Saturday 8 August 2009

I was going to.....

I was going to blog a couple of photos of my progress on the Lerwick Lace shawl.

You know, the usual stuff. Probably this photo of it all bunched up on the needles not looking like much of anything.


And then maybe this photo of the progress on the border.




It wasn't going to be an exciting update and I thought maybe I'd pep it up with some links to some inspiring knitting happening out there in blogland. (I am waaaaaaaaa-aaaaa-aaaay behind on my blog reading but made some progress this week.)

Well, that's what I was going to do.

UNTIL.

Until this morning while I was knitting one of the 800ish stitch rounds and suddenly I felt something snap.

"Oh no!" I thought. "The yarn has snapped."

But no. It wasn't the yarn. It was worse. Much worse.

It was my needle! Yep - my needle! The cable snapped off from the needle end and there hanging loose were lots of scary looking stitches.







Naturally while carefully picking up these stitches I managed to lose more stitches as the cable slipped through the work.

There was a lot of swearing.

A lot of very not knitterly, very not ladylike swearing.

I think I've picked up the stitches. And I think it's ok. But I've set it aside for now and will correct any that got away a little later.

When I've stopped swearing.

P.S. Lately a couple of queries have been left in comments - but blogger won't let me see the email addresses. So if you have left a question (or have one now) you can send me an email at thingssoolikes AT gmail DOT com. I promise not to swear in my reply!

P.P.S. For the curious knitters out there the needles were Kollage square(!) needles. I was going to do a little review of them as this is the first time I've used them for lace. I expect now it's probably best if I don't!

14 comments:

fleegle said...

You don't have to review them. You just did :(

Oh, curse them!

I lifeline every row of fine lace, because I am a devout coward and sloppy knitter. Always dropping stitches.

Glad you recovered the stitches. Shudder.

LittleBerry said...

I can't believe you took a photo of the sts just hanging there... I wouldn't have dared move and be holding my breath until I can get them safe!!!

Mmm square needles don't see the point of those....

The border is looking nice

The Caked Crusader said...

I think I've seen you mid-sweary mode, but never full on. I can imagine it would be quite scary so I only hope there were no children, small animals or people of a nervous disposition nearby at the time.
It may comfort you to know that I had a medium-high sweary fit this week when I had a cake tin landslide in my cupboard. Wherever I put my hands to stem the flow they started sliding out from somewhere else! The tortures we suffer for our art.....

Gale Bulkley said...

Swear away. That's one of knitting's scariest moments. Ever.

Jomama said...

@fleegle: What do you mean by "lifeline"? Sounds like a good technique for us other cowards out here...

whimsymoon said...

I think I had this as a nightmare once!!! I think I would STILL be swearing! Congrats on keeping a cool head and saving the stitches!

Linda said...

Wow! I hope you've picked up everything you were supposed to. I would have been cursing, too.

Those needles - I haven't had the join seperate but the coating has worn off one circular (after only a few weeks of working with it, they sent a replacment and that coating is wearing off. Plus the cable is so flexible that I have trouble sliding my work up onto the needle. I am knitting with hempathy, not a heavy cotton. I won't buy another of those needles.

Opal said...

what a horror story! i'm glad you were able to pick up all the stitches in the end. it's a gorgeous shawl.

cici said...

this is bad... very bad..This is when you are sorry you didn't lifeline... I have these needles.. I wonder if this is an isolated incident... I can't imagine how this would happen.. I hope they are replacing them

Karen said...

Oh no. Oh no. I've had a circular needle set come unscrewed and have lost row upon row of lace. Since then (and I try not to think about it) I always put in a lifeline every now and then. It's a bore but it save me having a complete meltdown!

Jackie's Stitches said...

I can easily believe that you took a picture of all those stitches just sitting there. I would have thought that they were safer just sitting there and picture them unraveling if I touched them.

Glad that all is recovered!

P.S. People who think knitters do not/should not swear have not encountered the dangers of lace knitting!

Linda said...

Jeepers that sounded bad. You are very talented to have saved it. I would have binned it in a strop!

fleegle said...

Little hats. Yes. Um, but do smoothie bottle catch cold often?

Helen said...

I yanked a knit pick cable out the other day, I had about 800 stitches of Aran weight on it and I admittedly did yank it quite hard. I was sitting in a queue for a ferry, frantically picking up all the stitches as people stepped over me, thankfully I had a tapestry needle and a spare ball of yarn on me.

I was so annoyed as I was 3 rows off finishing and then the replacement cable got lost in the postal strike.

Well done on the recovery.