The very last thing that I should be doing right now is beginning a new piece of knitting, just for fun.
So… you can probably guess what I’m doing. If you’re familiar with the Freudian analytic terms, ‘superego’, ‘ego’, and ‘id’, my knitting is, right now, all id. To clarify: your superego is that irritating voice in your head that earnestly lectures you about the wisdom of washing and blocking your gauge swatches before you measure them. Yeah, I tell that voice to shut up, too, especially when it later murmurs ‘I told you so’ as you try to squeeze your full-ish frame into the micro-cardigan that you’ve ended up creating because your tension was way off. Nobody likes a smart-arse.
Your id is the part of you that WANTS TO GO TO THE YARN SHOP RIGHT NOW AND BUY ALL THE PRETTIES, ALL OF THEM RIGHT NOW! Successful adulting mostly involves getting that voice to quieten down a little, because it’s 9.00 on Monday morning and you really ought to put in an appearance at your pesky head-of-nuclear-physics-for-NASA job, and anyway NASA doesn’t pay so well that you can buy ALL THE YARN, ALL OF IT! I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT I WANT IT NOW!
Sigh. If you have small children, then you’ll be very familiar with the operation of the id.
Sitting awkwardly between these two extremists and wishing it could be somewhere else entirely, is the ego. That’s the voice that says ‘Look, just put in a few hours at your nuclear physics job, and then you can go and buy one – or possibly two – skeins of moderately-priced wool at the yarn shop, OK?
It’s generally a good thing if the ego gets a hefty amount of say in what happens, because the id will drain your bank account and alienate your friends, and the superego is that character that you really don’t want to get stuck next to at a party. So for a fully functioning ship, you should let the ego take the helm fairly often.
…So I’ve messed up, there. Here’s my new yarn. Adriafil Knitcol pure wool DK-weight, in case you’re wondering, purchased when I stupidly gave my id custody of my credit card for a while. And the reason for this yarn purchase? I was seduced by a jumper pattern in a knitting magazine.
There are lots of jumper patterns that I can scroll right past, because they’re baggy and unflattering, especially in the sleeves. But this one looks nicely fitted. It’s in the current issue of Simply Knitting magazine, here in the UK.
The plan is to make it in this gorgeous variegated Adriafil Knitcol yarn, which may or may not work. I’m gauge swatching, (yeah I listen to my superego a bit, sometimes…) and I’m trying to work out whether the reverse stockinette ‘background’ to the pattern is going to look awful and messy in such shade-shifting yarn.
Because of course in reverse stockinette, you’ve got all those purl bumps to contend with, which can look super-messy if they’re a different colour from their surroundings. Compare the picture above with the reverse of the swatch-in-progress.
Hmm, I’m not sure whether this works. If it doesn’t, I’ll just have to find an alternative, right-side-stockinette pattern for the yarn, and rip out what I’ve done in order to begin again (she writes, as though ripping out a few hours’ work will hardly cause any emotional pain at all).
So, um, may I humbly ask for your opinion on this weighty matter please?
Also, don’t you think it’s time for a (worldwide) giveaway of beautiful, beautiful yarn with accompanying patterns? Yup, I thought so too. Stay tuned, people, because there’s one coming up within the next week or two. Hurrah!
No, find a different pattern, it does’t work I don’t think! And if you have reverse stockinette on sleeves you’ll catch the threads on the pearl / knit swap bits and pull them and have dangly snags which will drive you nuts…
Yes, I fear you’re right. Thank you. Time to go pattern-browsing…
Unfortunately very much agree. And it isn’t worth all the work if you aren’t happy with it afterwards…
Yup, you’re right. Thank you for your honesty.
P.s. I do love your Freud-as-knitter. Much friendlier than the real one!
Ha, thank you! I reckon he might have enjoyed it if he’d tried it.
I think the knit side is prettier than the purl side, but then I prefer knitting to purling.
I think I’m going to abandon pattern altogether, and go for plain stockinette (not reversed). And I share your preference for knits not purls!
Couldn’t you just wear the jumper inside out?
That would be an improvement, you’re right, but I’ve decided to do away with any pattern at all, and just knit the jumper in plain stockinette.
Pretty yarn but I don’t think it’s destined to be a sweater. The speckled bit up by the needles might be nice in a sock or mitten but I fear it will look odd in a larger item.
…I know the colour changes are too quick for a wider item like this, BUT I just love this yarn so much. I’m going to compromise and knit plain stockinette. You can say ‘I told you so’ when it all goes wrong! I do fear we might have a colour-pooling problem.
I am not a knitter much prefer my trustee hook, so will not comment other than to say that yarn is delicious. My id is now throwing a rather large tantrum xx
The yarn is indeed gorgeous. *bad influence* I’m sure it would work perfectly in crochet projects too…
Prefer the knit side. This should work with the rib as shown on the pattern and then the inside on the outside with seams stitched on inside.
Yes, the reverse is definitely better in this yarn. But I’ve decided to abandon pattern altogether and knit the shape of the jumper in plain stockinette. May as well let this pretty yarn do all the work!
Sorry but no, its not working. It looks great on the reverse tho – are you sure you can’t wear it inside out?
I could, but I’ve decided to abandon all pattern completely and just knit the shape of this jumper in plain stockinette. May as well let the yarn do all the work! Thank you for your honesty.
Sorry, it looks like you might want to choose another yarn for the jumper. Even inside out, it looks like there are still too many purls for the sweater to not appear messy.
I am sure your Id can help you find another lovely yarn.
May my Id suggest a nice purple blue with a little sparkle or shimmer?
I love the yarn you did pick and would love to see it used for socks!
I would be seriously tempted to sew the pices together inside out. The stockinette side is really nice.
Wendelika, yes it’s much better on the reverse, but I’ve decided to abandon all fancy pattern and just knit this in plain stockinette.
Tee hee, my id is not to be trusted!! But yes you’re right, yarn and jumper aren’t a good match. I’m going to knit this beast in plain stockinette instead.
Interesting, I actually enjoy how reverse stockinette melds the colors together a bit more slowly than the abrupt transitions with stockinette, but I appear to be in the minority. And, more importantly, it won’t be me wearing the sweater!
Hmm, but there is maybe a risk of it ending up looking like a mushy mess? I’m going to play safe and work in just plain stockinette instead.
I’m afraid I agree with the consensus here that the yarn might work better with another pattern. *Maybe* getting new yarn for the jumper and making another gorgeous project with the variegated will help ease the emotional pain of ripping out?
I have to admit I get a strange sense of satisfaction from frogging, especially if it’s a piece that’s been frustrating me for a long time!
…Or compromise and just work the shape of the jumper in plain stockinette with this yarn?
I sort-of know what you mean about frogging, even though I grumble at the time!
I don’t have any other advice then go to the fourth one, ego-less state that says, what the hell. I like doing this and it gives me peace of mind. I love the description of the Freud piece though x
Ha, I LIKE this! Good plan. 🙂
Sorry my dear, it’s not working. If it helps, I’ve shared your pain with my current Knot Socks, ripping out hours of work in minutes, to the point where I finally gave in and installed life-lines…The ego finally conceded the Super-Ego might have a point. The id hates it. Alas, I come to be almost philosophical about it, If breaking is part of playing Black Jack(idea borrowed from a co-worker), then perhaps frogging is part of knitting. Let’s find a beautiful pattern that shows off this yarn really well, shall we?
Thank you for such a thoughtful, generous comment. And yes, we’d probably feel better if we accepted frogging as a necessary part of knitting. That said, I winced for you when I read about your current socks. May they come out perfectly as a result.
As for this jumper, I’ve decided to keep the shape of it, but knit it in plain stockinette. May as well let the pretty colour changes do all the work. 🙂
Isn’t it infuriating when you buy a gorgeous multicoloured yarn in the ball but when it knits up it looks a mess? I agree with the majority, ….. it doesn’t look right. I’ve read that the appearance of multi coloured yarn when knitted depends on the length of each bit of colour on the yarn, smaller repeats can look good but longer lengths of colour can start to “pool” and take away from the pattern.
Yes it is infuriating! I’m going to keep the shape of this jumper but knit it in plain stockinette. The colour changes on the yarn are quite short so it might just end up looking like one big unholy mess. And yes, pooling could well end up scuppering me. Oh well, you’ll be able to say ‘I told you so!’
Ah no. I’m with the majority- it’s the yarn + pattern combo. When I saw the jumper I didn’t clock that it was reverse stocking st, and I couldn’t understand why you showed the wrong side of your swatch. Until I read the words, of course! But that’s the thing- in your yarn the detail in the pattern doesn’t show up well, and it just looks the wrong way around (although it hasn’t been blocked which would make a difference). The background in the patter picture is just that- background, not jumping out. Sorry!!!
Yup, you’re right. I’m going to knit it in plain stockinette (NOT reversed) instead. I just love this yarn so much! (My photos don’t do it justice because I took them by rubbishy artificial light.)
Your swatch of one repeat of the stitch pattern results in stripes of two to four rows. Now imagine each 5 rows of your swatch as one row of the sweater, since the pattern repeats 5 times across the front. You can see that this will cause the stripes to disappear, at least until the neck split. Then the thickness of the stripes will increase as the neckline widens.
This is the problem with multis. Changes in fabric width or stitch pattern can really create different results, as well as switching from knitting in the round to knitting back and forth. You almost have to swatch for every section of the garment to see what the results will be.
‘Tis true. (And thank you for saying so.) Even when I used this yarn to make jumpers for my little sons, the strips were much wider on the sleeves than on the torso section. And for an adult-sized jumper, there’ll be a change in colour pretty much every row. And yet, and yet! I’m going to try and knit this beast in plain stockinette because I just love the shades in this yarn so very much.
I love your sense of humour. Thanks for the smile. I think you have your answer, but I do love that yarn. It will find its way into another pattern and you’ll be happy.
And thank YOU for your generous comment. As for the yarn, I’m going to knit the shape of this jumper in plain stockinette. Watch out for the disastrous pooling and general muddle of colours. Sigh.
Judging by the comments here, I’m afraid it looks as though you’ll need to go back to the yarn shop and buy some more yarn that will work for this pattern. There’s simply no other way to solve this problem.
😀
I fear you’re right. It’s SUCH a shame…
Yesterday whilst Christmas shopping in York I needed a sit down. Head to yarn shop and sit. Look at knitting patterns so as not to look as if I am taking advantage. Fall in love with a pattern and yarn…. Oh no, all for the need of a sit down!.Love your yarn knitting side as the right side and the pattern is good too!
Tee hee – may your new pattern bring you much joy in the knitting.
As much as it hurts me to say this, I don’t think the yarn and the sweater love each other. I think there are other patterns for the fun-loving yarn where it will shine. The sweater pattern calls for a more sedate yarn.
Yup, you’re right. I’m going to work it in plain stockinette (not reverse) with no pattern, because I do love the overall shape of the garment.
Thank you for you honesty.
I agree the pattern would look better in a single colour as in the photograph. I love variegated yarns but have found that you need to use a simple fairly uniform pattern because any fancy pattern gets lost in all the changing colours.
I know. You’re right. Plan B has been formulated.
Hate to say it but I don’t think your swatch is big enough to tell. The yarn could behave completely differently over a bigger area. I used this yarn as a contrast in a cardigan for my niece and it looked completely different.
You’re right, and I did end up making a bigger swatch… after which I decided to knit the jumper in plain stockinette, otherwise there was just TOO much going on.
I bet your niece’s cardigan was beautiful – this yarn is very, very pretty.
You so made me smile this morning beautiful yarn.
Wonderful description of this Freudian Triangle!