True to my non-conformist ways, the "curse of the boyfriend sweater" has affected me in an entirely different manner... a really annoying stretchy one.
You may remember that, while it took me almost two years, I managed to finish Leo (from Knitty) in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk. It looked like this:
After a few months Dave kept saying "is the neckhole getting bigger?" A little self conscious about my knitting skills, I kept denying it. I denied it until I could deny it no more... if I had put the sweater on, you'd be able to see the top of my cleavage. It had stretched... apparently alpaca and silk have no memory and are best used in things that don't need shape or tension...He still goes on about it.. how the neckhole was getting bigger and I kept saying no, and he knew it was getting bigger and how he was right and blah, blah, blah....
So, anyway... he shows up this weekend and he's wearing the lovely socks I made him for Christmas.
As the evening wore on, I noticed something.... they looked like like the slouch socks I was famous for wearing from 1990-1994 (and the colour always matched my shirt). THEY STRETCHED TOO!!! (They are cotton... and apparently cotton stretches too... thanks for telling me that before I knit them mom. I'm not knitting with anything but merino from now on!)So of course, he started going on about sweater again, and how everything I make him stretches.... and how it's not his fault, it must be my knitting skills... blah blah blah.
I'd like to make him a new pair, but if his attitude doesn't change he ain't gettin' squat. (Plus knitting up a new pair will really throw a wrench into my UFO August.)
5 comments:
I need to file that information away. Do not use Alpaca/silk when you want something to retain shape. Gotta remember that. I've knit enough things that didn't stay like they should have, like cotton socks. I've started knitting those very plain. 1-2inches of ribbing and then all stockinette stitch since they just don't hold shape anyway. They're great for the betweene season, though, so I still love them.
So, tell Dave it's not your knitting skills, it happens to all of us.
I am on your side, give attitude, don't give any knitting gifts. Hehe. Or prove him wrong by knitting something really great and then he will have to quit. hhmmmm so many options.
LOL! My Hubs has wanted a sweater for about two years now. He's almost 6'4", but his height is in his torso, so whatever I make will have to be made 3-4" longer than the patterns says. It'll have to be XXL, so I'm really in no great rush to make him one. Socks are bad enough for size 12/13!
Can you fix the neckline by pulling it on someway? It is a beautiful sweater and it would be a shame for him not to wear it. Sorry about the socks - cotton! My sister (who is much smaller than I am) made herself a cotton sweater - it grew so much that it fit me - and then grew more and I had to give it away. We laugh about it now - its probably a house covering at this point.
But I agree - no knitted items for Dave if he's going to make comments! :-)
Men. They need to learn to appreciate what they get. With the socks, a good wash and dry (in the dryer) should bring them back into shape. The silk/alpaca, though... It's the silk you can blame, no memory whatsoever.
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