Wednesday 9 November 2011

And my other thing I am making which I'm not sure about yet

I thought I would show you my other thing that I’m in the process of making but I’m not sure about.
Knit 1 inch ribbing, then think, thank God that ribbing's done, and go and have a biscuit
So, I have posted this before but I will do it again otherwise this post won’t make sense (worse than usual). One of my favourite poems is Catullus 85: Odi et amo/ quare id faciam fortasse requiris/ Nescio. Sed fieri sentio/ Et excrucior, which translates in my not-very-good Latin as, I hate and I love. Why do I do this, perhaps you ask. I don’t know. But I feel it happen, and I am tortured. Well readers, haven’t we all had someone like that in our lives? Let’s all take a brief moment to be glad they aren’t now sitting on our sofa (unless they are, in which case, don’t put him on your credit card. I learn this from Judge Judy). Anyway, I had this idea (bear with me) that I should make mittens with Odi and Amo on them. Because, people have Love and Hate tattooed on their knuckles, don’t they?* So, it would be like that! Only much more pretentious! So I made a chart. This does not look like it took blood, sweat and grinding of teeth, but it did. In case you want to make one too, I just used Excel, and it is easier than you would think. I started off with graph paper and a pencil but that took forever.
Ream? Or, like, totally unream? So hard to know
I have only charted the Odi mitten so far, and I have cast on and been knitting it up in Palette, but I have not got very far.
I am very sorry. This is just a bad photo. Look! Fuschia! Try to imagine!
This left hand mitten will be a fuschia background with the text in white. The right hand Amo mitten will be a white background with the text in fuschia, and where I have put the ampersand, I will put a heart. If I get to the point where I have knitted them, adjusted the chart and am test knitting others versions, I will try to do the ampersand and the heart in a different colour, but, this will involve stranding three colours over quite a few rows, so you can see I would want to work up to it.

What do you think? Odi? Amo? Good idea? Bad idea? Thinking of other three letter words to put on mittens? Thinking no-one really has love and hate tattooed any more? Think again.

* I used to know someone with Love and Hate tattooed on his knuckles. So I know people do.

14 comments:

Wool Free and Lovin' Knit said...

Wow, the mitten design is super cool, but oh the explaining you'll have to do every time you wear them!

Chrissy said...

Just a thought, did you take into account that knit stitches are taller than they are wide? Tell me off if you thought of this, but when I did my first self designed stranded pattern I forgot this so everything looked stretched. It didn't matter much to me but it did teach me a valuable lesson!

Tanya said...

I have seen lots of people with love and hate on their knuckles, generallly unsavoury types though!

That being said, lovely idea! :)

Unknown said...

The knuckle tatoos, have you been secretly hiding out in Tucson?

It's a great idea. Looking forward to seeing your finish.

Marie/Underground Crafter said...

I love the design, but it does look like a bit of torture.

Alittlebitsheepish said...

I like it, I think it will allow for plenty of smugness. I am admiring your colourwork skills, that is my challenge for next year

pinkundine said...

I love the idea, and the design looks great (although I think my approach would just be to do each word once as I'm not that good!)

mooncalf said...

Love it. But then I'm a big Catullus fan. I always though that (apart from the emotional turmoil) he was quite a down-to-earth and amusing kind of chap that I wouldn't mind having round for a cup of tea.

mooncalf said...

And I am uterly inept at colourwork so I'd have done some Knucks from Knitty and just stitched the words onto the fingers.

http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTknucks.html

Vivianne said...

Catullus was great; do you like Martial's Epigrams too ?

resa said...

Oh, I want these so badly, I could wear them with the tshirt that I scrawled Catullus 5 on (Vivamus, mea Lesbia, atque amemus) a million years ago that I really ought to redo because it's currently looking pretty sad.

All that was a long way of saying those mittens are full of more awesome than I can currently handle.

Susie said...

Stitched Together, the answer to that is I have and I haven't (taken it into account) - I am sucking it and seeing to an extent for these first mittens, but then I might adjust the lettering (hopefully not too much as it takes a long time!).

Vivianne I have not read Martial, perhaps I should try. Partner says if you like Martial you will like Juvenal and please go read Juvenal instantly. But Partner is always trying to get people to read Juvenal and this is because Juvenal is very cynical.

Thank you everyone for the encouragement re mittens!

Oh Miss West said...

I'm seriously impressed. A little terrified that it might drive you 'round the bend, finishing that pattern, but nonetheless, I am seriously impressed. It makes me wish I had a reason to make mittens (I don't, as I live in the waiting room to Hell, and it doesn't get cold enough here).

J.G. said...

Love these. Want a pair! Please whip them up for me in an evening. I'm sure they are much easier than socks. :-)

Seriously, I do love them and would buy them in a heartbeat if I saw them anywhere! Such a clever inside joke.