Such a good feeling!

It's always a good feeling when a project is completed, and you are truly satified with the end result !! Knit on my Silver Reed LK150 using Feza Fanatic yarn. Pattern was designed and hand drafted by me.

Some people think machine knitting is cheating. But is it truly?? Beside the obvious . . . . "do you sew without a sewing machine?" . . . and my all time favorite "do you mow the lawn with your teeth?" (never fails to make a man laugh.) there is quite a lot of time in the planning of a machine knit garment. 100% of my "winging it" machine knit projects failed. But I've learn to enjoy it Preplanning can be inspirational. It's like when you are planning on a home remodel. So many choices, so many ideas.

In the case of this project, I ended up knitting both sleeves twice. Discovered this AFTER I put the sleeves in. Had to remove the button band once and put it on the correct, female, side of jacket. In a few spots, the machine split the yarn. I was really pushing the LK150 to knit bulky weight yarn. I knit it slightly firmer than a hand knit garment. I wanted a bit more body so it would hold its shape. Where the yarn was split I had to graft it back together.

I started this jacket on April 15th. Today, 5 weeks later, I am putting the finishing touches on it. Cheating? Many hand knitters could do this project in less time, others could not. A machine is just another tool. Some people like riding mowers, others prefer the walk behind. Some like big trucks, others like BMW convertibles. Some like to quilt, others like to crochet. Knowing you have choices is a wonderful thing!! When it comes to crafts, you need to do what brings you the greatest satisfaction. (While I might get the greatest joy from riding in a BMW convertible, I think that choice might be out of my hands! (hahahaha) )

Stay tuned! Another project is already on the machine. This time it is the Athena Tank from Knit One Crochet Too. This Tank is in the June issue of Knit n' Style. The magazine included machine knit instructions (by Mary Anne Oger). This one should go much faster as I'm not drafting from scratch. But things do go awry! Wish me luck!

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