Wednesday, July 10, 2013

FO: Pintesting

Too busy to blog!
Knitting like crazy!
Learning to arm-knit?!
Pintester Movement 2.0!

I read the sometimes-NSFW, always-hilarious Pintester blog, in which Pinterest pins are tested out by intrepid reporter/guinea pig Sonja Foust... and she recently issued a challenge: retest a pin idea that she's already tried and see what happens!  How could I resist?
p.s. Mama, NSFW in this case means there's swearing.  You have been warned.

One of my favorite -ahem- failures (sorry, Sonja) was an attempt at arm knitting; the FO image was pinned from designer Simply Maggie's video tutorial, and I was able to find it as a free! Ravelry pattern as well.  The Pintester did not fare so well (spoiler alert?), but I hoped that my base knowledge of with-pointy-sticks knitting would give me some sort of advantage... and I had a cunning three-step plan!

Step 1: use the correct yarn for the job!
Step 2: easily grasp the mechanics of arm knitting!
Step 3: bask in glory!

Visiting stash... ooh, Step 1: complete!
Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Superchunky -- it's discontinued
The tutorial/pattern calls for super bulky yarn held double and I just so happened to have this merino blend hanging around, doing nothin since 2006.  Perfect for the project and stash-busting at the same time...

That sound you hear is me polishing my nails on my shoulder.
Like a boss.

Step 2: um.  Okay.  Let's present this as a series of vignettes.
Long tail cast on: success?  I guess?  looks a mess.  Bless.

Attempt One: in which I leave way too much slack and have no clue how to properly twist the yarn to approximate stockinette stitch.
Nope.

Attempt Two: in which my husband hovers over me and tells me that I look like I'm in "yarn handcuffs."
He's not wrong.

Attempt Three: in which my daughter distracts me so much, I drop a selvedge stitch and don't realize it until it's too late.  Fillagadusha.

Here's what I learned about arm knitting:
Everyone else in the house needs to leave me alone.
Also, I need at least three days to procrastinate.

Step 3: I am a supermodel!
Eat your heart out, RuPaul!

In the end, Attempt Four was a winner, with a cast-on edge of seven and a total length of six feet (ends sewn together).  With prior practice and without distractions, I was finally able to finish this in the promised half-hour time frame.

bind-off edge of glory
double-looped for cowl realness

Thanks for the challenge, Madame Pintester!  I don't know if I'd ever try this again, but I was able to go from yarn to finished object fairly quickly and for cheap-as-free, which counts as a win in my book.  Plus I earned points in the Harry Potter Knit & Crochet House Cup! 

...I've said too much.  Gotta go!  Evenstar beading awaits!

9 comments:

bekswhoknits said...

Blue must be the colour for arm knitting. I have a blue arm knitted scarf aswell. Definitely a no distractions type of activity.

Chrissy said...

LOL great post! Personally I will never try arm knitting, I think my 25mm needles will be plenty big enough for me!

Ashley Blom said...

I would get so frustrated so quickly but you did a great job! It looks very fashionable :) So many Pintester Movement Arm Scarves and also Socktoctopusses. They seem to be the most popular ;)

Sonja Foust said...

This is the best one I've seen that wasn't the original tutorial! Bravo!

Anonymous said...

That is some FANCY yarn to be using on ARM knitting. Great post.

WOM-MOMS said...

Handcuffs would be as far as I'd get.

Kimberly P said...

That is actually super cute and something to wear out and about in the dead of winter when you still have to look cute but dont' want to freeze to death. Great job! ( also, im super jealous, i can't knit and you did a really good job and im super jealous of really crafty people because I'm just not)

Little Chestnut said...

That came out really well! I have a scarf obsession, I really need to actually start making some.

Cher-Bear said...

This may be the best one yet. Apparently I am seriously deficient when it comes to any sort of knitting. I also really like the Harry Potter reference.

Great job.