Due to laziness, I have become very adept at fudging. Or ignoring. Or hoping things would work out in the blocking. Like this knot of yarn that was hiding inside the ball of yarn. I had blithely knit a third of the row before this bumped under my hand and on to the needles. What to do? I tried to ignore it.
Meanwhile, like the zit on prom night, it just kept getting bigger and more glaring with each succeeding row. Here is my eventual solution. See where my laziness got me? A whole bunch of re-knitting. Fortunately, we're talking about a baby sweater here.
The sleeves for this sweater were also a challenge to my let-sleeping-dogs-lie attitude. First, the pattern called for provisional cast-on. Immediately, I'm thinking of ten ways of achieving the result without doing this. However, the pattern tempted me with a new way...I can't resist trying something new! This is me, happily working on the little sleeve. I kind of liked the red and the green.
But, there are other plans. I have to fold this up and knit the pieces together to make a hem. Note I am knitting in the round. Normally, when asked to do this, I just ignore the provisional thing and head straight to my way of making a folded hem. Since I was in follow-the-instructions-to-the-letter mode, I did as asked. Now working with a nest of needles.
OK. Here is the finished hem. I'm not sure it's any nicer than if I'd done it my way. But it does look neat and tidy with only one end to weave in. And I had a good time juggling the needles.
Meanwhile, back on the sock ranch, things are not happy with my Woodstocks. I don't like the heel treatment that I have chosen. And I've decided to write up the pattern in case anyone wants to follow my tangled path to Woodstock. So sock number one is frogged.
Enter sock number two which is now sock number one. Still following? I am no longer winging the pattern as it's all written up in an orderly way. Now, when I re-start that first sock, I'll be totally consistent with the second. Er, first.
Perfection isn't attainable. I've always said it. But for some reason, knitting karma has caught me this week.
6 comments:
Loved this post. I too have the "good enough" philosophy. But, sometimes it just isn't. LOL
You know, that errant stitch felt weird when you knit it and you just went on ahead with it. At least that's what I do. When I get several rows in, the bother grows and grows until the fix looks just like your heap of spaghetti yarn. Just wanted you to know you aren't alone.
Apparently the yarn is against you this week, but I've no doubt you'll conquer in the end.
"Good enough" is hard to do sometimes, but the colors and pattern of Woodstock still ROCK. Yum!
I had some early experiences with knitting, and nothing ever looked like your creations. Lovely.
I do that too..keep going ahead even though it doesn't feel right, then have to unpick and kick myself for not listening to myself in the first place!!
I painted my internal doors some years ago, and with each door, the feeling "I don't like this colour" grew, but I kept telling myself it would be ok. As I put the final stroke to the last of 10 doors, I realised I would be starting all over again!
Both your items look gorgeous, I think.
I'm not laughing at you; I'm laughing WITH you over this never ending quest for perfection and undeniable desire to learn "something new". LOL! Knitting is good medicine no matter. blessings ~ t
ps can't wait to see that sweater!
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