The Knitting Project from Hell

Everybody has probably experienced something similar to this, regardless whether it's knitting or some other craft or hobby... or home do-it-yourself project.

As most of you know, I like to knit. I don't know why... it's just the one thing that I can usually do well. There is one project, however, that keeps slapping me around saying, "no you don't!"

I've been trying to knit a tank top for Valerie out of a nice silk yarn, and have had nothing but problems from day 1. I've walked away from it and come back, only to still find that it hates me. I'm ready to walk away again...

I was using a needle set called "Denise", which is made out of a nylon-like plastic. It's a good all purpose interchangeable set, but this yarn didn't slide well along the needles or the connecting cable. I wound up dropping stitches and then not being able to find them to fix the problem, and having to start over. This yarn, while it feels soft against the body, also acts like it is made from Velcro. So it's easy to have one stitch cling to another and both come off the needles, sometimes without being noticed until you've worked the entire 230 stitches and then find you're off on the design. Another reason to start over.

I just recently picked up a new interchangeable needle set from "Knit Picks", which I have heard many people singing the praises of how well they're made, and how nicely they work. Indeed, when I started yet again to try and knit this project, I was impressed how easily the silk yarn moved along the needles and connecting cable. Unfortunately, when I was on just the seventh round the cable separated from the connector and everything came off and unraveled. The project is on hold indefinitely and I've e-mailed the company to find out whether they had a bad batch of cables, or whether I'm just "lucky".

At least this time the disaster wasn't my fault! But the result is the same; the effort is ruined and I have to start over at some point in the future. At least I only had seven rounds and not seventy seven... but if I was through the lacy pattern on the bottom and into the "easy" stuff, I could have saved the tank top when everything came loose! This is what the tank top is supposed to look like.

So... how's your day going???