Repurposing

I have this shawl, well, I had this shawl I was knitting from a pattern called Nereides. I would link to that pattern, but it's useless unless you're on Ravelry.

Oh, well, fine. Here you go.

It's basically just a sea-foam stitch stole with a beaded thread running through it. It's designed for a thick and thin yarn, and when I first fell in love with it, I had no idea what else to do with thick and thin yarn. I had bigger issues with gauge (oy, did I have issues with gauge) than I was going to be creating with the yarn itself, and I knew this, but I was still curious. So I saved the pattern (and a good thing, too; it was on the ill-fated MagKnits and I didn't find it on Ravelry until just lately) and hunted down some yarn:

It's thick and thin, it's got an ocean-themed color scheme and (best of all) at the time it was on steep clearance, so I picked up 10 skeins for a ridiculously low price.


I got the yarn and promptly cast on. And screwed up, frogged back and cast on again. Rinse, repeat twice more. At that point, I gave up and let it stew in its own juices for nearly 5 years.

I finally started destashing this year, and one of the destashing groups had a competition, where you got points for age of yarn and age of pattern. I had nearly 10 points just sitting there, waiting for me, so I pulled it out, frogged, cast on and started up again.

Aaaaaand...frog, cast on, rinse, repeated again, another three times.

At that point, I started to think this pattern and that yarn are just not destined to be, you know? When a yarn tries this hard not to be a pattern, you just have to respect its decision.

So frogged the Nereides for the last time and cast on for Nemesis:

The name seemed appropriate. And look at how the stitch pattern is turning out:

I know, I know, it's hard to see. It probably won't be any better until after it's blocked open a little. If then. The color swirls are a bit...confusing, which is why I went for something simple. I didn't want a garter stitch, and a broken rib is a good compromise. The fringe will really make the thing, I think. Fringe is one of those things, like butter or hairspray, that is usually best in moderation, but has its proper place in the world.

Nemmie and I have been working together for two weeks now, and so far, we're getting along just fine. I think the yarn is much, much happier with this stitch pattern than the sea foam.

I'd wonder why the yarn cares, but..eh. Even I have only so much taste for the surreal.