It was the '80s.

[pinesandmaples]

I just need to whine at people who will understand this complaint because the muggles just patted me on the head and whispered behind their hands.

My partner is trans* and done with his legal transition so his new name is set in stone. He's also the proud owner of a hand-made Christmas stocking from the '80s made by a very nice friend of the family. I snuck his stocking out of the house on Christmas to alter the name at his request. Today, when I sat down to unpick the name, I had a moment of horror. The name--which is vertical down the front of the stocking--is not duplicate-stitched. I really really thought it was.

But no, it's intarsia. The stocking can be fixed (easily), and I'll duplicate-stitch his new name on...but intarsia? Really? For a vertical name?

Comments

[wrabbit]

Intarsia, really. How do you even fix that?

[untonuggan]

That's what I want to know! Also, wow, that sounds like it was a loooooot of work on nice friend of family's part.

Congrats to you both, btw!

[pinesandmaples]

I bet it was a serious amount of work. My ex-wife did Christmas stockings with names, but she did fair isle floats across the back for all the names because she's a rockstar like that. Apparently, the 80s were all about intarsia in the Midwest, though.

My fix for the dropped stitches is based on the Yarn Harlot's mis-crossed cables fix minus the cables. It won't be too bad is my mantra.

[sedge]

Well, if nothing else, I expect one could duplicate stitch over the whole name panel.

[pinesandmaples]

In this case, I unpicked the name from the bottom then secured the live stitches on both sides. I'll use a fix very similar to the Yarn Harlot's mis-crossed cable fix minus the cabling. It's basically a real PITA but can be reknit all the way up.

[ambersweet]

Who DOES that? I mean, unless you really really love intarsia? Who puts a name on a stocking vertically, anyway? I mean, really.

(Also congrats to your partner! I await the day when my husband can do the same thing.)

[pinesandmaples]

I KNOW. As best I can figure, intarsia was big in the Midwest in the '80s. And the Farmer grew up smack in the sweet spot of Ohio in the '80s.

Who puts a name on a stocking vertically, anyway? I mean, really.

It actually looks pretty cute because the top of the stocking has a band of (get this) fair isle children with some nice colorwork braids and jingle bells. The names of both children were done down the front of the leg as a matching pair. Thankfully, the Farmer's birth name is short so I don't have to fix too much of the stocking. Whew.

(Also congrats to your partner! I await the day when my husband can do the same thing.)

Ooh, I hope it comes soon! Good luck!

[minxy]

Wow, you are taking on a project, for sure! Sounds like something really important, though. Still, wow. Intarsia.

[afuna]

Oh my. That would be so tricky to redo. Sounds like you have it well in hand, but wow!

[attie]

o_O I'd have expected stranding maybe, but intarsia?!

[pensnest]

*raises tremulous hand* I'd... probably have done it that way.

[indywind]

OMG, wow, what a project.

Am in awe of of you taking that on -- and what a great gift for your partner.

[tree_and_leaf]

Aaaaaargh! My sincere respect to you for managing to fix this without frogging the whole lot down to the bottom of the name. I think I would just have sat down and cried when I discovered it was intarsia....

[whatcoloredeyessee]

Wow. Just wow.

Oh, and congrats to you and your partner!