Saturday, January 26, 2008

Greatness Is Relative

I have self-esteem.  Oodles of it.  I also have a well-developed sense of reality.  This is how I know that, in most spaces and places, I will probably be the worst of the knitters.  In fact, in this here virtual blogger-type space, I am the worst knitter.  This does not make me a bad person. Or even a bad knitter, for that matter.  I just kind of know where I fit in the hierarchy of things and that isn't really such a bad kind of awareness to have.  It keeps me humble.

Today, though, I was in a different sort of place.  I had the sudden urge to go check out the pet supply store and see if they carried the healthy, organic and probably cat-repelling food that the vet tech suggested as a replacement for the junk food I have been using up until recently.  However, I was a bit overenthusiastic in my quest and ended up at the store with a full thirty minutes to kill before they opened.  This meant that I had some time to peruse the aisles of the local discount store where they just happened to be having a clearance sale and what they termed "The First Annual Indoor Yard Sale."  For the record, this yard sale consisted of two tables of leftover Christmas decorations and a bunch of broken stuff.  But, I am still easily amused by cheap goods so it was a pleasant way to pass half an hour.

This store happens to feature a small craft area and I found myself rummaging about for appropriately washable acrylic yarn in acceptably kaleidoscopic hues for the baby blanket I have scheduled for the next Baby Mania Knitting Extravaganza project.  And it was there I heard the words:

 "Do you happen to know anything about this stuff?"

There beside me stood a woman, clutching a couple of skeins of bluish yarn and looking rather confused.  She informed me that she needed cuffs.  I don't question these sorts of things.  I find that an explanation is sure to follow since I am known far and wide as the rescuer of shoppers in distress.  And I was not wrong.  It seems that she, being a typical, frugal sort of New Englander, was purchasing the yarn so that a friend could knit cuffs for her winter jacket.  This garment, while still perfectly serviceable, was in need of some cuff repair.  

I may be the worst knitter in most rooms.  But, in the craft section of the discount store, I have something of an edge.  The more high class knitters probably aren't lurking anywhere in the vicinity and I can rhapsodize about dye lots and appropriate gauge with wild abandon.  I looked like a freakin' genius.  Imagine her relief at learning that she did not need two 5 oz. skeins for a pair of four inch cuffs!

Does wonders for the ego, you know...

Sadly the trip to the pet store needed to be abandoned shortly after my crossing the threshold when I suddenly realized that today marks one month since the loss of my Smaller, Less Fluffy Kitty.  As is typical on a Saturday, the staff looked to be on the young side and I questioned their ability to deal with a middle aged woman suddenly flinging herself upon a pile of carefully stacked bags of dog food whilst howling uncontrollably.  I hate to generalize.  But it didn't seem like a good idea to test their customer service skills so early in the morning.  

Rest assured, the moment of distress was fleeting and probably brought on by the sight of the adoption center they sponsor for the local animal shelter.  I was fine by the time I got to the car.  But one never knows with these sorts of things and I'd hate to be banned from the closest pet supply store or have to pay for ten bags of soggy dog food.

I returned home with my discount store purchases and put my new yarn needles to use weaving in some ends.  And with that little task out of the way, I am now able to present



The Too Big Baby Sweater in all its gi-normous glory!


In keeping with my Not The Best Knitter status, I shall be honest and inform you that there are issues with this garment.  None are pattern related and all were purely operator error.  But, it is close enough to "good" to think of it thusly.  And thus I do.  The pattern is from Dyeing To Knit and sized for 6 months.  I probably have surpassed that, though.  I also needed to change the pattern slightly as it called for some rather lacy yarnovers at the yoke and I thought that might not work so well for a boy.  Hence, I swapped it out for bands of very manly garter stitch.

I also think that the button should be on the front.  But, I kind of messed up on the side that I think is supposed to be the front so now it is the back and I don't want to hear any more about it.  


But, here's a shot of the button just in case you happen to be interested.


I am assuming that the theory here is that babies have big noggins and require extra room at the neck for sweater donning.  It's either that or they are really self-conscious about their hair and hate having it messed up during sweatering.

I am also working on another pair of baby socks.  As much as I liked the Cute Widdle Baby Sox that recently came off the needles, I yearn for something even more widdler.  



We're getting there...


I remain hopelessly entranced by the widdle baby sox.  They knit up so quickly and are so cuuuute!  I find myself cooing and gurgling over them at random intervals throughout the day.  Sometimes I put them on my fingers and make them walk around...  Which may also make me the craziest person in the room.  Just to be safe, I've cast on for a pair of adult socks upon which I can knit when the baby-brain gets to be too much.

I don't think that there is an aisle in the discount store where I can feel superior about the crazy.

SA

25 comments:

Mel said...

Oh, one of the great things about crazy is that it gives you great license to feel superior about anything you wish. And if anyone questions it, you can just tell them you'll be beaming their information to the Overlords on the Mother Ship and they'll get theirs soon enough.

Anonymous said...

I, for one, think you are a wonderful knitter. I love the Too Big Baby Sweater with the manly man garter rows and a back button is a good thing. I really love the widdler sock too; I really should be making some of those myself.

You are going to be a great great-aunt!

Anne said...

You make my day. I tagged you for this nice thing that's going around blogland -- “Give the award to 10 people whose blogs bring you happiness and inspiration and make you feel happy about blogland. Let them know by posting a comment on their blog so they can pass it on. Beware you may get the award several times.”

:)

Anonymous said...

Wow, knitting cuffs for a winter coat, I must try that LOL....guess it could work!

You are really in the baby yarn mode Sheep, this is going to be a well-dressed baby that's for sure, with your contributions to date and mmmm....lemme guess, more to come?

Saturday shoppers, different breed, probably best to stay home.

Huggs....

missemilysmom said...

I love the buttons! Where did you get them!! And Miss Emily is recovering greatly... She is venturing to eating a little more and just loves all of the pudding and ice cream!!

Kath said...

I believe this is when living alone has its advantages. You wanna walk the widdle socks around? Go for it. You wanna use recently knitted hats as hand puppets? That's okay too. (Don't ask.) Go ahead and get your crazy on - the only witness is the cat and she'll never tell.

sheep#100 said...

Go find the SBK and hold it for a while. You'll feel better. And you could easily persuade him to odel the widdle socks.

Anonymous said...

Mel said it best.

And the too big baby sweater and widdle baby sox are darling.

Anonymous said...

There's just something about widdle baby things... I've recently finished up a spate of preemie hat knitting, and I have observed that every single solitary time I hold up a widdle hat (preemie hats are the epitome of widdle), any nearby spectators can be counted upon for one lovely, unanimous, "Awwww..."

It is very gratifying.

Anonymous said...

Your sweater is terrific! I love the button, too. A button in the back of a baby sweater is safer anyway, right? I am so impressed by all of your FOs!

Anonymous said...

I too think you're a wonderful knitter.
And wonderful at other things, from what I can see here (even if it's only hiding that you're not). and now, ... at the risk of giving you so much self esteem that it won't fit in the house with you ... I've gone and nominated you for the "You Make My Day" award... and that was before I knew Anne had done it. Too late now... you're clearly in!
Details on my blog, if Annie's comment didn't explain it well enough (which it did).

Ronni said...

"I don't think that there is an aisle in the discount store where I can feel superior about the crazy." I dunno about Maine but I guarantee you there is one here.

I love the manly garter rows! And yes, it's a noggin thing. Most kids don't have enough hair to muss at that age. Heh - my verification word was cojyk - he didn't have much hair to muss either. (Opps showing my age - I was a wee bairn watching with the parental units.)

The widdler sock is too too cute.

Annie said...

That baby sweater is gorgeous!

Alwen said...

We call those design decisions, when the knitting turns a corner and goes a direction the pattern didn't.

That's a great-looking sweater.

Anonymous said...

The sweater is lovely and will be perfect.
Did you know they sell cuffs already made for replacement on winter coats?
Karen
http://nothingbutknit.blog-city.com/

Cathy said...

I love mel's comment.

And I think you are a wonderful knitter!

mehitabel said...

I can't go to the pet food store on weekends; I am already at my quota of kitties, and would fershure bring one home with me. So I just avoid the place.
Crazy is good. I should know, being the Queen of Crazy Old Cat Ladies!
New grandbaby is home. At 5 lbs he is so tiny that preemie clothes are too big! He's got a good appetite so hopefully will grow big! At my (slow) rate of knitting, I'm going to start with the Toddler 2's for him!

Knitting Linguist said...

I love that sweater! It turned out beautifully, and has me wondering whether I can convince any of my friends to have a baby so I can knit one. I'm guessing not so much. BTW, there could definitely be an award for "most crazy" at my local discount store, and honey, you're not even in the running! :)

Donna Lee said...

We should knit together. Then you won't be the worst knitter in the room. I rip more rows out of patterns after I make "design decisions" that go awry. I'm ok with it, mostly. I keep it up hoping that each project makes me a little better. But maybe I am deluding myself. Sigh.

knitnzu said...

The great (or terrible) thing about blogland is that people all seem like such experts, and so much better than ourselves. There's always somebody who will know more than you, no matter what, and vice-versa. As for crazy... I've got a couple neighbors who really are. We call one 'she who must not be named' because when we name her, she shows up. Very creepy. We hardly even say 'she who must not be named' anymore either... because she'll appear sometimes then too. The other will get drunk while still on his meds a couple times a summer... and be very loud and obnoxious in the middle of the night... So, let your craziness roll, really make an effort to freak out those early 20-somethings. Might be kind of fun.

Sheila said...

I am loving the not-so-widdle sweater!! So beautiful, in a manly way.

You're my kind of knitter! As my husband says of my knitting, it is the little "changes" that make it special in the handmade kind of way. Too perfect and you may as well just buy one.

{{HUGGS}}

kim said...

Yep, it's the big heads!

kathy b said...

You made me laugh! Im a not so gtreat knitter myself! I think you are too hard on yourself, Too big Baby sweater is wonderful.

Trish said...

The sweater looks great. And buttons on the back are a good idea - the kid can't pull them off that way. Most of my 3yo's clothes botton in the back.

catsmum said...

one of the really great things about knitting too-big stuff for babies is that they grow ... really, really fast.
Too big is better than too small.