11.03.2010

A Field Study*


Broken Rib Socks

Grapevine by Heidi Kirrmaier

There are as many species of knitters out in the wild as there are fishes in the sea. But some commonalities do exist. The first major subspecies observed share a trait call "startitis". These knitters tend to impulsively cast on for any and all projects that catches their eyes. They usually have multiple projects on the needles, but that does not prevent them from starting more. As for finishing any of these projects? That would require another study altogether. Then there is the (extremely rare) subspecies that have maybe at the most two projects going at once. One for travel knitting and one that requires more concentration. They have the compulsion to FINISH these projects before they can cast on for another. Did I mention that sightings of this subspecies are EXTREMELY rare? And then there is a subspecies that possibly is a hybrid of the two listed above. These knitters have a reasonable number of works in progress, say 9 or 10. Not too many that they can't finish any of them (so they tell themselves) but not too little that other knitters would consider them strange. The problem with these knitters is that they GET BORED with their current WIP's very easily. For example, they might stop knitting a pair of socks just at the point where decreasing for the toes begin and the dreaded Kitchener stitch comes into play (exhibit A). Some of their WIP's might be finished save for a missing sleeve (exhibit B). For more examples of any of the above subspecies (you be the judge) go to TAMI'S blog.

*no harm was done to any knitters in the making of this study

10 comments:

  1. *raising hand sheepishly* Finisher here. What can I say? It's a character flaw. I currently have 2 projects on the needles, and won't cast on another until I finish one of these. :) I think if I had 9 or 10 projects on the needles, I'd be too overwhelmed to function.

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  2. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this post! I always have several WIPs going, some I've put aside to finish others, but they still call to me! That's only crochet! Mix in trying to learn to knit and WATCH OUT!

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  3. Great post. . . Love the tombstone! I definitely fall into the cast-on-crazy category but these WIP Wedsnesdays and FO Fridays are helping!

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  4. Hahaha nice. I like the little WIP tombstones.

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  5. I try to stay at 3 current projects -- if I get down to 2 I worry about what's next, if I get to 4 I forget what I'm doing on at least two of the projects so it's hard to jump back into them.

    Very cute photos, too! You have a lovely blog format here.

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  6. Raising my hand here, too! I'm part of the very rare subspecies....the finisher. I don't think I've ever had even TWO projects going at once! Sick, I know.

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  7. PS. I'd like to invite you over to my blog to link your beautiful projects up to my Fibers on Friday blog party. I'm really loving your work!



    http://plumslife.blogspot.com/

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  8. Thank you for linking up to Fibers on Friday! I hope to see you back next week!

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  9. ha ha! That was so funny! I try to keep my WIPs around 10 or so - but I do admit at times, to keep my WIPs count that low, I say "Well, the sock yarn blanket will take me 3 years to finish, so that doesn't count as a WIP" and "all I did was cast on for the toes, so that sock doesn't count as a wip".

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  10. If I started a project back in March and abandoned it in May and have completed two other projects (serially) since and am deep into a new project; do I really have to count the abandoned project? On the other hand, I have a knitting project, a quilting project, a weaving project, a spinning project..... hmmm.....

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