That is most definitely the question. When I first started my journey on the yellow stockinette stitch road, I was utterly incapable of fixing my mistakes. The only course was to rip it all back. Not even to a correct row, literally, to the beginning. I was intimidated on the idea of fixing or even putting those ripped stitches back onto a needle! I really had no concept of what was a forward leg or threading yarn through a correct row to make sure I didn't have to frog the whole thing. That's probably why I got ridiculously frustrated and was incapable of finishing anything.
There were a few things that I just ran with regardless of mistakes. Enter my first non-blanket project: The Parisian Slouch Hat
How it was meant to look. A delightful hat, charming, yet relaxed, something to toss on when you just don't feel like doing your hair but don't feel like a pony tail is the look you are going for.
How mine turned out! This is because I didn't just run with my mistakes, I snuggled them close and made a mad dash for the border!
Oh, that was meant to be a ribbed row? Well I miscounted so now its doing this weird spiral thing, hey it looks cool! Who cares if a ribbing is meant to be stretchy, it won't change anything! Hmm, a M1 you say? Well I don't know how to do that but I learned how to do a YO, they are both adding stitches so they are the exact same right?!
No starcie. No. None of that is correct. If I had a rolled up newspaper and could time travel, I'd go back and thump myself over the head and rub my nose in it. It took time, eHow, and reading a books to figure out how to be better and do better.
Stitch 'n Bitch was officially amazing. Debbie Stoller has a way of writing that is informative and funny, it keeps you invested and reading more, you feel like you CAN do anything! The way she described how the stitches sit and basic repair techniques seriously made a difference. Now when I realized that I accidentally purled instead of knit I drop the stitch, snag up my crochet needle and put everything back where it belongs!
Of course some things you just need to remake. I made baby booties for my new niece, Espresso, but I didn't realize until after I'd made both that I had stitched the first one off. So now I'm looking at this adorable bootie, my first, my precious, and its not good enough. She deserves better. So now I'll be making a new one. Luckily the booties are small and super easy. The mitts for my MIL were a different story. I frogged a few times but man I could not repair it. The mistakes were small, just tiny things that most people may vaguely notice but I couldn't bring myself to give that lovely woman anything that wasn't perfect.
I recall hearing how my maternal great grandmother would nearly finish work on a huge table cloth, find one small mistake back in the middle that literally not a soul would notice and she'd rip it back as far as possible. My Grammy and mom say I'm just like her. Perfection is nothing to turn your nose at, particularly when it comes to a gift. You have to figure that if the person you are creating for means enough that you are willing to spend hours/days/weeks creating something beautiful for them, then don't they deserve something perfect?
Frogging is an inconvenience, but its an opportunity to make something wonderful, to get yourself to the point that you understand the pattern that much more, to become more familiar with your yarn, to do better. I may sigh with exasperation (especially if its the 5th time), but its really not so bad. Its an adventure!
There were a few things that I just ran with regardless of mistakes. Enter my first non-blanket project: The Parisian Slouch Hat
How it was meant to look. A delightful hat, charming, yet relaxed, something to toss on when you just don't feel like doing your hair but don't feel like a pony tail is the look you are going for.
How mine turned out! This is because I didn't just run with my mistakes, I snuggled them close and made a mad dash for the border!
Oh, that was meant to be a ribbed row? Well I miscounted so now its doing this weird spiral thing, hey it looks cool! Who cares if a ribbing is meant to be stretchy, it won't change anything! Hmm, a M1 you say? Well I don't know how to do that but I learned how to do a YO, they are both adding stitches so they are the exact same right?!
No starcie. No. None of that is correct. If I had a rolled up newspaper and could time travel, I'd go back and thump myself over the head and rub my nose in it. It took time, eHow, and reading a books to figure out how to be better and do better.
Stitch 'n Bitch was officially amazing. Debbie Stoller has a way of writing that is informative and funny, it keeps you invested and reading more, you feel like you CAN do anything! The way she described how the stitches sit and basic repair techniques seriously made a difference. Now when I realized that I accidentally purled instead of knit I drop the stitch, snag up my crochet needle and put everything back where it belongs!
Of course some things you just need to remake. I made baby booties for my new niece, Espresso, but I didn't realize until after I'd made both that I had stitched the first one off. So now I'm looking at this adorable bootie, my first, my precious, and its not good enough. She deserves better. So now I'll be making a new one. Luckily the booties are small and super easy. The mitts for my MIL were a different story. I frogged a few times but man I could not repair it. The mistakes were small, just tiny things that most people may vaguely notice but I couldn't bring myself to give that lovely woman anything that wasn't perfect.
I recall hearing how my maternal great grandmother would nearly finish work on a huge table cloth, find one small mistake back in the middle that literally not a soul would notice and she'd rip it back as far as possible. My Grammy and mom say I'm just like her. Perfection is nothing to turn your nose at, particularly when it comes to a gift. You have to figure that if the person you are creating for means enough that you are willing to spend hours/days/weeks creating something beautiful for them, then don't they deserve something perfect?
Frogging is an inconvenience, but its an opportunity to make something wonderful, to get yourself to the point that you understand the pattern that much more, to become more familiar with your yarn, to do better. I may sigh with exasperation (especially if its the 5th time), but its really not so bad. Its an adventure!
No comments:
Post a Comment