Jedward!

Knitted Icons has been a fad for a few years now. They were made all the more popular by Harry Hills TV Burp which ran a competition. I myself found them funny but not enough to want to actually knit one. Then a magazine I buy regularly (Lets Knit) published a pattern of Jedward dolls. Again I am not a fan but I have a friend who does (honestly she is sane and a genuinely lovely person so don't hold it against her). When I mentioned this pattern to her she got so excited I couldn't help but offer to knit them for her. So a month ago now I bought in the supplies and got started. In a few days the first doll was almost finished. He just needed a jacket and his face.

However, I had a revelation. I hate knitting dolls. There is nothing more boring. I was quite surprised by this as in high school I knitted dolls for friends and don't remember having this hatred (ok so hatred is maybe too strong a word). So I mistakenly put down the needles and began other things. Since then I have done baby sets, baby blanket, throw, several socks and I am sure there are other things. Anything but knit those dolls. Every week I would write my craft to do list and the priority would always be to finish them but the following week it would remain uncrossed. Luckily I had already warned my friend before hand that I had other things to do first.

This week I finally kept my promise to myself. Get those dolls finished. I don't think I would have done it had it not been for the fact that I am going on a knitting break away this weekend. I didn't want to start anything else as I had plans for what I was going to work on whilst away (plus I needed my sock needles free for a toe up sock class). So it was the dolls or nothing. 1a.m. I stayed up to finishing the felt edging on those jackets. I refused to go to sleep till they were done and posted on ravelry. I didn't care how tired I was I just wanted to finish them. By 1.10a.m. I was in my bed having updated my ravelry page and cleared everything away.

I actually think part of the problem was the pattern. It was a horrible pattern. First of all it turned out a lot bigger than I was expecting. I thought they would be a little larger than my hand. Instead they are the size of my arm. The suggested rows for the jacket was off by 13. I am a tight knitter so I know it's not me. Instead I went by the cm measurements and still the jacket is a little too big. Also it curls. It's all in stocking stitch and despite the felt edging it curls. Overall I am not impressed. If I ever do another doll (which I doubt at this point) I think I will stick to Alan Dart.

Meanwhile I am off to my weekend away with some lovely knitting buddies with the sweet relief of knowing I don't have this project to come back to. I can enjoy the lovely shawl I will be knitting for my gran.