Warning. This post in no way will add to any meaningful level of discourse. Anywhere. I spent the day frantically trying to print and frame wedding photos for a last-minute trip out of town (pictures are for my mom! and others. And BTW… I felt like a huge dork getting a 8x10 photo of my face printed…) Anyhoo – since I was haunting my local, not-to-be named shopping giant, and not getting anything actually accomplished, I am forced to make my daily post about nothing more than me complaining. About RTW. RTW made-by-someone-else. That disintegrated within hours of first wearing.
Here’s the offensive garment. I bought it yesterday at the not-named chain store. I don’t like buying clothes. Not things I can make myself, at least. But I’ve had a hankering for a nice, long sweater-coat type object, and even though I like to knit, the idea of knitting something like this makes me want to stab myself. In my eyeballs. With my bamboo #2’s. Plus, I really liked the color**
**Also! I’m experimenting with a new color lipstick. Likely not discernable to anyone but me. I’ve worn the same color for 18 years. No lie. Revlon Earth (changed to fabulous fig, changed to wine not. When they change formulas, you can call the company and they will tell you the closest shade to your discontinued color. I’ve moved on to really red. The blue-toned red was starting to make me look old.)
Lovely, no? Especially the sweater and flip-flop look I’m rocking – is the weather everywhere all crazytown? It looked awesome with my black and white polka dot Bo Ho shirt. And jeans tucked into nice, tall black boots. And it was the perfect amount of cozy to wear to the baseball game (ahem. Damn Yankees.) And it looks fine in the photo, right? Let’s look closer…
I’ve circled the problem areas in yellow. First, I had the sweater on for less than two hours. I stopped by the little girl’s room (I claimed I needed to use it, really I just wanted to check out my new lipstick…) and the button just fell off. It wasn’t buttoned. It wasn’t tugged. I was just standing there, looking in the mirror, and it dropped and went bouncing across the floor (um, eww.) I chased it down, picked it up and stuck it in my pocket. Annoying, but not really a problem.
Then, about an hour after that, I wrapped my arms around myself (our brand-new outdoor stadium was surprisingly mild for an October game, but still…) and realized there was also a gaping HOLE! See it? Circled? The huge hole? It wasn’t there when I put it on! And can I just say once more that there was no buttoning, no stretching, no anything. Just me, surreptitiously reading blogs on my ipod (thank god for free wi-fi!) and sporadically cheering for the Twins.
I was saddened. I like the sweater. Long, cozy, nice color. Mind-numbingly boring knitting completed by someone else. Sleeves long enough to cover up my hands. What a bummer. I considered exchanging for a new one, but honestly. It disintegrated within the first few hours of wear. I don’t think this one’s going to be a winner, although, if they still have my size when it goes to 75% off, I’ll revisit the subject.
So there you have it. Lesson (re)learned regarding what you get when you buy cheap ready to wear. And by you, I mean me. With that, I’ll sign off. I’ll be over at Ravelry if anyone needs me. I have to find a pattern for a nice, long sweater coat…
7 [comments]:
Damn the RTW! But yet you're smiling... that's good at least! Hope you'll find a knitting pattern that doesn't make you want to stick your eyeballs out!
Argh.. how frustrating!
~ Alana
I've just found your blog - really great stuff!
Re your shoddily-made cardigan, it's maddening when that happens. I bought a dress once where the shoulder seam just opened up for no reason at all while I was at dinner. I just about died!
Get some lovely big needles, some chunky yarn and a DVD box of something wonderful - you'll be wearing your cardi before you know it.
Just take care sewing up!
Is it repairable? Because that is a super-cute cardigan (I'm a non-knitter. My mom did teach me at one point but I never learned anything other than a plain knit stitch---BORING. Maybe if you went along that whole seam with a stretch stich or a serger? It still blows mightily.
I've already returned it... I'm going to check out the yarn/pattern selection around town to see about making another, but I haven't ruled out re-buying it, because I really, really liked it! The thing is, one of the reasons I liked it is that it was knitted from pretty thin yarn and was drapey. Making something similiar would be pricey, because I'd have to buy a LOT of yarn to knit that much fabric!! And much like the selfish seamstress, I'm finding that I can't stand the slow pace of knitting now that I've started sewing! That would be at lest a one-month project for me AND would cut out some sewing time! I like knitting best in car trips now (although I'm going on one this weekend and am hoping to get my lady grey stuff ready to bring with to baste and pad-stitch in the car). Sigh!
Thanks for finding me Mrs. Exeter! I've seen your comments on other blogs (Peter's? Gertie's?) and always admire your blog name!
Also! Taran - if you know how to do the knit stitch, that's all you really need. The only other stitch is the purl, which is the opposite (you knit through the back instead of the front, sort of) and ALL the other stitches aren't really other stitches, just variations. Knitting is SUPER EASY! Even making lacey stuff - the pattern for selfish seamstress's scarf is super easy - and cool!
RTW just plain sucks!
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