sudden flash of genius

One of those sudden revelations that make me feel a) brilliant and b) stupid because it took me this long.  

One problem with knitting larger projects like vests and sweaters is that by the time I get to the third or fourth piece, my interest has waned. Thus my finished project page on Ravelry is full of socks, hats, mittens, a couple of baby sweaters, i.e., small projects.  Knitting things all in one piece make it easier (or I think it will -- I don't see too many of those on my finished projects page) but for the Ribs and Bobbles vest, that meant casting on 305 stitches and then knitting in seed stitch for 11 loooooong rows.

Um. No.

So I cast on for the back, and began seed stitch, worried about getting to the second front piece and never finishing it.  And then... the flash of genius.  I would knit the three pieces all at the same time.

See, that's how I avoid the dreaded Second Sock Syndrome.  I knit two socks at the same time, though unlike some knitters, who even do them on the same circular needle, I put each sock on its own needle.  I knit the toe on one, the toe on the other, the foot on one, the foot one the other, the heel on one... you get it.  That way, I get the pair finished at nearly the same time.  Great solution.  Because if I were to knit and finish a sock, the chances of my turning around and doing it again are pretty slight.

So, I reasoned, all I need are 3 size 5 circular needles (I knit everything on circs, even knitting that goes back and forth).  Flash of almost brilliance.

Later that night (at 2 am as a matter of fact), the lightbulb over my head went on.  It even woke up the cats.  I have interchangeable needles.  That is, I have cables, and I have needle tips (see, even two different kinds of needle tips), and I put together the needles I need.  See?  Cables with watchamacallit ends, oh yeah, threaded ends and screw on needles (I even have different kinds of needs tips, see?  Though I do have them in matching pairs.) So I do not need three sets of needles, I only need 3 cables, and I have those.  And then I can finish a second (those 11 rows of seed stitch on the back, for example), then unscrew the needles, screw on these nifty end caps, put the needles on another cable, and knit the seed stitch border on the left front.  Rinse, repeat for the right front.  Then go back to the back and do the wide rib section.

The result is that I will finish the three pieces of this vest at about the same time.  Brilliant.

On the other hand, it took me about years (never mind how many) to take what I figured out about socks and apply it to other multiple pieces.  Dumb.  But I am now done with the seed stitch border at the bottom of the back, left front and right front pieces of this vest.  So it is working.

Comments

[Susan]

Smart! I've been on a stockinette sweater binge lately, and am just coming down from it but still have the sleeves to knit. Should have thought about it ahead of time like this!

[Kim]

That is a great idea Rob. But, as you know I am a small project knitter, with shawlettes being the largest projects. I would love to knit a sweater but know too my interest will go downhill and if the sweater doesn't fit like I want....ahhhh...that could be the end of knitting forever. I don't want to risk that.