the blue blog archives: bottoms and bunbuns

Well, I gave the bottoms up a try and I am utterly frustrated. This bucket pattern does not "fly off my needles" at all. It took me over two hours to do about eight rows on the brim. And I've got calluses on my fingers from working a double strand of the yarn that tight on such small needles. Then when I finally made it to the main section, it's way (and I mean way) too big. Why does this pattern hate me so much? Am I the only one who is miserable making this thing? (Okay, I was miserable before I started knitting, with a brief relapse of my stomach bug and our furnace breaking, but I found no relief in my knitting. Ugh.)

To cheer myself up, I swatched for a project for my mom. KnitNY had a great store pattern for a simple, chic shrug. It seemed like the perfect thing for mom, who's always chilly at work. So we picked out a really cool cotton yarn - in black, so New York - which also has some elastic content. The yarn is more like all seasons cotton than Fixation though. It's like the spin is so tight the yarn almost bounces. It's really a pleasure to knit with. What a switch from the bucket bust! Since the shrug pattern is one of those one-piece-folded-over-on-itself designs, I decided to make my swatch a mini-version to try out how it fits together. Looks pretty cool on Bun-Bun, don't you think?

posted by alison at 8:22 am | in buck-it! , ponch-o-long

Comments

Sorry you've been sick and are having bucket troubles. :-(
What kind of yarn is that you're using for the shawl? Sounds wonderfun!

Posted by: Sarah Elizabeth at April 17, 2004 9:04 AM

I had the same issue as you - it took me a looong time to finish the brim, but once you drop the second yarn, it flies! I just finished mine, and lucky for me - it fits, considering I did not even complete a swatch.

Posted by: Lisa at April 17, 2004 9:07 AM

Make that wonderfuL- I really cannot type...

Posted by: Sarah Elizbeth at April 17, 2004 9:07 AM

The shrug will be fabulous. Ahhh the right yarn + the right needles + the right pattern = knitting zen. I'm experiencing a bit of that myself at the moment and it's lovely. It's especially nice when following on the heels of some kind of knitting snafu. Glad your tummy is better.

Posted by: Bliss at April 17, 2004 9:10 AM

Oh being sick is not good, but not having heat at the same time is worse. Glad you are smiling again.
What yarn are you using for bucket. I just did my swatch last night and hope to start this weekend?

P.S. Sarah Elizabeth I think Wonderfun is a great word!

Posted by: Cathy at April 17, 2004 10:17 AM

Please, just don't kick the bucket. Figuratively and otherwise! :)
You have had quite a week! I guess all the fun was just too much for you!
Bun-bun looks darling in the shrug!
Hope to see you sunday at long last! Stay healthy!

Posted by: sandy at April 17, 2004 10:39 AM

I think it's the cotton stria, Alison. Not to rejoice in your misery but at least it's not just me with the bucket issues. Mine was enormous!

Hang in there!

Posted by: Christy at April 17, 2004 10:51 AM

Christy, I heeded your words to my last post and didn't start with the Manos Stria. I used the Bernat Cotton Tots sent by my Secret Pal. It looks similar to the stria, but is a bit stiffer. Perhaps I should have started with the Cotton Ease.

The yarn for mom's shrug is Schulana Supercotton (ball band says its from Schuler & Co. in Switzerland). Never heard of it before. The Skacel people mention it online here.

Posted by: alison at April 17, 2004 11:09 AM

I looked at my husband last night and told him that my hands have never hurt so bad in my life. This bucket hat is gonna kill me. I just love the look of this hat but the brim is torture!!! I am not an advanced knitter at all and as I was doing the purl rows I felt like a complete dolt. I thought to myself dont buy "the purl stitch" book cause you will never complete an item in it. Best wished to you on your bucket hat!!!

Posted by: marlo at April 17, 2004 11:33 AM

Haven't posted about it yet but I made a Bottom's up last weekend with All Season's Cotton (yarn that I recycled from the original version of the hat). I found knitting the brim very hard on my hands... but am pleased with the hat.

Posted by: Melissa at April 17, 2004 11:40 AM

It's not just you Alison!!!! my bucket sucked the big one! and yes, by the time I got through 3 hours of working on the brim (I think this is what killed my wrists for the past 2 days!!!!!) and then I got into the main part and then I thought ... hmmm ... this is kinda huge!! and yup! it was so big! it was ridiculous! and I swatched for this thing too! arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh so, moral of the story "no bucket for you!" (said in Soup Nazi form) *lol*

Posted by: Carissa at April 17, 2004 12:19 PM

Ahh, I'm sorry you've been unwell :( I totally commiserate with your bucket hat frustrations. Bunbunlooks fetching in the shrug!

Posted by: Amy at April 17, 2004 4:40 PM

Alison, I think its nice that you've posted your difficulties with the bucket. It will give all the new knitters out there a little relief. I haven't started my bottoms up yet, but I'll let you know how it goes - maybe its easier than the bucket? Hang in there girl, and think of the beautiful rosebud you created. You'll bucket yet.

Posted by: Julia at April 18, 2004 1:26 AM

Oooh, cotton tots. I tried swatching that yarn as a possibility and ditched the idea. It was rather hard to work single-stranded and I couldn't imagine how hard it would be doubled! The Sugar Babies was much more forgiving.

You're right to give yourself a break. Nothing like swatching something nice to give us a bit of therapy!

Posted by: Becky at April 18, 2004 11:51 AM

WOW! SO sorry to hear about the Bucket Blues! I think there's some relief there though:

1. Measure your head and make the size smaller than the measurement. The largest size is LARGE and really Man-sized. Measure a hat you wear and compare to the circumference of the bucket size. Try the hat on after the last set of decreases to see how it's going.

2. This hat is easier to make in wool than cotton - like most knits. BUT, cotton blends are better. Make sure you use a yarn that reads 20/28 gauge on the ball band. Aran weight cotton like Mission Falls and All Seasons Cotton are really too bulky for this pattern. Their gauge is 4.5 sts per inch. You need to get 5st per ich.

3. The Brim: If you use a cotton that's really *DRY* feeling and Aran weight, your hands probably won't be able to do that brim without screaming. It can't fly off your needles!

Hope this helps a little - I feel so rotten when I read about people's problems knitting. It's hard not to take it personally - I want to come over an knit them for YOU :)

Posted by: Bonne Marie at April 19, 2004 12:07 PM

Hey, Bonne Marie, thanks for the pep talk and the tips! I think my yarn is the right weight, it's just way dry like you say. I should have known that to fly I'd need more slippery wings! I'm going to take your advice and give it another try. I'll take my motto from my boys' favorite book: "I think I can. I think I can. I think I can bucket." :)

And there's no need to go feeling bad about my failure. I can't seem to knit anything right these days! ;0) You keep cranking out those super chic patterns and I'll do my best to knit up a bucket worthy of your great pattern!

Posted by: alison at April 19, 2004 12:37 PM

You are not alone in your frustration with the Bottoms Up Bucket. While I LOVE the pattern for felting, I was a total failure in producing one in cotton. I tried three different kinds of cotton/cotton blend (all 20/28, knitting and reknitting at least six times, and finally gave up and put the pattern away until fall. My cotton hats came out too small, too big, too short, too long, in spite of swatching. Sadly, no bucket for me this summer.

Posted by: Jane at April 22, 2004 1:11 PM

Too bad, Jane! Luckily, my situation wasn't quite so bad. Frustrating, but not fatal. I did salvage what I had and have had some success so far. Check out this post for an update.

Posted by: alison at April 22, 2004 2:54 PM