduke, and barely looks up from her knitting as he raises his offer as high as $10 million. It seems that his dream of a lifetime supply of killer knitwear is dashed. As it turns out, the Archduke is a huge creep, and that night he hires three burglars to break into Annabelle’s home and steal the yarn box… But this is hardly the end of the story, and as they say, the rest is all spoilers! 

Hmm, sort of reminds me of an old boyfriend... 

I love this book because it features Annabelle as a caring and enterprising little girl. She proactively uses her unique set of skills to help everyone in her community, and make their world a better place. She is grateful and humble when she makes the life changing discovery of the box. The Archduke shows up in town selfishly hoping to gain at the expense of Annabelle and everyone else. Indeed, he does cause trouble and heartache, but karma comes back to bite him by the end of the story. The story is a must read for any school age child, as it features important lessons for children such as cause and effect, independent thinking and looking out for others.

In honor of Annabelle’s magical yarn box, I will leave you with a photo of my own stash. It may not be infinite, as I see it dwindle every day, but I am still proud of it! However, the possibilities for what each skein may one day become are endless. This is what makes every stash of yarn (be it a box, drawer or pink striped duffel bag) truly magical.  

My extra yarn. 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12065943-extra-yarn?from_search=true

A Bright Green Light

As I promised in my very first post, I am revisiting the topic of my most favorite emerald green hat! I finished it almost one year ago, and it is probably my proudest knitting accomplishment so far. (Aside from some cozy, wool socks!) I feel this way about it because despite some setbacks and challenges, it turned out just right. When I wear it, I feel like it has a magical quality. Even on the darkest winter day it brightens my eyes and my cheeks and gives a much needed lift to my spirit. It’s so comfortable that it starts to feel like a part of me, and on many occasions I have forgotten to take it off indoors! Recently I wore it through an entire lunch at Cracker Barrel—by the fireplace!

The hat, the myth, the legend. 

A few years ago I picked up a copy of Debbie Stoller’s Stitch ‘N Bitch: Superstar Knitting for reasons that were equal parts inspiration and aspiration. I wanted to get better at cables, color work and maybe even try my hand at lace. I literally found new inspiration with the turn of every page. It was almost sensory overload! Stockings, sweaters, blankets and even a few (eep!) dresses make up this well rounded but advanced resource. It is a far cry from Stitch ‘N Bitch: The Knitter’s Handbook, which guided me through the early days of my first shaky knit stitches. Although I had come a long way, I still questioned if I was truly ready for this tome.

One particular pattern held my gaze the longest, and that was the Gretel Tam, designed by Ysolda Teague. The sophisticated cables and twists immediately fed my fascination with all things Irish/Scottish/Welsh or English. The tam style reminded me of the gripping 1791 fright-fest poem, Tam O’Shanter by Robert Burns. It was official: This hat was for me. Whatever nerves I had over unfamiliar abbreviations such as “T3F,” “T3B” or whatever the heck “Pfb” was would be dealt with head on. I had to create it no matter what.

Tam O'Shanter and his horse, Meg, being chased by supernaturals.

It was now the third week of 2013, and Emerald was the Pantone Color of the Year. I love all variations of green, and had hoped to incorporate this vibrant shade in at least one of my projects. Needless to say, I was beyond excited when I found the most stunning ball of emerald green merino wool among my tried and true Cascade Yarns. Even more evidence that this hat was meant to be. I went home and jumped into it head first…

As usual, I chose a pattern that was a little too advanced for me. I had two false starts. After the first nine rounds, the pattern would command me to, “m1.” I interpreted it as a regular knit stitch increase. WRONG! This is actually an increase where you pick up a bar and knit it through the back loop between two stitches. I finally looked this up after two unravelings. By now I was done with making assumptions and the, “I’ll figure it out myself” attitude. It wasn’t getting me anywhere! When it comes to knitting, if you don’t know about something, you can’t magically piece it together. You must get over yourself and go consult someone or something. Humbled, I went to YouTube (haha) and typed in any and all abbreviations I was unsure about. 

Another diagram from my trusty 1973 copy of The Concise Knitting Book. 

Nice, plain English. 

After several rounds of video watching, I went back to work with a stronger sense of respect for the process. I slowly knitted, purled, twisted and cabled while taking deep breaths. I realized I could do this as long as I slowed down and chilled out. I annotated the pattern and counted stitches like crazy. I’m pretty sure I used most of my stitch markers. (I always mean to buy more, but getting around to it is another thing.) When it was time to switch to double pointed needles, I stayed up very late until I finished. By then I was in “the zone,” and a little thing like the time of night/morning wasn’t going to stand in the way. I had crossed the bridge from uncertainty and frustration into a place of absolutely loving what I was doing. If anything was worth an all-nighter, it was this!

In progress

As per the finishing instructions, I blocked my hat on a dinner plate! For any flat beret or tam pattern, this is the best little trick. A Frisbee would work, too. I allowed three whole days to pass to be one hundred percent sure that the cable-twist pattern had, “set.” Despite the milder temperatures, I took it with me everywhere through March.

Fast forward one year later, and I am pretty sure that this hat has saved my life--or maybe just my health. Winter came on strong and early. During this time I found myself with a long commute into D.C. and a walk that added up to eight blocks a day. It was doable, but not exactly fun in the “cold November rain.” Whatever the temperature is, you can guarantee that it feels twenty degrees colder down on the Metro platforms. Add on the typical delays, and I spent quite a bit of time out in the cold. At the end of some days, I would feel pretty tired and ragged. I thought that I probably didn’t look very good, but then I would glimpse my reflection in one of the train windows and see myself in the hat. I actually looked kind of cute, and I realized I was stronger than I thought. I began to imagine myself as a bright green light in the gray city streets. It helped infuse me with the positive energy needed to go home and prepare for another day. 

That’s part of the magic of handmade things. The maker infuses their items with love for the craft or for the people to whom they give their creations. Love begets more love. For me, my green hat lit up my heart on cold, stressful nights. It reminded me of going through a challenge and coming out better on the other side. 

And that's the story! 

'Go To YouTube.'

Early last October I found myself in the usual planning/buying stage for my upcoming Christmas projects. Socks, scarves and crochet amigurumi rounded out the list for family members and other special people in my life. For my ever supportive boyfriend, I knew the only thing for him would be a handsome Fisherman’s Rib scarf. I remembered seeing such a pattern on my favorite knitting blog, The Purl Bee by Purl Soho: http://www.purlbee.com/the-purl-bee/2010/12/3/whits-knits-fishermans-rib-scarf-and-cowl.html 

A banner from www.purlbee.com. 

Whit’s Knits are guaranteed to inspire! I fell in love with this scarf’s understated, classic elegance, and I could immediately envision the piece around his neck. It was "his." I decided to skip the matching cowl. He just isn’t the cowl “type.” The search for materials and a little bit of advice from the yarn shop was on!

I had only one small worry going into this project. To make the traditional ribbing, it would be required of me to “knit into the stitch below” (k1b) or (k1d sometimes) for every other stitch for the duration of the project. Knitting into a stitch was so…foreign… to me. Counterintuitive, perhaps. Why would I want to knit into a stitch from a row that is already completed? How would the work ever progress if I kept dipping down to a previous row? And what about the seemingly extra loop on the needle? Did I dare just let it fall? It seemed like a one way ticket to Mistake-Town USA, population Vicki. At the same time I trusted in Whit and The Purl Bee, and their instructions seemed quite clear. To assuage my anxieties, I decided that I would ask about the stitch at the yarn shop.

Diagram from my 1973 copy of The Concise Knitting Book. 

***Disclaimer! Before I begin the next half of this story, I will add that I am not naming the yarn shop we visited. All I will say is that it is in the greater Washington D.C. area, which does not leave many hints. ***

Late the next Saturday afternoon, my boyfriend and I met up at the shop for yarn/color selection. While still keeping the nature of my project a secret, I allowed him to choose the color and texture most to his liking. This kind of thing is very exciting to us! He chose a muted forest green by Cascade with striking ease, and it seemed our trip would be much shorter than I anticipated. 

Before going to the checkout counter, I approached one of the 3 ladies running the shop. They were weekend staff, and I was not familiar with any of them, but that was ok. Without revealing too much about my project, I asked her if she could watch me do the k1b with some of their test yarn, as I wanted to be sure I was doing it correctly. She told me that of course I was free to test it out, but that she couldn’t help me because she had never heard of that stitch, and maybe it would be best for me to go home and, “go to YouTube.” Go to YouTube?! I felt like I had been told to go to Hell! Five minutes earlier I overheard her bragging about her many sweaters that were supposedly complex beyond imagination. But when I asked her briefly about “knit one below,” she could not even make an educated guess? Shady. What was going on in this store? It was so unlike them. The owner and her assistant are fantastic knitters and people, but they are usually not there on the weekends. Their weekend employees are transient and I have never seen the same person twice. I sum it up to a case of very bad timing, and it does not reshape my opinion of that shop.

Despite this epic 21^st century brush off, I worked out my anxieties over k1b in the test yarn. No need to visit YouTube, at least not on that afternoon.

 “Go to YouTube?” my boyfriend repeated in disbelief outside of the shop. We shared a sweet laugh together, and then it was time to go home and get straight to work. It was only two and a half months until Christmas!

If I owned a yarn shop, the words, “Go to YouTube,” would be forbidden! In fact, I would have a large poster in the back room as a constant reminder. Learning to knit is dependent on human contact. The process is interactive and conversational. YouTube certainly does help in a pinch, but it will never be the same as having a guide sitting next to you in real time.

What I would have in mind!

A huge reason that we still have yarn shops in a YouTube and iPhone world is that they provide a sense of community. I could have gotten all of my help and materials online, but I chose not to do that. If a customer is in a yarn shop it’s because they want to purchase and learn personally from that staff. While it’s impossible for mere mortals to have all the answers, putting up a wall is unacceptable. If the customer and the shop employee are both uncertain, why not log on to YouTube together in the store? Not only would it be good customer service, it would be two knitters interacting and learning together: a modern twist on how knitting has been through time!

After I shook off my jitters, I came to enjoy creating the fisherman’s rib. The k1b became rhythmic and second nature. It did not grow slowly or use up too much yarn, as I had worried. Instead it created a luxurious, wide, plushy ribbing that I was beyond proud to wrap up and present on Christmas.

I couldn't help myself!

In the New Year we have found ourselves dealing with temperatures in the teens, harsh winds and the tail of Winter Storm Hercules bringing everyday life to a standstill. Knowing that what I knit for him is making life easier as he shovels his way out into the world is a warm ray of light in this winter gloom. My soft, squishy creation is actually measuring up to the rugged and tough expectations associated with Fisherman’s Rib.

On the way to shovel some snow. 

It has a nice drape, too!

Rugged. 

…Still, both of us cannot wait for spring!  

Until then, looking sharp!