This is a tale of two cast-ons--same pattern, same yarn, totally different amount of time each WIP spent on the needles.
I usually consider myself to be a product knitter rather than a process knitter, more so since I have been designing patterns, when the beginning (acceptance of a design idea) and the end (a sweater being shipped out) of the knitting is defined by someone other than me. But I suppose I have always approached knitting as a time-driven task--an enjoyable one, of course, but one that should progress quickly so that I could wear the garment as soon as possible.
And so it was with my Zigzag Mesh Pullover design in the spring issue of Knit.Wear, which was on and off the needles in seven days as I juggled it with another design-with-a-deadline for that issue, the Fitted Turtleneck Tee.
When I finished the Zigzag prototype, I decided to make one for myself, since the first one had flown off the needles, and the calendar, at least, indicated that spring was soon to arrive. But as I sat knitting on it last night, I was aghast to realize that this Zigzag has been on the needles for fourteen days already and I am only up to the armholes! Yes, I will cut myself some slack that there are maybe a few more stitches per round than that lovely little sample size I worked up for the magazine, but really--double the time and only half done?
This morning, though, I woke up feeling horrible that I had allowed myself to think of knitting the way I regard some of my not-so-favorite activities--like cooking, which to me, is unfortunately only for the purpose of having something hot to eat. And as I picked up the needles again today, I got lost in the rhythm of the double yarnovers that help create the allover zigzag pattern; those same double yo's that I had secretly called speedbumps as I knit the prototype.
And then I thought, why does one have to be a product OR a process knitter? Because this Zigzag saga seems to be telling me that I could quite possibly be both--not that there's anything wrong with that.