you’re going to see the pictures below and think “wow, she’s all done with flair!” but no, sorry. i am not.
before blocking…
after blocking…
i knew this yarn would grow upon blocking (according to my swatch which could have lied but didn’t, thankfully) so i knit to the length proscribed in the pattern and bound off. then i blocked to see if it would look good on me, and it didn’t. 10 inches in length is not nearly enough for a tall woman like myself. it was way too cropped and made me look all stumpy. sadness. i thought i was done!
after a week of mulling it over, i decided that 1) the yarn was too beautiful to waste and 2) this is my first major knit since the birth of the peanut so i want to wear it all the time. therefore, cropped was not going to cut it. so i had to cut it. yes, you heard me. i tried to frog it but the fibers were too sticky to make that worthwhile. i threaded in a smaller size circular needle as a life line and cut off the bottom with some scissors.
what i ripped out
it was scary but worth it. i’m now going to knit on it to 12.5 inches and then do 1.5 inches of seed stitch. that is just the right amount of length for a girl of my height.
to distract from the negative progress on flair, here’s a swiffer cover.
exciting, i know. it works great but is a little large once wet and washed. the one i’m knitting now is a smaller version of the one i found on ravelry. (here’s the one that i really made.) i can share the information here if you like. just let me know. i love the fact that these things save me time and money. for really-o. it’s so much easier to use one of these than my wet mop and bucket.
on saturday next, we all leave on vacation for a whole week! i’m so excited! we’re going to the outer banks in north carolina with my side of the family, and staying at a house with a pool that’s only a block away from the ocean. i’ll be reading and knitting the whole time. i can’t wait.
oh, and there was some interest in the peanut last time i posted. she’s great. teething like mad (she has 4 teeth coming in at once, no joke.) and changing up her nap schedule to boot.
mmmmmm
we’ve been taking her out to the park as much as possible.
two seconds before i flipped out the screen
and she really loves looking at herself on the camera’s screen.
after
here are two videos to top off this post! hopefully it’ll be enough to tide you over till late next week. i’ve got freelance to get done before the popknits submission deadline on the 15th of june. if you’re planning on submitting, don’t forget!
hiccups are hilarious from gleek on Vimeo.
p.s. i love how near the end of this video she sort of forgets what she’s laughing about 
those babies have short memories.
cruising peanut from gleek on Vimeo.
jess
I am rolling on the floor at the hiccup video
the Peanut is sooooo cute 
I babysat my 9mo niece last night and she was in love with the mirror on my phone.
sorry about the flair, but I am glad you are going to lengthen it (and that you have enough yarn for it)! I love that yarn — I think you made a perfect choice!
May 30, 2008 @ 10:46 PM
claire
that’s terrifying! i do want to harden up and learn to cut my knitting, i am so glad that it worked out! that yarn is gorgeous, you definitely made the right choice to keep going with it.
peanut has such a beautiful laugh!
May 30, 2008 @ 11:56 PM
femiknitter
Yeah, sounds like cutting Flair was the right thing to do. As a tall woman, I totally sympathize. I’ve just taken to tacking on another few inches to everything I know now.
May 31, 2008 @ 9:35 AM
maya
oh dear! I have had to cut knitting before and it is not fun. But I’m sure it will all be worth it when your flair is a length you will be happy to wear.
May 31, 2008 @ 10:40 AM
Lisa
Poor flair!! I’m sure you’ll be happy that you cut & re-knit though. You’re right–the yarn is too gorgeous to waste. I love that video of the Peanut laughing at KP hiccupping. So cute
May 31, 2008 @ 11:08 AM
Stephanie
Sorry about the sweater, but it is always better to fix it so you’ll actually wear it. Can’t wait to see it after you rework it. That Peanut sure is a cutie!
May 31, 2008 @ 11:09 AM
Seanna Lea
I liked the idea of the swiffer cover so much that I found a partial ball of the Sugar and Cream I had lying around. Of course, I’m too lazy to download a pattern right now, so I just winged it (and other than needing to find more yarn it looks great).
May 31, 2008 @ 2:51 PM
sarah b.
I can’t believe what a sweet little girl the peanut is becoming! It’s so fun to watch them grow!!! Good solution to the length issue. I have that problem all the time and have yet to actually be brave enough to cut something and add on. Thanks for the inspiration!
May 31, 2008 @ 3:26 PM
schrodinger
You were right, Mr B was very happy to see this post – Camille is really coming into herself isn’t she? So cute!!
So sorry about Flair, you were so brave with the cutting, hope the mods work out well.
May 31, 2008 @ 4:09 PM
Sharon
OMG, that picture of Peanut and her daddy had me laughing. I LOVE how they both have the same expression. She’s getting so big! She’s not just a baby blob anymore. Crazy.
Sorry flair didn’t work out, but you’re right. You’ve put so much effort into it and the yarn is so yummy, it would be a shame if you couldn’t/didn’t want to wear it.
May 31, 2008 @ 7:28 PM
kat
Love the videos. C has such a cute girly laugh – it made me smile big!!! I don’t even wanna talk about knitting – Hopefully when J is one I’ll have lost the weight and be knitting for myself again!!!
May 31, 2008 @ 8:23 PM
rebecca
At least you know exactly what you have to do to make Flair wearable! It’s an easy enough fix, though a little annoying at this point, I guess.
Can’t get enough of that Peanut! Those teeth slay me!
Jun 01, 2008 @ 12:07 PM
melissa
although cutting the knitting is indeed scary, i’m glad you did it. it looks so great already, it would be a shame if it wasn’t exactly right.
Jun 01, 2008 @ 8:11 PM
Jessica
Yuck, that’s tragic about Flair! I’m so sorry, no fun. I think I’ve gotta frog the last sweater I completed too, but I’m still avoiding the inevitable.
Love the before and after shots of the Nut. She does love her gadgets. Like mama like baby!
Jun 01, 2008 @ 10:24 PM
Jackie F.
Hey, THAT’S where I’m going next weekend, too!!!! My family will be in the OBX Saturday pm (June 7) through Tuesday am (June 10). Jared (hubby), Marie (3yo daughter), Ian (8mo son), and I will arrive in Kill Devil Hills, NC on Saturday evening June 7th. I’ll keep my eye out for you! We’ll probably go to Jockey’s Ridge State Park (near our hotel), the Wright Bros. Memorial, Roanoke Island (Lost Colony evening drama and NC Aquarium), Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Pea Island Wildlife Refuge, and maybe Ocracoke. Have you been there before? If not, you’ll LOVE it
Jun 02, 2008 @ 12:50 AM
Fuji Mama
You are so brave! Smart though–after all that time spent working on it, you should be able to wear it all the time!
Jun 02, 2008 @ 8:11 AM
stacey
hopefully the surgery on flair turned out ok! the swiffer cover is such a neat idea!
Jun 02, 2008 @ 9:46 AM
brenda in toronto
way to be the boss of your knitting!
and that before and after of c. cracked me up
Jun 02, 2008 @ 10:16 AM
Katie
I love the photo of her at the park. She’s is adorable. I’m trying not to shudder at your knitting surgery ~ I can’t even contemplate that right now.
Jun 02, 2008 @ 12:16 PM
Alyssa
When I was making my flair jacket I had the same problem. Luckily I noticed it while I was knitting and I didn’t have to frog anything. Good luck adding a few more inches onto the bottom. I hope you enjoy wearing yours when its done. I love mine.
PS I think all knitwear designers are short wasited. I always have to add at least 2 inches to the length
Jun 04, 2008 @ 2:54 PM
Casey
Most sweater patterns are too short for me too and I don’t have an especially long torso! What’s up with that?
Have a great vacation and enjoy your poolside knitting time!
Jun 09, 2008 @ 11:35 AM