A whole-body experience

JuliannaHeiby · 03-14-2009, 01:39 PM

I am enjoying my latest project: The Debbie Bliss Teddy Bear and Cable Jacket
http://www.theknittinggarden.com/ima...ear_Jacket.jpg

I finally got the hang of the complicated cabling, the intarsia work and all the other tricky techniques that are new to me. It's keeping my mind occupied, but not so much that I'm unable to notice something:

Knitting this project makes me look like a freak.

I have the two cable needles held in my mouth because I almost always need them, a pencil tucked behind my ear, and my legs crossed to hold the three balls of yarn away from the cats. Oh, and I'm holding the book open with my TOES!

Feeling like a caveman, I reflect on the situation and think: "There must be a more elegant way of handling this."

So, this is a cry for help. Not so much with the actual techniques which are basically fine. More with the subtler tips: how to manage bobbins of yarn when working intarsia, keeping myself looking a little less awkward. Just any tips in knitting "posture" that you can throw my way.

Until then, I enjoy looking like a freak!

suzeeq · 03-14-2009, 06:58 PM

Well, is there anyone watching you knitting? If not, don't let it bother you. I haven't knit with bobbins, so have no help there on how to manage it, but I 'hold' cable needles (or whatever I'm using for them) in my mouth, stick over an ear, wherever's handy. You might think about putting the yarn balls into ziplock bags; that would keep the cats from batting them around. Our cats have no interest in the balls, just the moving yarn, but they only wander over every once in a while, so it's not really a problem.

JuliannaHeiby · 03-14-2009, 07:13 PM

I guess it's also just for efficiency's sake! I find myself wrapping the yarn back around the balls every row because they just keep unwinding with all the back and forth, and the twisting with the color changes, etc. This is the first project I'm completing with pricey yarn, and I don't want it to get all dusty and hairy (aforementioned cats) before it even gets knitted up.
The bags are a good idea, and its nice to know that others knit with their mouths!

Jan in CA · 03-14-2009, 07:15 PM

I haven't done much intarsia either so I'm no help, but I gotta ask... where is the darling pattern?!

Oh and I keep cable needles in my mouth, too.

JuliannaHeiby · 03-14-2009, 07:23 PM

It's from the Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino book. I bought that book and the Zoe Mellor: 25 Adorable knits for tots book before I learned that there were so many free patterns available online!

Still, there's something so exciting about seeing a nicely published pattern book! It's the third project I've started from the DB book: the first one, a matinee jacket, I had to frog because my sweet angel outgrew it before I could finish it!

The other project isn't really for her- it's a boys jacket that I'm putting on hold in the hopes that this jacket will be done in time for her Easter outfit. When I make more progress, I'll put pictures up.