I think all knitters know the excitement of starting a new project. New pattern! New yarn! Let’s go!
Forget the dishes in the sink. Forget the work deadline. “Startitis” is like a drug. The thrill of seeing something new grow from your needles becomes an overwhelming need.
Unless…
 |
You read the first line of your new pattern and it says, “Cast-on 240 stitches using the provisional method”.
This cast-on took me TWO HOURS. Kinda took the wind out of my startitis sails. Like sitting down to a lovely meal to find that you can only nibble on celery for 120 minutes. |
 |
Here’s the sweater. It’s Arbor, designed by Melissa Burt. I’m knitting it with Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sport in Navy.
Now that I’m past the celery, I can start to enjoy the lovely meal. |
 |
Just two. Two hours felt like a long time for a cast-on, but two dogs suddenly seems like a very small number.
The good news is that my house is unbelievably calm and peaceful. And I got to use the bathroom without company this morning. |
Lucky you. I never get to use the bathroom by myself. Kona sits right outside the shower and cries. He cannot understand why I would subject myself to such awfulness. As soon as the shower door opens he tries to make me feel better my licking my legs dry. Then he goes to work on the shower. When I try locking him out, he scratches the door and howls.
Sorry the dogs had to go, but I’m glad you had them for a long visit.
Startitis! That’s the word I’ve been looking for. Congrats on making it through the celery…it looks like a fun project from thereon out. This gives me Planitis for a summer project, and shopitis for yarn 🙂 Okay, I’l stop now.
Sigh.. I so understand the “startitis”. Problem is I do “re-startitis” several times until my perfectionism for everything being correct looking. Right now I am on restart number four of the shawl/stole I am working on for my mother. I am afraid that if I restart again, the yarn is going to disentigrate!!! Of course, this is my first trip round the lace knitting, so we shall see.
And I so understand you about being able to go to the bathroom w/o an audience!! I can’t seem to sit down w/o the dog pushing the door open and sit there and look at me. It drives my husband crazy and he calls Dusty a “perv”.
Happy Birthday!
i admire your stamina. i’d see that it said cast on 240 using the provisional cast on and totally forego the entire project. dude. there’s just no way. well, i completely suck at provisional cast ons so maybe if i was better i’d consider it. maybe.
My birthday isn’t until April 26th, but thank you! 🙂
A lovely meal with a two hour celery nibbling marathon to precede it sounds exactly like a Passover seder at my sister-in-law’s house. With Passover coming up soon, we’re trying to either scare up a seder at home or jump on a last minute cruise.
If doing a seder, perhaps I should work on a provisional cast on at the same time. I know our Haggadah by heart and can blurt out appropriate responses at any time. I’d love to be more spiritual, but I’m just too much of a heathen at heart.
On the up side, our doggie count is up again. Our newest is a little ball of fire with razor sharp teeth and a teeny tiny bladder. She’s a huge Harry Potter fan as she turns all the stuffed dog toys into “Nearly Headless Nick”. It’s pretty grisly.
Looking at the pattern you’re on (back to knitting) and the number of cast on stitches, you must have the patience of a redwood. I’m into Cat Bordhi’s latest sock book and my brain just can’t work its way through the concept of all the measurements and stitch counts. I’ll hit it again later with a pitcher of bellinis. 🙂
If it’s not the kid, then it’s the dogs barging in to see what’s going on. Sometimes they like to stay for the show. Let’s be honest, we watch them, why can’t they watch us! LOL!
Two hours!!?? Good Lord! You’ve got the patience of Job but then I think you have to have patience to knit. Congratulations on getting past the celery. Great analogy! 😉
WOW! I can’t even imagine. I gave up after trying to do only like 40 provisional cast on stitches once.
I *love* startitis! I had it all winter, and now I kinda miss it…
Scare me half to death!! I thought I forgot about your birthday for a sec!! Do you know who the cutest dog in the whole freaking world is? Yes, you do, it’s Ikey and I LOVE HIM!! Squeeze him EVERY single time you pass him, he needs it!! By the way I think Frank is great!!
I love the new project!!
My startitis tends to start every day. lol… which is why I have like 5 projects going on at one time. But you wouldn’t know about that, would you?. 😉
Who knew there were so many ways to cast on?! I went looking for the provisional method. Very interesting!
I’ll be halving the Basenji population in my house within the next few days too. My little foster puppy will be going to his new home soon. I think Raisin and I are going to have a Spa Day to celebrate the removal of Testosterone from the premises. Observations on living with a Boy Dog. The little man has a penchant for stealing the toilet brushes (like someone who will remain nameless), Raisin just thought it was gross. And not only did he feel it was his right to accompany me into the bathroom, he felt the need to climb into the toilet if the lid was up. LOL!
Startitis. I know the feeling (and the accompanying frustrations) well. I get it with every manuscript.
The sweater is gorgeous. Sure there was a lot of pain in the beginning, but think of the finished product. Can’t wait to see it complete.
It’ll be worth it though, the pattern looks lovely – I’ve gone straight and added it to my (very long) queue!
Cast-on took me TWO HOURS? That seems unthinkable. You must have the patience of a saint.
I would have thrown the needles and yarn down in disgust! You go!
I love the celery analogy though. lol
I can’t wait to feel the itch to knit again! All my knitting energy is devoted to “stopping nausea” at the moment.
Ooh, yay! Arbor is in my Rav queue….but a 2-hour cast on? Meeeeps!
Provisional cast-on of 240?? I cringed when I read that. I still break out in a cold sweat at the thought of having to do 2 more sets of 32… given how mysteriously painful a time I had with the first two. It’s probably why I haven’t continued work on the original 2 for a while. It’s procrastinitis. I suffer from that a lot more than startitis, sadly…
Yikes, I probably would have given up… when the knitting gets tough I get going pretty much. The sweater is gorgeous though, and you will be rewarded for your hard work 🙂