FO: Umbridge + Etsy madness

I finished knitting the pink raglan top down cardi.  The recipe I used was great and very easy to follow (as long as next time I remember that I need to accommodate the extra raglan increases evenly to accommodate my bust).  Not the pattern's fault.  What I did (basically a vertical bust dart) worked okay, but not great.  I gave the sides a gentle swingy shape by increasing every 5 rows or so, which would have been fine but when I added a ruffly row just before casting off, it's all a bit too Dolores Umbridge for me, really.  Not to worry, I was fearless and everything I did *worked*- just not so much as design elements on my body type ;-).  It's ok.  I will wear it round the house.  What's cool is that I learned a lot from it- oh yes!  I steeked!

The steeking alone was worth the price of admission.  I sewed it on my sewing machine, cut it- tacked the steek back as a facing- and blimey if that wasn't just way too easy.  I am no longer a steek virgin- and more importantly, having done one, I can see how they work, and now armhole steeks don't scare me either.  Yay.  It's kind of sad that it took me til the age of 40 to start really learning how knitting works, but better late than never eh?  So, while this cardi is really a waste of some very nice yarn, it was a learning exprience worth having.

The Etsy experience continues to fascinate me.  The reason I at first wanted to place my weaving an a bricks n mortar shop was that I knew placing it online would drive me crazy.  In a shop, I wouldn't know what anyone said about it- what anyone thought of it, how many people looked at it, liked it, or hated it.  I could hand it to the shop lady and forget about it.  Selling it isn't important, in fact at the price I have chosen I probably won't- but I somehow placing it *was* important. 

Now that it's on Etsy- I am driving myself mad, as I knew I would.  How many views?  How many hearts?  Someone must have featured one scarf in a treasury that made it to the front page, because suddenly the views leaped into the hundreds, and the hearts correspondingly increased (so I don't think it was the 'views' bug striking).  No sale, but validating, in my first week.  But now, I need to walk. away. from. Etsy.  I haven't done any spinning or weaving since choosing to skip down the Etsy path.  I have had one freaky idea which I can't wait to figure out how to execute, but have done nothing else (other than knitting).  I need to get over myself and get back to work.

Just sayin.

Comments

[Donyale]

I totally relate - it's the same as Ravelry - who has queued? Who has started? Any more hearts? It can drive you crazy. Step away from the computer - and go to the loom.

[kv]

steeking----eek. i am in awe. it's one of the things that still has my needles clattering with fear, but thanks for the encouaging story!

[amandaj]

Oh dear. Not another obsession!

I love the colour of your cardigan, and well done with the steeking. It's not something I have tried yet, but I guess I will have to have a go one day! I looked at the pattern you used, and it seemed quite . . . complicated to me. Maths! Eek!