Life of the Lintee Bean

Professional athletes have slumps.  We frequently talk about the slumps of goalies, batters, pitchers, etc.  They’re not the only ones.  I’m definitely in a slump of late.  I think the major cause of a slump is a lack of confidence.  Things don’t go well, then you start questioning your own ability and doubting that ability and things go worse.  That doubt can be fed by the media, or in my case well-meaning friends.

Since my last post, I’ve crocheted several items.  Most didn’t turn out well and were frustrating endeavors, to say the least.

I made a scarf from an orphan (single) skein of yarn.  I actually thought it turned out pretty well and I was proud of myself for coming up with a lacy enough stitch to make an entire scarf from the small ball of yarn.

Amaizing berries and cream scarf

As part of a Ravelry (Internet) crochet-along, I made a pullover.  The pattern was for a cardigan, but we all modified the pattern – in my case, to make it a pullover with a contrasting neck and cuffs.  I wasn’t thrilled with the result, but it was okay.

Crochet-along Not-a-cardigan pullover

I made a blanket for my great-nephew.  My parents said he likes fish and water, and I was inspired to make him a ripple afghan with little goldfish at the bottom.  I ignored the well-meaning comments that I should have put more fish, added fish at the top, added fish all over, used different colors, etc. etc.  I think it turned out cute.

Madden's fishy blankie

I’d been working on the “Giselle” pattern from the “Pop Goes Crochet” book for AGES.  I lost track of how many times I had to start over COMPLETELY, including once when I was nearly done.  (ARGH!)  I hope the bright colors are still popular next summer, because I didn’t finish it in time to wear it this year.  It turned out a bit small (and long) but with the lacing in front I think it looks okay nonetheless.

Sexy on the summer beach vest

I also FINALLY finished my “rose wrap shell” (from “Sensual Crochet”).  I’d seen a picture of this pattern done in this yarn on Ravelry, and just loved it.  It’s a “motif” project, meaning you make a LOT (I mean a LOT) of little squares/triangles/half-squares/whatever and then crochet them all together.  It was a nightmare.  It took AGES.  I finally finished all the motifs and went to join them – and the fit was NOT good.  I tried to adjust by using fewer motifs.  I finished.

Wrapped in Roses

I wore my Rose Wrap Shell exactly once.  Twice if you count putting it on for a quick photo.  Well-meaning friends commented on the poor fit… and well, it got to me.  I thought maybe I could fix it.  I’d remove a row of motifs and a “column” or two of motifs (making it shorter and less wide).  I “frogged” (ripped out) the edging, then proceeded to try and remove some joins and motifs… after carefully doing this for an evening – I landed up with a complete mess.  A few motifs joined and a lot of yarn bits.  Keep in mind, one of the awful (in my opinion) things about motif projects is you are CUTTING the yarn after every motif.  So, instead of frogging a non-motif garment and landing up with near-full skeins or balls of yarn – frogging a motif project gives you a bunch of short strands of yarn that have been cut.

So now I have my once-lovely yarn (which has been discontinued, so I can’t replace it) cut in pieces and nothing to show for it.  I could start over and attempt to make the pattern again, using my already-cut yarn, but I’m just not up for it, and I’ve no guarantee it’d turn out any better than my first attempt (which people pointed out didn’t fit well at all).  So I have a plastic bag with bits of yarn I haven’t the heart to throw out… and many hours over many months of crocheting gone with nothing to show for it.

I started a coat – using the “Spanish Moss Coat” pattern from an Interweave Crochet magazine I loved.  I started it – thought it’d be too large and frogged it.  Started it again, crocheted along for many nights – then realized it’d probably be too SMALL and frogged it again.  I haven’t had the heart to try again (yet).

The beginning of a coat

Ron at my favorite yarn store had given me some beautiful red rayon thread as “homework”.  I’ve been struggling what to do with it.  It’s thin.  It’s REALLY thin.  It’s about the width of a human hair.  Crocheting with it alone is a nightmare.  I tried holding it with another yarn he gave me, and I thought it was looking okay.  It was working up well, and I was making a shawl.  I was pretty far along when well-meaning friends commented on their lack of love for the colors.  I admit, I didn’t love them either.  I tried to frog it, but the yarn broke and now I just have a mess.

Was going to be a shawl... but it's not

By holding three strands of the red rayon thread together, I did manage to make some earrings – but I’m not keen on them. (For all the well-meaning friends that say I should just use the thread by itself – these TINY earrings took me a long time and use THREE strands held together.  Getting more than one strand is an ordeal in and of itself.  This thread isn’t already on a bunch of balls/skeins, it’s a single cone.  I can’t use my yarn ball winder as this is too fine.  I have to do it manually on to a toilet paper roll or foam roller – and it takes AGES.  No way I can work with one strand, it’s SO fine and I’ve tried – if I can manage to find the loops it takes me hours to make something about 1/2″ long.)

Red rayon thread beaded earrings

I’ve been admiring the work of a woman (username FridaKahlo) on Ravelry that does a lot with color.  Inspired by one of her projects, I started a scarf.  The stitch pattern was supposed to resemble leaves and flowers. I started with a lavender, purple, and lime green.  Well-meaning friends noted their lack of love for the colors. I frogged.  I started over with just lavender and lime.  (Friends wished I’d only used lavender and purple.)  I finished.  It doesn’t really look like flowers.

Purple flowers in a window box scarf

I “had” to try another pattern (Yohji) in “Pop Goes Crochet”.  It’s asymmetrical and “deconstructed” and basically a huge rectangle (that I could crochet while watching the subtitled movie “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”) that you fold like origami and ta-da it’s a sweater!  The first (and only, other than my photo) time I wore it, a well-meaning friend looked at it – said “Well, it’s different”, and I started to cry.  I have since taken out the seams and changed them a bit and added skirt/kilt pins, and I like it better… don’t know if the well-meaning friends will.

Origami sweater - before skirt/kilt pin adjustment

I’m in a slump, but I haven’t stopped playing/crocheting…. though I may find the dreaded pink slip on my locker door any time now.