February 17, 2004

I'm still in a shock over frogging two whole skeins' worth.

She likes me so nice, she knit me twice.

I think it's high time I finished my dear sister's sleek poncho [giddy-ap!], so I've been spending a lot of time working on it. It was too big to carry around as a portable knitting project when I went overseas to visit my family during the holidays, so it stayed behind all by its lonesome. Over a month passed without my working one single stitch on it.

When I returned from my trip I picked it up to resume work on it, and because I temporarily misplaced my brain, I decided that I had at least 50 additional (very long) rows to work before reaching the neck shaping. Just like that. How I came up with that number, I will never know. Still, a-knitting I went. However, after I worked about 30 rows (of 200+ stitches each, and increasing with each row) I thought to myself, complete with italics, "Gee...this poncho sure does look long, Tita*. Let's count the rows to make sure we have the correct number, shall we?"

So I did, and discovered that when I had left the poncho behind to hop on that plane heading overseas, I had ALREADY reached the row where the neckline shaping was to begin. I realize now that I did that on purpose, so I would remember where I had left off. Notwithstanding, I forgot. [Insert long, drawn out "duh" right here.] Moreover, I keep meticulous notes on all my projects, but it never occurred to me to write that one down. And if that weren't enough, I didn't count the rows when I got back so I could recall where I had left off, but just started knitting away like I had all the yarn in the world to knit into this poncho. If I only had a brain.

Consequence of my brain-less state: I ripped out the extra 30 rows and was promptly rewarded with two skeins of Phil Ruban. Yep. I ripped out two whole skeins. I wept as I did it.

But! I got back on track and finished the neck shaping on that piece. I'm now happily zooming along on the second piece and have only got a few more rows to go before I begin neck shaping on that one, too.

Hallelujah! It's the second piece!
[Click here for the whole enchilada.]

I'm using a row counter on this piece. Wouldn't want to pull another Como Agua Para Chocolate* long blanket stunt again.

*I mentioned this before. Remember Tita and her kilometers-long blanket? That's me and this poncho. Really, it is.

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29 comments to this entry:

Oh! Two skeins worth of ripping! No! Oh, my heart BLEEDS for you. Glad it's over.

[Anne on 17 feb 04 @ 01:14 pm]

oy! what heartache... well, lesson learned, eh? :) by the way, I've been hoping you would update on this super poncho... it's way delicious!

[ms. amy on 17 feb 04 @ 02:23 pm]

That is yummy. I love the Like Water for Chocolate references--I adore that movie! The poncho looks like something Tita's rebel sister would have worn in a guerilla camp. So beautiful! Don't cry into your cake batter!

[gwyn on 17 feb 04 @ 03:10 pm]

That yarn looks good enough to eat. And in chocolate...yummm. It looks great! Sorry about the rippage...but it was a LITTLE bit satisfying when you were doing it, right? Just a little?

[Carrie on 17 feb 04 @ 03:19 pm]

Hey Tita! Despite the ripping it looks to me like you're almost done with the last project on your list....Time to start to think of new fun things! The long weekend in DC was fun, but I returned to many many hours at work, so I'll have to wait a few more days before I begin to blog. I'll be in touch.....

[julia on 17 feb 04 @ 03:40 pm]

Oh my word! 2 whole skeins of rippage! It doesn't seem to have impaired your progress though, it looks like it's speeding merrily along. I love that chocolatey yarn, yum! I wonder if the model in the photo is wearing ANYTHING underneath?!

[jen on 17 feb 04 @ 03:47 pm]

i LOVE the tita references! coincidentally, i was just flipping through my stitchnbitch handbook last night (nice pattern, becky) and thought it sad that tita was not listed on the "famous knitters, real and fictional" page (p. 8). how could such a prolific (& tragic) knitter be overlooked????

[Kim on 17 feb 04 @ 04:40 pm]

It looks beautiful! Too bad about the booboo. I'm always outthinking myself and forgetting that I left the work at exactly the right point so I wouldn't have to think. Then I think! So soon there's only seaming and fringing left?? Go, Tita!

[alison on 17 feb 04 @ 04:53 pm]

Now that is fortitude! I suppose at least you didn't rip too far...I've done that in a fit of frogging and somehow it makes it seem like you're doing it three times instead of twice!

[Evelyn on 17 feb 04 @ 05:08 pm]

Ribbit! Oh ma bont�. Cela est beaucoup de fil. I hate when that happens! I did a lot of ripping out this weekend as well. I started a sweater for my nephew ages ago when he was just a wee little thing and now I want to knit him another sweater. So instead of the smallest size I need to go up two sizes. So visit my site later to see the piece I started! I love the chocolate!! Such a smart color!

[Nicole from Boston on 17 feb 04 @ 05:25 pm]

mija que pena! I feel for you I do, I have a skirt I am/was making for my sister jsut a little beach coverup but still those looooooooong rows? uh yeah I Knit 4 of them before tossing them behind the marination station to punish the project for being so vexing. However, i think le bonne marie is right, with the exception of the evil big blue thing, its a godo omen if you have to rip at least once that the finished object will be great.

[leya on 17 feb 04 @ 06:06 pm]

Two whole skeins!! My gosh, I really feel your pain. The end result will be gorgeous though, what a lucky sister.

[Jackie on 17 feb 04 @ 06:10 pm]

Who,where,what blanket ?! Yummy chocolate poncho.Just view the ripping incident as a chance to knit even more with the lovely yarn.Or something ! :0)

[Emma on 17 feb 04 @ 08:46 pm]

I feel your pain ~ 2 whole skeins. You must have really enjoyed your holiday!!! My husband and I just watched our favorite romantic movie for Valentine's Day ~Como Agua Para Chocolate, so I had to comment - I love the Tita comments!

[Tiffany on 17 feb 04 @ 10:56 pm]

I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with memory lapses! Looks fab as usual. Love the color.

[janet D on 17 feb 04 @ 11:58 pm]

I love the poncho, both the texture and the color. I'm knitting something with more than 200 stitches now and I swear it takes me 20 minutes to do a row. Very tedious. But, nothing like your Elfin. I told my husband about casting on the front ruffle, and his jaw dropped. I'm not even close to being able to keep track of that many stitches.

[Cheryl on 18 feb 04 @ 12:51 am]

I love Like Water for Chocolate! It's so refreshing to meet someone else who does too. Made my sister watch it once, but she didn't really get it. Not a romantic, I guess. It's one of my favorite tragic love stories. The poncho 'villa' is looking fab. You are a better woman than I to reknit all those stitches. I would've cried too, by the way. p

[piper on 18 feb 04 @ 01:44 am]

What a horrible moment when you realised how much you had to rip! NIGHTMARE. I mean ripping can be fun but then there's ripping 2 whole skeins... whole different kettle of fish! Al least it'll soon be completed - and it IS beautiful.

[Sarah W. on 18 feb 04 @ 09:48 am]

Thanks for the support! Made ripping out easier to bear :-) I'm so glad there are fellow Como Agua Para Chocolate fans. The movie is excellent, but I prefer the book even more. I've read it in its original text countless times. I love the recipes at the beginning of each chapter. Romantic movie trivia: The actress who played Tita is Mexican, and the actor who played Pedro is actually Italian (Cinema Paradiso, anyone?). He had an accent when he spoke Spanish, so he had his lines dubbed. Anyway, after the film was made, they fell in love with each other and ended up living together for almost 9 years. Awwwwww! More romantic film stuff: Laura Esquivel, the author of the book, wrote the screenplay for the film. Alfonso Arau, her husband at the time, directed. More awwwwwwww!

[Becky from fluffa! on 18 feb 04 @ 04:02 pm]

On ripping...I'm glad its not just me. I've never seen the movie nor read the book. But if it has chocolate in it, I'm *so* there.

[claudia on 18 feb 04 @ 05:25 pm]

tita and pedro lived together for 9 years in real life??? that makes me happy and then sad all over again! how could they let it end!?

[Kim from cali on 18 feb 04 @ 06:25 pm]

Sorry to hear about the ripping. Ugh! I can tell you that you're not by yourself. I'm about to do the same thing.

[Jeanine on 18 feb 04 @ 07:45 pm]

You dear, dear woman. You have the patience of a Saint.

[Nikki on 18 feb 04 @ 09:20 pm]

Rats, how frustrating ripping out all that lot! The poncho is looking great though.

[Pamela on 18 feb 04 @ 09:30 pm]

Hi, Becky! I haven't commented on your blog in ages, though I read it all the time. Just had to say that Like Water For Chocolate is one of my favorite books, and I liked it much better than the movie. Thanks for the romantic trivia. Tita in the movie reminded me of a brunette Marsha of The Brady Bunch (Maure en Ma cCo rmack, or something like that, I forget. But I never forget Marsha Brady. Marsha, Marsha, Marsha!!!) Gorgeous chocolate brown poncho! So sorry about all that nasty ripping...

[Diane on 19 feb 04 @ 01:40 am]

I was wondering what happened to your poncho. Although you had to rip 2 whole skeins, I'm sure the finish will be as gorgeous as your other knits. Speaking of chocolate, I absolutely adore another 'chocolate' film - Chocolat. Your yarn and texture is just as yummy!

[lyn on 19 feb 04 @ 02:57 pm]

I admire your fortitude! I would have ripped, cried, and put it away for another month.

[Ingrid on 19 feb 04 @ 07:35 pm]

It's nice to hear from you, Diane. I got a chuckle from the Tita-Marcia Brady reference. It is so true! The film Chocolat is on my wishlist. Maybe I should rent the dvd while seaming and fringing the poncho? Hee!

[Becky from fluffa! on 19 feb 04 @ 08:19 pm]

You made me chuckle. I do things like that all the time--do things to try to save time/effort later, but then forget that I did it in the first place. For example, I always try to put things away in a safe and convenient place where I know I'll be able to find it later. But, then I forget the logic behind my perfect spot and end up searching the whole apartment for it like a mad woman. My DH makes fun of me, "You put it in a safe place, huh?"

[Stacy on 24 feb 04 @ 05:19 pm]

February 17, 2004

I'm still in a shock over frogging two whole skeins' worth.

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