22 April 2006
Big Girl Knits and When's my Free Yarn Shopping Day?
(SIDEBAR! Today Is EARTH DAY 2006)
So, on Thursday night I went to Borders, picked up my copy of BGK and hugged it. In the store. At the cash register. In front of a dozen people in line. Squee'd too.
(I'd been glomming the Big Girl Knits website & blog too for weeks...)
I've been very excited for months waiting for this book to come out so I came home, settled in bed with my tea, the book and the KnitPicks catalog. I started flipping through the pages excitedly, my head filling with all kinds of ideas on what I was going to knit and how many in different colors and should I invest in more Addis or buy the Denise set...
As I progressed through the pages, I started to slow down and really read the pattern details.
I flipped back and forth between the front section - A MUST read - there's amazing info that is real & down to earth regarding Big Girl Fashion - and the back, where all the patterns are.
I have come to the realization that there is no way in thee blue hell I am ever going to be able to make it through 98% of these lovely designs.
I posted this in a sub-thread (where Tigerlilith was polling the general public about whether or not she should frog her progress on the Knitty Pomatomus sock pattern because of unsatisfactory progress) on the Knitty boards because I was so amp'd up.
Quick FYI : There's a whole section on the boards to promote BGK & Knit Wit, Amy's two wonderful books. But I decided to hide it just enough so that I could vent, possibly get feedback and not throw a total monkey wrench into the BGK thread.
I actually had started out posting my woes in there, but thought better because A) I adore Amy and didn't want to bring negativity to the book launch & B) Why should other people have to suffer my whining because I am a sucky knitter?
Okay can this apply to my new love -- the Big Girl Knits book? I was going to post this in the BGK thread, but I didn't want to rain on Amy & Jill's parade and bring negativity to that wonderful thread because I really do love the book, but....
*deep breath*
Here goes...
APOLOGIES TO TIGERLILITH -- I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I'm really sad about this wonderful find. Or maybe because I am still sick. Or a combination of both. I also have bad luck with intricate apparel patterns - last year I was all ambitious about Kyoto and my WIP bag with the 2/3 WIP and a lot of yarn was stolen/lost/thrown away by accident... I was inconsolable. It reminds me of the boyfriend sweater curse.
So that's my gripe. Don't get me wrong.... this book is wonderful and a Gourd-send. I love the honesty of the information section and Amy/Jill's fun style and manner of dispensing big-girl fashion & fit advice is so refreshing. The layout and design of the book (I love the font!) and Erica's illlustrations are just amazing.
But for me, the meat and potatoes of the book - the patterns - are just way too intimidating. And that makes me sad, because I do have a lovely stash and lots of needles and the need for beautiful clothes to make me look good and I am a HUGE fan of Amy & her books... but I have to face it, I suck at anything beyond a scarf, Booga Bag or something that requires shaping or yarn smaller than worsted #4 weight. I am the queen of chunky yarn and size 11 and bigger needles.
I know knitting is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, but I fear that if I start one of these gorgeous projects I will get frustrated or the Kyoto curse will happen or I will have knitting malaise on a larger scale...
I did get a reassuring response from turtlegirl76 the day after I posted my gripe:
..."I'm going to second the suggestion to put it aside for a week and come back to it. Make your decision when the initial period of pissedoffedness subsides.
Roxy - you need to take a chance. You don't suck! You just don't give yourself enough credit. You have the skills, you just need to believe in yourself. Pick a pattern, take a deep breath, and cast on! I just finished my first sweater with arms (I'd made a sleeveless vest as my first project from a pattern) and I was intimidated at first too. But it's done. And it fits. And I love it! I'm so glad I took the plunge. Tosses Roxy some noseplugs and swimcap Your turn. " ...
Thanks sweety, that did make me smile after I read it.
So my next wonder: For my next Free Yarn Shopping Day (in May), should I actually go and shop for some yarn to attempt a sweater or skirt from BGK? Make a commitment to try and knit something BGK no matter how long it takes or should I try and bribe my mother to knit it for me? LOL (she's an amazing knitter/cr*ch*ter)
On a more positive note I simply must hug and kiss my Knitty homegrrrls Ali and Gill/Floss (yay! Gill's got a new blog!)
Ali shipped me two HUGE boxes of stickers that arrived yesterday to my job. OMG I wanted to faint. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Amazing reciprocation will be had as soon as I get back on my feet :)
Gill sent me a packet of tasty Green & Black dark chocolate pralines and a set of gorrrrrrrgeous beads from Beadazzled Ltd in Shropshire - it arrived just as I was curling up on the sofa and whining about how shitty I felt... he handed me the parcel and shook his head, saying "Stop whining - one of your knitty buddies can hear you"
I had to laugh. What was really funny on top of that was that 30 mins before, I just finished taping up a box that I was shipping out on Monday, along with a few others that is addressed to Gill.
Hee!
Many thanks to my grrrls - y'all are too thoughful and you are truly appreciated.
Don't forget to do your part for the Earth today and every day :) Thanks!
¶ 8:19 AM
(SIDEBAR! Today Is EARTH DAY 2006)
So, on Thursday night I went to Borders, picked up my copy of BGK and hugged it. In the store. At the cash register. In front of a dozen people in line. Squee'd too.
(I'd been glomming the Big Girl Knits website & blog too for weeks...)
I've been very excited for months waiting for this book to come out so I came home, settled in bed with my tea, the book and the KnitPicks catalog. I started flipping through the pages excitedly, my head filling with all kinds of ideas on what I was going to knit and how many in different colors and should I invest in more Addis or buy the Denise set...
As I progressed through the pages, I started to slow down and really read the pattern details.
I flipped back and forth between the front section - A MUST read - there's amazing info that is real & down to earth regarding Big Girl Fashion - and the back, where all the patterns are.
I have come to the realization that there is no way in thee blue hell I am ever going to be able to make it through 98% of these lovely designs.
I posted this in a sub-thread (where Tigerlilith was polling the general public about whether or not she should frog her progress on the Knitty Pomatomus sock pattern because of unsatisfactory progress) on the Knitty boards because I was so amp'd up.
Quick FYI : There's a whole section on the boards to promote BGK & Knit Wit, Amy's two wonderful books. But I decided to hide it just enough so that I could vent, possibly get feedback and not throw a total monkey wrench into the BGK thread.
I actually had started out posting my woes in there, but thought better because A) I adore Amy and didn't want to bring negativity to the book launch & B) Why should other people have to suffer my whining because I am a sucky knitter?
Okay can this apply to my new love -- the Big Girl Knits book? I was going to post this in the BGK thread, but I didn't want to rain on Amy & Jill's parade and bring negativity to that wonderful thread because I really do love the book, but....
*deep breath*
Here goes...
| harajukuroxy wrote: |
OMG I  this book except that there a wee problem... this stuff is much more advanced than I can knit with my present skill. (ie, I suck)Seriously! The most difficult thing I've knitted so far as apparel is Cleaves and OSW. And a tube skirt. And 2 Bobblicious. *cries* Remember, I knit square things. Rectangles. Scarves. Booga Bags. I am a painfully slow knitter with huge knitting ADD My blog has more yarn porn than FO's.  What's a B3 girl to do? There are so many beautiful things in here - it would take me YEARS to finish anything beyond the Cherry Bomb tank or any of the accessories - remember I'm still working on my first sock from the kit that Rothane gave me from SP5 and I have a 1/5 completed Clapotis...  Any advice for the snotroxy girl from you fearless knitters out there? (to quote turtlegirl's wonderful description of Stephy  ) |
APOLOGIES TO TIGERLILITH -- I didn't mean to hijack your thread, but I'm really sad about this wonderful find. Or maybe because I am still sick. Or a combination of both. I also have bad luck with intricate apparel patterns - last year I was all ambitious about Kyoto and my WIP bag with the 2/3 WIP and a lot of yarn was stolen/lost/thrown away by accident... I was inconsolable. It reminds me of the boyfriend sweater curse.
So that's my gripe. Don't get me wrong.... this book is wonderful and a Gourd-send. I love the honesty of the information section and Amy/Jill's fun style and manner of dispensing big-girl fashion & fit advice is so refreshing. The layout and design of the book (I love the font!) and Erica's illlustrations are just amazing.
But for me, the meat and potatoes of the book - the patterns - are just way too intimidating. And that makes me sad, because I do have a lovely stash and lots of needles and the need for beautiful clothes to make me look good and I am a HUGE fan of Amy & her books... but I have to face it, I suck at anything beyond a scarf, Booga Bag or something that requires shaping or yarn smaller than worsted #4 weight. I am the queen of chunky yarn and size 11 and bigger needles.
I know knitting is supposed to be fun and enjoyable, but I fear that if I start one of these gorgeous projects I will get frustrated or the Kyoto curse will happen or I will have knitting malaise on a larger scale...
I did get a reassuring response from turtlegirl76 the day after I posted my gripe:
..."I'm going to second the suggestion to put it aside for a week and come back to it. Make your decision when the initial period of pissedoffedness subsides.
Roxy - you need to take a chance. You don't suck! You just don't give yourself enough credit. You have the skills, you just need to believe in yourself. Pick a pattern, take a deep breath, and cast on! I just finished my first sweater with arms (I'd made a sleeveless vest as my first project from a pattern) and I was intimidated at first too. But it's done. And it fits. And I love it! I'm so glad I took the plunge. Tosses Roxy some noseplugs and swimcap Your turn. " ...
Thanks sweety, that did make me smile after I read it.
So my next wonder: For my next Free Yarn Shopping Day (in May), should I actually go and shop for some yarn to attempt a sweater or skirt from BGK? Make a commitment to try and knit something BGK no matter how long it takes or should I try and bribe my mother to knit it for me? LOL (she's an amazing knitter/cr*ch*ter)
On a more positive note I simply must hug and kiss my Knitty homegrrrls Ali and Gill/Floss (yay! Gill's got a new blog!)
Ali shipped me two HUGE boxes of stickers that arrived yesterday to my job. OMG I wanted to faint. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Amazing reciprocation will be had as soon as I get back on my feet :)
Gill sent me a packet of tasty Green & Black dark chocolate pralines and a set of gorrrrrrrgeous beads from Beadazzled Ltd in Shropshire - it arrived just as I was curling up on the sofa and whining about how shitty I felt... he handed me the parcel and shook his head, saying "Stop whining - one of your knitty buddies can hear you"
I had to laugh. What was really funny on top of that was that 30 mins before, I just finished taping up a box that I was shipping out on Monday, along with a few others that is addressed to Gill.
Hee!
Many thanks to my grrrls - y'all are too thoughful and you are truly appreciated.
Don't forget to do your part for the Earth today and every day :) Thanks!
¶ 8:19 AM
Wigglysnacks:
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Honey, you can TOTALLY handle those patterns. I saw you helping Lila with Orangina - don't even try to tell me that you can't.
And if you get stuck, that just means that you will HAVE to come to B&N to get some help getting un-stuck.
And we have the same ticker setup for the YFC - the grass and dragonfly. Of course, mine had to be reset the other day... *blush*
Hugs,
P
And if you get stuck, that just means that you will HAVE to come to B&N to get some help getting un-stuck.
And we have the same ticker setup for the YFC - the grass and dragonfly. Of course, mine had to be reset the other day... *blush*
Hugs,
P
Delurking to be a cheerleader:
I am 100% certain you can do it. Seriously, take it one stitch at a time. Pick a pattern you love, and just cast on. The board is there to help, and it looks like you have a group nearby. All about the confidence, Roxy darling. Remember, it's not a race, and the worst that can happen is that you frog. Eh - it's only yarn.
GOOOOOO ROXY!
I am 100% certain you can do it. Seriously, take it one stitch at a time. Pick a pattern you love, and just cast on. The board is there to help, and it looks like you have a group nearby. All about the confidence, Roxy darling. Remember, it's not a race, and the worst that can happen is that you frog. Eh - it's only yarn.
GOOOOOO ROXY!
A sweater is just four rectangles seamed together with a wee bit of shaping thrown in. You can handle that. Trust me. :)
Start simple and start with crapola yarn. I suffer a touch from that knitting ADD too---I see a pattern start reading into it and think good god how the hell will I ever UNDERSTAND this? But I'm working my way up there. If I can make plastic bags fit, then heck, yarn can't be hard ;-) You can do it!
Me thinks that you need to give yourself more credit in your abilities. You will never tackle more advanced knitting if you never attempt it. Give it a shot. I have faith in you.
Take care, Love and Hugs!
Kay
Take care, Love and Hugs!
Kay
I really want the book myself too! I'm always behind on purchasing books.. $$ I'm sure you'll get lots of use outta it! Good luck! Go for it!
oh my roxy. you can do it. really. if you can knit and purl, you really can knit anything. honestly. honestly. and if it doesn't work, or you don't like it, or you get sick of it, that is ok as well -
((huggles))
*wanting to start a get roxy to australia campaign, but everyone else will want to keep you where you are. :)*
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((huggles))
*wanting to start a get roxy to australia campaign, but everyone else will want to keep you where you are. :)*
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