shrinking, stretching, screwing up

Boy, Scott's been making some very pretty things at the torch lately. Check out these beads.

I know, maybe not the best pic in the world, but I love how the sunshine is reflecting through the clear glass encasing each bead. It was just that sunny here yesterday. And no matter how great a pic I could've taken, it wouldn't convey how gorgeous these beads truly are, so let's just enjoy that sunshine, eh? Besides the pretty, pretty effect of the glass used, these beads are also much smaller and more delicate than the big-holed beads Scott was making before. Hm....I might just need to start wearing bracelets. :-)

While he went smaller on the beads, he also went larger on some buttons. These are a full 3 cm in diameter. Perfect for a single button accent on a handknit sweater, or maybe replacement buttons for the black hand-me-down coat I just received. Lots of subtle coloring in these and a metallic iridescent sheen in those little speckles when the sun hits the glass. Yum.

Also oversized is the pair of slippers I'm knitting for Jesse. It's the well-known Fiber Trends felted clogs pattern. I made a pair for Scott a few years ago and they have held up beautifully, so when Jesse requested slippers recently, I was happy to make another pair. Since Leah's Sylvi is just waiting for a glass order to arrive so Scott can make the beads and buttons for it, I again had a clean slate with no knitting in progress. New Year's Eve's snowstorm, sick Goob (laryngitis, bronchitis, general ooey gooeyness), and It's A Wonderful Life on DVD = perfect slipper knitting evening.

Now, Jesse's feet are big anyway, at size 12, but anybody who's familiar with this pattern knows that the slippers are enormous when knit up and then you felt them down to size for thick, warm, durable slippers. This one, for instance, is 18" long. Luckily, they're knit on size 13 needles, so they go fast. Maybe too fast. I was happily knitting away, finishing the first slipper in an evening, when I finally took a good look at the thing and realized I had a major screw-up on my hands! I must've gotten the whole thing off kilter at some point. Can you see the problem in the picture above? See how there are decreases traveling across the top of the foot asymmetrically and half of the sole is showing on the right side? Um, that would be WRONG. If the opening of the slipper is straight up, half of the sole is creeping up the side of the foot. If the sole is positioned flat on the ground, the slipper opening is at a 45º angle. This slipper could be a perfect fit for anyone who walks on their right ankle. :-P

Nope, no amount of twisting and fiddling would save this thing, so we all laughed at my lovely mutant accomplishment for the evening and then I ripped it out. Reminder to self: counting stitches is important on this pattern.

No biggie, really, but I have to laugh because I was out to dinner with a friend on Tuesday and she, who had tried knitting for something like three whole days, commented that she's just not good at it. She then went on to compliment my knitting skills and I promptly reminded her that this was with years of practice and I *still* screw up, tear out, and am utterly baffled on a regular basis. In my warped world, that's part of the fun, the thrill of the chase, trying something new and challenging, just to see what comes of it.

Sometimes, I even get it right. Jesse's new pair of slippers will be felted later today. :-)