With the wool festival occurring this weekend and the crazy stressful time we’ve been having over at the Morandi house, I’m finally admitting defeat: I will not finish my Rhinebeck sweater in time.
If I were someone without a full time job, it might have been possible to finish, as there are just the right and left fronts, right and left sleeves, giant ribbed collar, and seaming left to do (hah!) but that’s just not going to happen in the next 5 days and I’m not even tempted to try. I will, however, aim to finish it shortly after the festival, as it will be wonderful to wear in the coming months.
I’m admitting defeat with Spinzilla this year, too. Between my Polwarth sock yarn and Louet merino/silk, I didn’t even fill one whole bobbin! Based on my yards per pound calculations, I spun a paltry 3.2 oz and 380 yards, but it’s not nothing, and the spinning was soothing.
I’ve also had to give up on my plan to vend at the pre-Rhinebeck IndieUntangled Trunk Show this Friday as Nana’s funeral is scheduled for sometime on Friday, and I need to stay home and be with my family. However, Cheryl and Jenn of June Pryce Fiber Arts have generously and graciously agreed to bring some of my items up with them and man my booth for me. So if you were hoping to sniff some Sweet Sheep scents in person, it will still be possible thanks to those two wonderful ladies (and you should check out their lovely fiber, yarn and notions while you’re at it)! I’m sad that I won’t be there in person myself, but you can hear me chat about my business with Maria over at Subway Knits in her Road to Rhinebeck podcast series. (I haven’t even had the chance to listen to it yet, fingers crossed that I don’t sound like a weirdo!)
In more uplifting news, I am still going to attend Rhinebeck, as my dear Fiasco reminded me that after all of the stress lately, I could really use a vacation. So I will be heading up sometime Saturday and since it wouldn’t be Rhinebeck without a lofty knitting goal, my new challenge will be to attempt to finish my Kelp-y Kelpie shawl in time to wear to the festival. This shawl has been hibernating since May of 2014 because I used the wrong color yarn to pick up the border stitches and then I just abandoned it. I resurrected it last night, fixed my mistake, and have gotten into the rhythm of the border now. I have 43 more border rows to complete, in addition to the bind-off, and some fiddly bind-off business along the top. All this needs to be completed in 4 evenings, if I want time to block the thing. Challenge accepted!
I can relate to the pain of work getting in the way of the stuff that really matters,like finishing a Sweater. I have been knitting on my wips for an eternity
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I’m so sorry to hear you’re having a stressful time. I think the best thing we can do in our knitting and spinning is not push too hard. Love that you reassessed and adjusted your plans – there’s rarely a good reason to stress about knitting!
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Well, your friend is right. You still get to go. And, you will finish the sweater eventually…and then it will be fabulous. Keep at it.
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The sweater will be beautiful when your finally done. Love the colors of your shawl. Enjoy Rhinebeck. One day I’ll get to go..
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I’m glad you got as much of your sweater knit as you did. It’s not a defeat, it’s a delayed victory. I’m also happy to hear that you are going to go to Rhinebeck anyways. It will lift your crafty soul. Sometimes just getting out of the house (and touching all the fiber!) is what is needed.
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I think you are being sensible to not push yourself to finish the sweater. I’m sorry to hear things are still not great. Still, it is great that you are getting to go to Rhinebeck, and go you should! Good luck with finishing your shawl. It will look amazing!
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The sweater will wait…no sense in letting it stress you out more. And, holy WOW, that shawl is going to be painfully gorgeous. So excited to see pictures of the finished product!
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It is good to stare defeat straight between the eyes and then cast on something new! Well done you and yay for your trip to Rhinebeck
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You are doing the right thing and taking a step back when you need to! And you’ll still have a bit of Rhinebeck fun. 🙂
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