Sunday, January 22, 2023

She’s Come Undone

Sue’s world has been really unravelling lately. 

But it is fairer to say that she has been unravelling her world, or at least unravelling her crocheting, for this is what I saw the other night after 10pm.


Sue has crocheted a number of afghans over the past five years, and they have usually been fairly advanced patterns. But they haven't been as advanced as the weaves in the Celtic Cable project that she chose this time.


Beautiful, eh? But difficult. She chose it not just for its looks but also to learn new stitches — seven new ones.

Learning, she was, and she got through the first panel (below) or set of stitches or weaves with a little patience and perseverance. 


But then came the extra-difficult middle section comprising 11 different rows involving 3 different repeated rows of stitches weaving together.

Without describing it in blow-by-blow detail, largely because it is beyond me but also because it is not necessary for this post, here is the gist of it.

She had to rip out some of her work on seven different occasions for a total of 17 rows of 158 stiches each. In all she unravelled 17 rows, the longest two being 7 and 6 rows. That's a lot of unravelling.

It was the last unravelling that left me to take that first photo sometime after 10 o'clock that night. What a mess of wool I saw as I stumbled into the room as she tried to unravel the unravelling which I guess could be termed the ravelling by that time. So, she was now unravelling the resultant mess of the unravelling. Sheesh!

As you can tell (again referring back to the first photo in this post) she had already been trying to sort the topsy-turvy wool for some time. Since she had enough other wool for the project, I suggested that she just cut her losses and begin with a new skein.

Alas, my lovely wife can been an extremely stubborn determined person, and she was having none of it. While she always precedes me to bed by an hour or two, I left her to it that night. I dozed off in my chair, but when I stirred just before midnight, I saw that she had finally retired. 

In the morning, Sue capitulated by doing some excising but also saving much of the wool.


She wrapped the reminder into this tight ball on the right.


As I sit and type this on Saturday morning, she only has a row and a half to complete of these damnable 11 rows. Of course, she will have completed them long before I post this tomorrow, Sunday, morning. From there, she must repeat the first panel that I showed three image above, after which there is a border-edging to be done.

At 1:13pm, Sue announced that she had finished that dadgummed section. It wasn't exactly a victory shout but more of a gigantic and tired sigh of relief.

As you can gather, the finished product won't be ready anytime soon, but it should go much easier than this middle section, for it is a repeat of the first panel.

Lagniappe: Thankfully, Lacey stayed away from the wool, unlike the cat of this old woman.








19 comments:

Jenn Jilks said...

That looks so difficult! Knitting is beyond me. Crocheting, as well. I couldn't keep the stitches even. Good for Sue for persevering.

Marie Smith said...

Patience is one of Sue’s virtues by the look of it. You’ll have to show us the finished product, AC.

Barbara Rogers said...

It looks indeed like a difficult pattern...and it's well done! I knitted in the past, never crocheted more than edging on afghans. I would do a few rows in one pattern and color, then switch to another, totally free form, and of course deciding on colors was part of the fun.

Boud said...

Sue is an advanced crocheter. Beautiful work. I worried at first that your cat had caused the issue, and feared caticide.

RedPat said...

That is gorgeous. I did a lot of crocheting years ago but nothing as involved as that.

MARY G said...

It is obviously your job to help her rewind - a human spindle is what is needed.
And it was the YD's cat that got me into a fix like that.
Wow, Sue! I would not even try.

Cloudia said...

Such an ancient and worthy skill your wife practices! Came by visiting because I seem to see your comments at the same places I like to visit. Just thought I'd drop in and say Aloha. Glad I did. Thanks for the thoughtful post

Margaret said...

I've tried to learn to crochet and knit several times, but it's too complex and spatial for me. My older daughter does both and the younger one is learning. I don't think they would tackle anything as complex as Sue's stitches though. I admire her patience! I would have said a few (many?) bad words.

Marcia said...

I applaud Sue for her work. Would love to be able to crochet again but my right hand and thumb give me so much pain it's not happening any time soon. I see the hand doc on Thursday so may get some relief.

DJan said...

It's beautiful. I may have to try crochet again. I used to do it but it's been ages. :-)

William Kendall said...

I am surprised Lacey would stay away!

Red said...

Incidents like this must really test a marriage!

Joanne Noragon said...

Beautiful work. Sue will soon have it put to rights.

Debby said...

It IS beautiful. And your wife uses her stubborness determination, for good and not evil.

peppylady (Dora) said...

Nice work. My crochet is dish cloth.
Coffee is on and stay safe

DrumMajor said...

It looks like she's knitting herself right into the pattern. Linda in Kansas

Vicki Lane said...

That is so impressive!

Tabor said...

While I took up knitting years ago, I never followed through to create anything of significance. I do admire her tenacity.

Ed said...

I don't know a single person in my family that can knit a stitch since my great grandmother died 40 years ago. But somehow, my oldest daughter decided to pick it up and has made a collection of animals and is working on a jacket. I guess what goes around comes around.