I've realized that I pass through three stages with every knitting project.
Stage 1: Preparation (aka: infatuation)
I become infatuated with a new project. I obsess about what pattern to use with a certain new yarn or vice versa. I frantically collect all the items I need to begin. I imagine all of the compliments people will give me, they'll stop me in the street and tell me how beautiful my whatever is, and I'll say "Thanks. I made it." in a really casual way, and then they'll call all their friends over and say "Look at this, she MADE this!" And I'll be late to work because of posing for pictures and signing autographs...
Stage 2: Production (aka: neck cramps)
The relaxation/rabid knitting begins. The house must be quiet. I must not be asked too many questions. The dogs must not sit on the yarn.
Stage 3: Presentation (aka: this is ugly)
Once the whatever is almost done, and I realize that people are actually going to see it, I start having second thoughts. I get broody (if that's a real word). Was this the right color/yarn/size? Am I going to look ridiculous/fat/insane? Maybe I should rip this out and try something else. Did I actually think about what I was making or was I blinded by the thought of a new project and a trip (or two or three) to the yarn store? Any why did I make something I have to SEW together?
The Karate sweater has entered Stage 3. The upside is that it took me two days to mostly finish the thing. About three qusrters of the way thorough I started wondering if a sweater with all those holes in it is something I'll actually wear. Originally I was thinking it would be a good spring weather sweater. Now it just looks like something with a bunch of holes in it. I'm debating ripping it out and using the yarn to make the Rockefeller sweater, or the Shopping Tunic, or the Skating Sweater instead. But can I confess something? I'm secretly afraid that I'm not going to like anything I make out of this book. I've been spying on some FO's on other sites and it seems to me that the general feeling is very "meh" about their completed projects. And mind you, these women are clones of the model in the book. Are the chunky knits not very flattering? It doesn't matter whether or not these women look adorable (which they do), because if you don't like it, you won't wear it. Another problem that I'm having is the way the thing is put together. It has this weird shoulder seam thing that is not very comfortable. I am not patient when it comes to finishing things, so it could just be my cobble job. Here are some crappy pictures of the finished thing sans button that I took last night:
There is another category of knittied thing that does not really fall into the three stages. The Gift. There are two sub-categories: Satisfaction (liking and being proud of the gift) and Misery (you'll see what I mean.) Knit and Tonic Wendy has a post about how she will never again make a pattern for someone that she doesn't like. ( the pattern, not the person.) I wish I would have taken that advice before I started the convertible mittens for my friend Elizabeth. She doesn't know that I have a website, so I may speak freely. I should start by saying that Elizabeth is a good friend, and I wanted to make her somehting nice for her birthday that she wuld actually use. I knew that she wanted a pair of convertible mittens, but I was planning on making her a pair of endpaper mitts. Why? I think they're adorable, I wear mine all the time, I think the pattern is fun, and I actually want to make the second when I'm done with the first. I picked out some red and orange alpaca to match her vest. I was ready to cast on. And then I got the email. A pattern forwarded to me with a not so subtle hint that she likes these convertible mittens. And I take one look at the pattern and hate it. Okaaaaaaaay...
I made a mitten out of the alpaca. Awful. Too thin, the cable looked stupid, whatever. Lets try a little fair isle. It doesn't change the fact that that this isn't the right yarn for the things. Trip to LYS. For some reason I get talked into this self striping soy/wool yarn. I don't know why. I don't like self striping yarn. I don't really like stripes, except on socks, and I don't knit socks. And I agonized over the color of the ugly striping yarn. I got it home. I made another mitten. I hate it. Another trip to the LYS. I buy a skein of undyed wool thinking that I would put off the color decision a little while longer. I dye it green. The green is nice. But not for these mittens. Maybe a dog sweater. BACK TO THE YARN STORE. WHAT COLOR THIS TIME?
So, here we are. Not done. I had finals and a friend in town, but they should be done this weekend (only a month after her actual birthday). In case you're wondering, I hate these, too. Maybe I'll take a picture when it's over. I need to get these mittens out of my life and move on. And consider it a lesson learned to never make a pattern I hate again, not matter how much I like the person it's for. And to stop obsessing over color. It wastes a lot of time.