Thursday, October 19, 2006

Never Say Never?

Is there some perfect knitted item you want badly, and keep coming back to, thinking about, but will never knit - and why?

When I peruse the magazines and blogs, I run across a lot of patterns - we all do, and what is it that makes something appeal to you? Or not?

Sometimes it's just an obvious like or dislike. Some things just don't appeal to me. But, besides the obvious "I don't like that," what influences what I decide to knit?

Many times I love something, but it's just not right for my body type. Sometimes it's cost prohibitive. Sometimes I have to admit it's no longer age-appropriate. Sometimes I have to admit I would never have an occasion to wear it.

What is the one thing you want to knit SO badly, but never will..... and why.

Here's mine. I LOVE this. So much. I obsess over how much I wish I could knit this Saffron Cables afghan, in the Fall 2006 IK. This speaks to me on every level. I would cuddle up in this ever night on the couch. I would make it out of something unbelievably soft. It is just gorgeous.
Why will I never knit it? I would never finish it. I can take on a big project, but this is too big. It would take too much time. I would get too bored. I can't even imagine taking it on as a project I would just commit to spending years on, knitting it little by little. I would totally be the little kid kicking the back of the seat and asking "are we there yet?" every five minutes - and I'd also be the exasperated parent in the front seat saying, "if you ask me that ONE more time...!"

It's just not gonna happen. I have not been knitting long, but I have learned that I am a process knitter. I need to see an FO within a reasonable period of time. I get bored easily.

So, what is the one thing you really wish you could, or would knit, but know you never will? Or is it just me?

13 Comments:

At 1:12 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I don't know but that afghan would be close to the top of that list for me. it's gorgeous, but would take forever and the cost would probably be prohibitive as well because I'd want it in wool. Maybe Knit Picks Andes.

But then I often will start something and just never finish it. So I don't know if there's anything I wouldn't knit.

Boy I'm confusing myself today.

 
At 1:32 PM, Blogger LC in Sunny So Cal said...

I'll never knit an afghan either. Because it'd be a PERMENANT UFO, plus I'd want to make it out of some $20 a skein yarn that would make the blanket worth a bazillion dollars worth of guilt.

Nope, not me. Socks. Socks I can do.

 
At 4:34 PM, Blogger Kate A. said...

Yeah, that same afghan is in the same category for me, along with a knitted dress - a specific one that I have in mind, of my own invention no less, that I will NEVER even attempt, I know.

 
At 5:57 PM, Blogger Marsha said...

That's a VERY long list for me. Ditto for the afghan. But I am working on the Lizard Ridge afghan from Knitty. It's doable because it's broken down in about 24 blocks. And it's only cost prohibitive if you purchased all the yarn at once. The beauty of it is that you can get 1 ball at a time. I didn't though - I went half-turkey and bought half of them. It goes fast and is a fun pattern to knit. If I didn't already have 5 1/2 blocks done, I'd frog back and put the garter ridges in it like this http://sockpr0n.blogspot.com/2006/10/ridged-pleasure.html
But to really answer your question it would be this cardigan http://www.crossedintranslation.com
- instructions in Japanese. Not happening for me until someone translates to english...

 
At 6:02 PM, Blogger ~Kristie said...

I have that same pattern dog-earned in my magazine as a "want to make", but I know I'd never be able to find the right yarn for it that wouldn't cost me dearly!

 
At 6:13 PM, Blogger Laura said...

afghans, almost certainly.

but also, i love the kandinsky kimono by leigh radford, which was in the spring 2002 IK. i looked for a link to a picture and couldn't find one. it is such a unique sweater, made with like 21 colors of mission falls wool. but i would never knit it, because it is comprised of many, many intarsia patterns and i think i may be allergic to intarsia. also, if memory serves, it's a "one-size" garment, and i've learned that one size fits nobody.

 
At 7:51 PM, Blogger Tammy said...

Oh... so many things come to mind! I've seen several beautiful cabled afghans that I will only dream of knitting for the same reasons you gave.

Felted bags are another... I can only use so many purses and don't know who I could give them away to.

Then it mostly comes down to weight, fit and finishing. As you know, a heavy sweater may see light of day once a year around here. And anything that requires too much finishing will probably stay unfinished for way too long to gratify.

Ultimately, I need to enjoy the process and end up with a product that I'll actually wear.

 
At 5:52 AM, Blogger april @ faraboverubies said...

I agree totally! Afghans or anything "large" intimidates me mostly b/c I know realistically it will take forever to finish (at my rate). I have Knitting AD/HD for sure!

 
At 7:00 AM, Blogger Holly said...

Any knitted afghan(I even started the Aran one that Knitter's mag put out and, apparently, not even breaking it up into squares is enough for me)I'm sticking with crochet for afghans and I don't care how much yarn it takes-the speed totally makes up for it.
Now what (real) pattern do I LOVE and will never knit? Cables after whiskey. I absolutely love it. All those freakishly random cables just make me smile-and then run screaming at the thought of actually knitting them. Plus, it's in SPORT weight!

 
At 9:29 AM, Blogger Charity said...

I'm the same as you... I'd LOVE to make an afghan, but know I would never complete it. That one from Knitty in Noro is appealing, though, because the idea of knitting squares is much easier to manage. (Not that I would knit the same square over and over, or sew it up, but it's a more appealing idea, anyway :0)

 
At 11:18 AM, Blogger Rhonda the Stitchingnut said...

I go along with you & everybody else ... knitted afghans are a no, no. Never would I even atempt one. I crochet them ... and it takes a month for each of maybe 3 dozen I've already done in my life. But crochet is faster & more portable for such a large item.

Now I would LOVE to knit a coat ... with wool ... but I don't think that's going to happen either, LOL.

 
At 1:57 PM, Blogger Jenny said...

I love that afghan, too, and I agree with you on so many levels on why I would never knit it.

A friend of my grandma's made a gorgeous, huge, knitted afghan for my wedding. I know it must have taken her AGES. My grandma cross- stitched a quilt for me for my high school graduation and the same friend HAND QUILTED it. Geez. I guess you can do those kind of things if you are retired? Can I retire now?

 
At 9:06 PM, Blogger Donna Boucher said...

Nope. Me either. Just can't justify the cost of the yarn. That's what usually stops me in my tracks.

Donna

 

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