The Misery Loves Company Knit-a-Long

OUR MOTTO

Members of the Misery Loves Company KAL, have banded together to provide a home for the their most miserable knitting projects. We offer motivation, encouragement and support, (whips and chains if necessary),  to the knitters of these miserable projects. This is the place to show your MLC projects and progress. Any knitter that wants a real challenge, can resurrect an abandoned UFO and call it a WIP.

Criteria: Knitting projects we have stored in a corner, attic, or garage etc., because we just can't bring ourselves to bury them in the Cornfield. At least not yet.

The usual suspects are projects that are nearly done except for the last sleeve; ones that inhibit us from taking guilt free advantage of great enabling opportunities like yarn sales. This is especially important when we find a new pattern and wish to buy more yarn. 

We all agree to spend 1 hour a week on these MLC projects.  Anything counts as work. Digging your WIP nightmare out of a box in the attic; spending an hour trying to find the pattern; or trying to find your place on the chart; glancing at the project hiding under the coffee table; buying buttons; looking for that missing sleeve and of course, actually knitting a couple of rows. It all counts at the weekly roll call. 

If you want to join the MLC KAL send me a picture or your project and the story that goes with it. All traditional knitting projects are welcome to join this Knit-a-Long.

If all else fails, we will hold your hand and offer sympathy and support while you visit the the dreaded, "CORNFIELD".

FRAN'S DALE

I think I started this sweater in 1995 and it went very quickly until some
family emergency came up. At that point I was on the second sleeve, having
done the body of the sweater, one sleeve and the collar.

Well, my tension changed and the second sleeve was about two sizes smaller
than the first sleeve and certainly didn't fit me! So I ripped it out and put the yarn away.

I brought out the sweater when Junie started the MLC KAL and have done about half the second sleeve. But it is still slow going.

Dale Sweater Part 2

Finally finished the knitting and cannot face the finishing so am going to
take it to the lys and ask if she finishes sweaters or knows someone who
does finish. Then it will be out of my hair.

The sweater is a little too big but I can use it as an outside sweater. I
love the color and the pattern.  I think I will do another Dale sweater but this time I will steek AND I will knit the sleeves top down. The only way to do them!!

Fran

CONGRATULATIONS FRAN.  DALE IS BEAUTIFUL.

KAT'S APPLE BOHUS

ELKA'S KAFFE FASSETT

MELISSA'S DALE CARDI SLEEVE

 

ERICA'S MERMAID "NOT"

NANCY'S TUIR

NANCY'S INGEBORG

BULLETIN:  On 12/18/06, Nancy announced that Ingeborg was a Finished Project!  Yeah Nancy.

Congratulations to you Nancy.  Your MLC goal has been reached.  When she can, she will add some text to these pictures.

      

PAT'S DALE 98

Pat says:

Totally inappropriate sweater for me. It would never
fit even if I finished it. Has hung around for long
enough. Am currently in the process of ripping
it out & recycling the yarn.

Pat, you have our support. The colors are great and I think you should recycle the yarn. We will walk to the Cornfield with you on this one.  Hell, I ran out of yarn, can't put Geese together and I think I outgrew it in these past 4 years.  You may have to go with me to the Cornfield too.  Some projects aren't meant to be.  j.

KAREN'S VY OREGON

HEATHER'S HENRY VII

JUNIEANN'S FLYING GEESE CARDI

The Flying Geese Cardigan was started in early 2002. The yarn is 5 ply gansey from Frangipani in the UK.   I knitting the back and 1/4th of a front and put it aside.  I hated that pattern.  Finally, last December, 2005, I picked it up and finished the front and did about 1/2 of the other front.  Long story...in the meantime, Marie came up with the name Misery Loves Company KAL for all these hated projects.  Thus, I started it on my SableStasher Blog.  I posted all the participants on that blog. Recently, we moved the entire thing over to this new blog, and this will be ongoing and open to anyone on TKOF who wants to send me a picture and stats for their Miserable projects.

Near the end, I noticed that I was running out of yarn...that necessitated an urgent plea to Jan to look for a 5 year old dye lot.  She sent me a small hank to finish collar, and button bands.  In the meantime, I ripped out my original swatch and used that kinky yarn to sew up this monster and start the band on one side.  I had enough yarn to do pockets.  Yeah!  What is a jacket without pockets?  All in all, there are a few yarn ends to weave in but, as soon as the pockets are dry.  It is done!!!

  DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!

And here it is! Proof of completion!  And now, this MLC project goes to the, "Gallery of Misery Loves Company Hall of Fame".  Purple Hearts of Knitting will be awarded along with a certificate of Master Misery Knitter.

 

MARGARET'S AUTUMN OREGON

DOROTHY'S KONGSBERG

            

DOROTHY'S BABY DALE ~ FINISHED

Dorothy picked up this project about 5 months ago during the old MLC.  She have 1 sleeve done as I recall.  She finished this 2 months ago.  Congratulations Dorothy.  Please let us hear the accurate details and any comments you would like to share. (not just my rendition of her success finishing the cute baby sweater).

KNITMARY'S OBI

  I wanted to use this hour to work on the Celtic Swirl from Knitting, Meg Swansen, but I am just not feeling it now.  I am never going to memorize the 58 st repeat and don't feel like looking at the chart constantly.  Maybe for next years MLC.
What is misery?  Well, it seemed like a good idea to put all of the Obi on needles at the same time. Nearly 500 sts for the fronts, back and bands,  you, know, until I realized that it takes me 20 minutes to knit each row. Yep, that's right, a mere 3 rows per hour.  So, know you know why I chose the Obi for one of my misery projects.  It's a shame too, because the Rowan Felted Tweed is so soft and slides through my fingers like magic.  Just not magical enough to turn time.
The Flower Basket Shawl is much less miserable since I read the correct directions. Boy, what a difference that makes. I made a working copy as usual so I could write all over it. The red box showing the pattern repeat did not show up. I spent an hour trying to figure out what the heck I was supposed to do with the extra sts I had. Finally I got out the Magazine to see if I forgot to copy something. Boom!  Little red boxes plain as day to lead me onward.  I'm knitting it in lace weight from Handpainted.com. 
I did a very bad thing this week. I thought it would be nice to make a list of the fiber and projects I have to help me be more organized. Danger, don't try this at home without a trained professional present.  I had to get out my rubber stamps and with black indelible ink stamp a huge G and I on my forehead to remind myself  that greedy and impulsive are not the best traits.  I am not going to be buying any yarn soon.  Now, don't throw me a pity party as last week I learned to spin, thus insuring plenty of fiber in my future.
I wasn't sure I could get a clear photo of the three rows on the Obi, so you are off the hook this week.  Just look at the first one and imagine it another 1/2 inch bigger.
Warmly,
Mary

MARIE'S MAP OF THE WORLD

Here is my MLC progress on the MOTW. I took the yarns with me to my SnB meeting today, and cast on and started knitting away. You can't quite tell, but I am now managing six yarn ends, and it's time to add two more--that's when I decided to stop, and work on it when I could concentrate on all  those pieces. Once I finish this part--it's a compass rose--there is a LOT of plain stockinette to do, and the balance at the top will be two colors only, so it's going to go fast.

YEE GODDESS!  IT IS A 3rd MOTW SLEEVE.  Congratulations Marie!  junie

PAMELA'S URBAN FETCHING

                                                                 

The sweater is called Urban Fetching.  It is an Adrienne Vittadini design from the Fall 2002 issue of Vogue Knitting.  I am using the specified yarn (not usual for me) Trina.  The pattern calls for a gauge of 16x24 suggested needle size of  US 9 .  I believe this is the chunkiest yarn I have used for a sweater - but it is a wool/cashmere/acrylic blend and is really quite nice.

I started this a couple of years ago, knitting one sleeve. The sleeve knit to the specified gauge, all was well.  A year or so later revisited Ms. Fetching to knit sleeve number 2.

I have a "touch of OCD" and always record each row knit in any situation where I will need to match my work.  I knit sleeve two - same yarn, same needles exact amount of rows.  Results: different stitch and row guages,  different sleeve width and length.  Tucked sleeves in bag and ignored.

Marie gave some excellent advice, to knit a third sleeve and see where my gauge is now.  I believe I will try this.

LINDA M's CREST OF THE WAVE: BURIED IN CORNFIELD

UPDATE 3/9/08

Well I finally gave up on my MLC scarf: I frogged that thing today and it was very satisfying.  I realized I was working it on too small needles and that I would never finish it so will repurpose the yarn to another, more interesting, lace project and use larger needles, probably 3.5mm/U.S. #4. Whatever the new project is, it will be more open and go more quickly.  I may also overdye whatever I make with it to tone down the bright yellow in the blend. Currently on my needles is the Peacock Feathers shawl. I'm into chart 4 and enjoying the knitting very much. The comparison of this against the old MLC project helped me make the decision to frog.

best to all,
Linda M.

Let's hear it for Linda, (clapping in background).  Frogging a project and putting it into the Cornfield isn't a fun thing.  Sometimes, it is necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The beginning:

Here is the 18 inches of my Crest O' the Wave scarf in Knitpicks Shimmer.  I started this soon after they introduced the yarn, maybe Feb. 05?  It is a really boring 16 row repeat to knit.  I like the color itself but I can't decide if I hate where the color lines break in the middle of the scarf due to the length of the repeats.  I have used 30 grams out of 100 so far, so am about 1/3 of the way finished (knit til you run out of yarn!).

I had forgotten about this until I found it tucked away while I was looking for something else.  I'll try to get back to one repeat per week, but no promises!

 

KAREN'S PRINCESS SHAWL

                                                                                                                    

This limp dishrag will one day be the Princess Shawl designed by Sharon Miller.  I even promised it to my boss as a congratulations present for being made a Professor (huge deal in academia in the UK).  I hope that she won't have retired before I finish it!  It's knitted in some 2/28 navy silk that I bought on eBay on 2mm needles (her choice of color and yarn).  The edging was pure misery as I couldn't remember the pattern despite knitting it 85 times!  The border is much easier, but slow due to some 865 stitches per row, and the vast charts mean that it's not the most portable project around.   I started it on 18 February 2004, and have so far stalled on it twice.  At 22 June 2206 I'm on row 100 of the feathered border (another 120 to go before I get near the center triangle).

BRIGETTE'S WESTERN SEAS

 

The original design is in the "Children's Collection" book, however there is an amendment available on the Virtual Yarns site (you can find the adult version also under the Children's Collection section of "Designs").  Which is why it's probably not commonly known.

The yarn is authentic 5-ply gansey yarn - AS' "Scottish Fleet" (it may make a lovely
piece of fabric, but cashmere it's not), 296 sts knit in the round
on 3mm, with a tension of 30st and 40 rows to 10cm. For the body, I
need to work approx. 30cm (about 12") of stocking stitch above the
border section before hitting THE GUSSET~ Bridgett

Brigette sent in an update on her progress on Western Seas 7/22/06.  Way to go Brigette!

 

JANE'S DALMORE

I finally have pictures of Dalmore Or Less for the MLC KAL.  All the knitting, and none of the finishing, is done, and has been for about 1
1/2 years.  I decided to cardiganize it after I finished the ribbing, so the bottom front corners are going to be fiddly.  The yarn is Digit
(pre-washed Jaggerspun fingering) selected to match the colors in the pictures in my copy of CC, and then rearranged more or less according to
Erica's Rule (rainbow order).

I'm also sending pictures of my MLC candidate that I gave up and frogged, and the silk bed socks I made from yarn from the oddments box. Jane

These photos were sent to me and then lost by me and rediscovered by me.  This is a lovely sweater.  Originally a pullover vest pattern from the Celtic Collection,

Jane has done a wonderful job of developing a new and different colorway for this outstanding pattern.  Further, she has turned this vest into a cardigan!

MORGAN'S AUTUMN, SWEATERS FROM CAMP

Someday, Morgan's sweater will look like this picture.

Here is a picture of her yarn.  Morgan will add a blurb here soon!         

NANCY'S EZ as PI SHAWL

This shawl was a project done by Nancy.  In order that all can see it, I wanted to put it up, on this blog so people could enjoy her work.

Nancy says:

The shawl is Elizabeth Zimmermann's EZasPi from Knitter's Almanac. It was my
project when the EZasPi group first started. The yarn is all my handspun,
mostly from sheep I raised when I lived in Arizona! I used 16 and 24"
circulars, size 6, I think. The border was one that Andrea Mielke had up on
her site. It took me about 2 1/2 months to knit it as the only project I was
working on at the time. It was a stash buster, as it used up a lot of
yarn -- a lot more than I had expected at the time. But that was fine, the
yarn needed a good home.

Thanks Nancy it is a great picture!

The Kitties are particularly decortative!

JUNIE'S SUNSET VEST

In January 2006, I posted the Sunset Vest on my blog. This is what it looked like then...and unfortunately, it still looks this way.

I

can't remember when the Sweaters from Camp KAL began. I do remember Rebekkah invited me to join and I did. I loved the Sunset Vest and especially, the way Rebekkah's turned out.

About that time, Knit Picks Palette came out and I was determined to try it out as an alternative. The Palette choices were Purple, Lilac and Hyacinth for cool colors. For the warm colors, I chose Orange, Apricot and Peach.

I tinkered with the pattern and put a vent in the back - forgetting to add the extra stitches to the body, I got stuck.  I invented a motif that equaled the vent stitches and then - gee, how would I get the patten to turn out right from the vent up?  I got stuck and quit on the project.

 

It stares at me from the knitting basket.  Finally, guilt has had its way.  I am still stuck. I think I will decrease under the arms. ??? Any suggestions?

ANNE B's SHIRTTAIL HEMMED PULLOVER

This is my first full size Fair Isle sweater and it was started with the Sweaters From Camp KAL about a year and a half ago. I'd made a SFC Vest and two hats and enjoyed fair isle knitting so asked the DH which sweater out of the SFC book he thought I'd like to wear. He **of course** picked the Shirt Tail Hemmed Sweater which is in my opinion, the hardest one in the book. Had fun collecting the Jamieson and Smith Shetland jumper weight yarns and bravely started off. I decided to finish the hem first as I'd never done short rows, a shaped hem or a provisional cast on. Boy did I learn a lot! Main lesson was do not use a sticky similar weight dark colored yarn for the provisional cast on. It was close to impossible to pick up the stitches for the hem. Next provisional, I'm going to use hunter orange acrylic. I'm stuck on the sleeves. As you can see from the photo, I've got one picked up and the short row cap done and ready to roll on the regular knitting. I don't know why I'm stuck, just am! Since I started this Fair Isle, I've made, finished and wear Marina and Beadwork and am up to the armholes on Erin. I promised myself to knit ten rows on the SFC every time I finished a session with any other sweater. I think I'll put this in our RV as the ONLY project thus forcing me to finish it.

Anne B in mid-Maine

JEANETTE'S NA CRAGA ~ FINISHED!

Jeanette's Olive Green MLC contender

This is a prize contender for the MLC gallery hall of fame.  It has had at least two, and probably three only partial incarnations, one of which is pictured below the new and rewashed yarn, original receipt dated 1994!  It is now becoming a Na Craga for my SIL, nearing the end of the back, and     hoping there is enough yarn. 

UPDATE:  2/10/08   

"Na Craga just cruised along slowly in January as it missed the Christmas party. It was tapping its foot for a while on the ottoman waiting to be sewn up.   As we're in Summer here it was an out of season present, so Adam was in no hurry for it.  He was persuaded to model it and he looks fairly pleased, having some appreciation of the time involved knitting as DD knits too.  So at last this wool has found its destiny!"      

 

A real contender for the MLC's oldest project or UFO.

         UPDATE for Jeanette's Na Craga  It is looking wonderful Jeannette    Thanks for sharing your work with MLC...                

TERRY'S LOPI FAIR ISLE COAT ~FINISHED

Dear Gang,

I just got a letter from Terry, our sailing knitter!  Here is a picture of her FINISHED Lopi cardigan and a note from her.  Congratulations, Terry!  It is wonderful.

My Lopi Nordic Fair Isle Sweater Coat is DONE!! Attached is a photo and it is also posted on my blog. Of course, I now live in the tropics so I certainly don't need a wool sweater (although it was a chilly 66 degrees this morning so I wore a lace wool shawl for a couple of hours). I'll be sending this off to a good home somewhere.

Back to more unfinished objects...the list is finally shorter!!

Terry

www.sailingknitter.blogspot.com

Ravelry ID: sailingknitter

                               

 

                                                                               

My MLC project is this Lopi Fair Isle sweater/coat for myself. How old is it? Well, I bought the yarn in October of 1998, BUT, I didn't allow myself to start it until I completed grad school in 2001.

So why has it been shoved into a bag and pushed to the back of the closet? 1) It was too hot in Sacramento to knit with wool in the summertime - especially when the knitting got so large - sitting on my lap. 2) I was still knitting fair isle work with one hand - and using the "lift each new yarn change from under the old yarn" method. Thus the yarns twisted horribly each row and had to be untwisted. Yuck! So much time wasted. 3) I lost the bag in the back of the closet and got too involved with other exciting projects. 4) I actually started the sleeves once, but discovered that I was using the wrong sized needles.

The yarn is beautiful Icelandic wool Lopi light weight, and I still love the colors and design, so I've decided to finish the sweater. So...I got going on a sleeve. What??? Where's the skein of black yarn??? I've lost one color!!!! I tore apart all of my yarn storage (hiding) areas and it is not to be found. So, I ordered the yarn - can you believe that it is still available??!!!

I was planning to wait until next summer to pick up the yarn in the USA when I go to knitting camp and to visit my sons in July. But, what do you know? I FOUND one ball of the black yarn tucked into another project when I tidied up my bedroom. So now I have no excuses. Gotta go get knitting.

Terry

Mary F's Kaffe Fassett's Coat

  Mary wrote:   

I haven't the capacity to send photos, but I think I need the group and the discipline to finish a project that's been glaring at me from a basket on the floor for far too long.  It's the Kaffe Fassett coat from the cover of  Vogue's "Men's" issue of a couple of years ago.  I've knit it from 15 colors of left-over fingering yarn and it looks fabulous!  The front, back and sleeves are finished and all it needs is the edges and collar, which I'm dragging my feet on because I'm not sure that I can perform his instructions properly.  And I ran out of the MC so am substitution another for the collar, which I'm not sure will look good at all and I know the MC is gone forever.  (It was a sale yarn, purchased three years ago in Tunbridge Wells.)  So is this a sad enough tale to qualify?  Mary

  1/2/08

Mary wrote:

After a lot of congitating, I trashed the idea of trying to make the trim on the front of the coat and the collar the way Kaffe told me to.  I pulled out the odious front strips (see pictures) that I was supposed to sew OVER (!) the half-rectangle of knitting (outrage!) and just picked up and garter-stitched trim on the lower part of the fronts to match the trim at the bottom of the coat.  Then I picked up stitches around the V-neckline and garter-stitched a couple of inches and bound off.  Satisfactory but not very artistic result.  Now for all those ends!!  Report to follow.

Mary