Wednesday, March 14, 2007

ya wanna know something?

People with FMS are not supposed to indulge in high energy / high impact activities. It tends to exacerbate the sympoms. [ which are a high level of pain and chronic fatigue ]
Right. I know that.
So tell me why I did three and a half hours of tap class last night and bellydancing this morning? [ well actaually it was Clogging but most people don't know what that is so it's easier to say "tap" ]
The cracked coccxyx is letting me know that it also does not think this was one of my more brilliant decisions.
Although the most physically painful part of the last 24 hours was actually the sitting at quilting this afternoon.
The most sedate activity possible is the one that was a literal pain in the tuchous.

and in a 180 degree change of subject, because I can't think of a clever segue:
I had an epiphany the other night:
When it comes to knitting, if you don't finish it, you haven't failed.
...the possibility still exists that it will totally suit you, fit like a dream and be in all ways perfect... but if you actually go ahead and finish something, then you have to acknowledge any imperfections. Whether said imperfections are the garment's or one's own. Now bear in mind, I am a woman who is generally incapable of judging what will or will not look okay in a change room because in my minds eye I'm still that 20kgs lighter person that I was only 10 years ago.. Why would I expect that something based only on a tiny wee two dimensional image of a garment worn by a stick insect is going to a] fit or b]suit ...but if I don't actually FINISH it? Then of course ONE day it's going to be divine. ONE day ...
Anyway, armed with this revelation, and new determination and taking a deeeeeep breath, I wielded thread and sticks and knit up the bands.
nearly done
sewed in the ends, lightly blocked, tried it on ........................and?
bugger
bum
the armholes are way too loose.
Add to that, I'd used cotton for a pattern that was originally designed for bamboo yarn. I wouldn't know bamboo yarn if it snuck up and bit me on my achey caboose.
I now suspect that it's a whole lot less stretchy than Bengigo Woollen Mills 8-ply [DK] cotton.
The otherwise very pretty top has been sitting on the end of the sewing room table since Sunday night.
This morning I tried it on again and it still looked revolting.
Nothing for it. Those armhole bands had to be redone.
This is when I discovered that the sewing in was SO PERFECT [ oh yeah ] that I couldn't find the end. This couldn't happen on some other garment? It had to be THIS one?
Out with the scissors. Hack. Slash. Unravel.
So here I am, watching Weird Al Yankovic on Spicks and Specks and reknitting the second armhole with a third less stitches. Yes I know that sounds like I took out too many but believe me, the one I've already redone fits just P-E-R-F-E-C-T-L-Y. Now so long as I haven't mozzed myself by Blogging about it slightly prematurely....

7 comments:

crazyhaberdasher said...

Hi there, actually this is the second message, for some reason the first isn't showing up.....look up ebay 280091154817 and it shows bamboo yarn and scroll down further to see the knitted swatch with all the gauge details and colours etc available....and I loved the "Bob" song on Spicks and Specks, very clever that Weird Al...cheers, Maz

catsmum said...

oh I got the right gauge on the swatch and all, it's more that not having seen the suggested yarn in reality, I have no real sense of how it behaves/ drapes/ etc versus the same gauge in cotton. In any case I've used the BCM cotton on quite a few projects over the last year and like working with it. Remember that black bolero for Nadie? the hot pink halter top? that crochet skirt I was working on the day we went down to disassemble your Dad's shed? Riley's blue and white polo top? all from Bendigo.

crazyhaberdasher said...

Going by the pic, I would guess that it is somewhat stretchy and silky, you know, like a knitted cord, and not twisted like cottons, but then I may be wrong, ....cheers, Maz

Anonymous said...

Why do us fibro-frannies ( I just made that up!) do stuff that's bad for us? Ummm - because that's probably how we GOT fibro - you know, doing too much at once for too long because there's just so much to DO...
and there is NO shame is frogging knitting, that's why wool re-knits, yes?
DAMN I watched grumpy doctor being patronising about fat people instead of Weird Al? DAMN!!!

Now, dang it, if I could only find where I've stashed the latest issue of Textile Fibre Forum I could tell you where in Aus stocks bamboo (and soy!) yarns - dang, will look for that soon. I noted it because Mr Beloved won't wear wool, and if I ever DO decide that I must knit, I needed to know.

Tanya Brown said...

Oh, bless your heart. Here's my theory about why we try things that we aren't "supposed to", like hours of tap dance, etc.: we have to find out what the limits are. Once we know what they are, we can back off from them a bit. Otherwise, we run the risk of doing nothing out of fear and running afoul of the "use it or lose it" syndrome.

And oh, yes, I relate to still seeing oneself 20kgs lighter (or, in my case, more like 30kg). It's an evil shock each time I enter a dressing room.

Hope the business end starts feeling better pronto!

Rose Red said...

Oh good luck with the re-do. I know how frustrating that is!

Sheepish Annie said...

So sorry to hear about the pain. It is not good when the things you love have to hurt...

I've spun bamboo and you're right: it doesn't have much in the way of give. The plant fibers trick me every time... They just don't behave like the animal ones. Good luck with the re-do!