shhh.....our little secret, OK?

 

The unending scarf (Wheaten by Anne Hansen, I LOVE this pattern!) finally ended this weekend.

 

'Unending' because

• it spent 3 1/2 years on the needles
• I was rather ambivalent about the choice of yarn (this often happens when I insist on knitting from the stash, knowing from the get-go that the marriage of yarn and pattern will not be a happy one)
• Over the years, I unsuccessfully tried to pawn it off on various friends and family to finish, which reenforced my conviction that this would rank as one of the ugliest things I've ever knit (and believe me, I've knit some doozies in my day!) when they all turned me down.

But I was really convinced that this would never end when I discovered....... a mistake.  I was probably 6 or 7 rows away from it, with an entire ball of yarn yet to knit into it.  Ordinarily, this is NO.BIG.DEAL.  I rip things out all the time.  This time.  I didn't.  On purpose.  

Yes, friends-who-know-me-well....I just heard you gasp.

I'm not proud of this streak of perfectionism I carry.  Believe me, it does not carry over into other parts of my life.  But, in my head....knitting should just be done right.  Or as right as I can manage. Please note:  this is NOT an inherited trait, since my daughter knits by the 'good-enough-no-one-will-ever-see-that-boo-boo' philosophy. But this time I didn't fix my mistake.  Instead, I spent more time looking at it as I sprinted to the end of the project than it would have taken me to simply fix it.

My eye goes to it every time I look at the scarf.

See what I mean?  The fact that this happened on a colour transition only makes it worse.  (I missed 4 twists.  I twisted the first cable just fine and then apparently went to sleep for the rest of the row....I hate when I do that! And who knows what is going on with that second cable from the left?  I think I blocked something funny.)

Now, that it's done, though, I can embrace the project, the colours, and the mistake. (never thought I'd say that!) Probably because I defy anyone to find it in the first two photos!!!  (Viva the busy yarn!!!) 

 

How do you deal with knitting mistakes? Are you...

    Compulsive?  

    Laissez-faire?  

    What mistakes?!!??
 

 

Comments

[Ann]

It's beautiful despite the mistakes. Personally though, I have to rip back when I find them because it drives me crazy!

[[email protected]]

i so hear you, Ann.  That's usually me, too.  

[Jackie]

Im trying to teach myself rip it back when you see it, dont wait until a few rows from the end when you realize it's not going to block out. Beautiful shawl, no one will see those mistakes!

[Laura]

I want to learn how to fix it, so I do go back. That's part of the reason that I'm not a big fan of lace...hard to tink!

[Sara]

I usually fix mistakes, though there are a few factors that go into the decision:

How noticeable will it be in the long run? (You made the right call!)
Is it lace, and therefore impossible to fix without starting over completely? (Probably; again, you made the right call!)
Is it going to be worn flat so it's easy to see? (Guess what?)
Is there a way to fudge it? (nope)

I would not have fixed that one either. I did just rip out 4 inches of my new striped sweater because I didn't do an increase on either end. No way I know of to add all those missing stitches discreetly!

[Alina]

A beautiful piece! I cannot sleep if I've made a mistake in knitting, haha. Always rip it off ans start all over again. I know, I have a problem.

[jane]

The scarf is beautiful and no one (but you) is going to notice that mistake. Sometimes I fudge and get by but most of the time I rip back because it kind of drives me crazy. Not that this carries over to my housekeeping. That would be a step too far.

[[email protected]]

housekeeping?!?  what's that?

[Caroline]

I'm not very good at ripping back especially on lace and if there are YO's. I made an error while knitting wraps once and couldn't just unpick the stitch so had to rip back to the start of the wrap rows which was luckily only about 8 (VERY LONG) rows back.
It really annoyed me that I couldn't fix it so when I made the SAME mistake this past weekend I was determined to unpick and fix it. I needed my head torch but I did it!!
You made the right call here, no one will notice and if you follow the ethos of Persian carpet makers, not one is perfect as only God is perfect :)

[Mary Lou]

It really depends. How visible is it? Who is it for? Socks for me? Meh, who cares then. Shop model? Rip it out. If I keep thinking about it or looking at it, I generally rip it out. In the case of your scarf? I would absolutely have left it. Done!

[karen]

look at you! I had to SEARCH to find the mistake so there is that. I love your finished knit and it is beautiful even with that teeny tiny error.

[tanna]

Slightly compulsive... oh, who am I kidding? I have to go back. Once I left a mistake (cable) "on purpose" to "get it over with" and know it was "handmade" per the advice of a friend and after reading that in a knitting book. HAUNTED me! Ha!! But, in all honesty... that mistake (in yours or mine) is never noticed by another soul. We had to LOOK for it to see. Maybe there is a lesson in that for us... but, it's getting kind of later in the game to expect me to "get it". LOL! Well done, Steph. blessings ~ tanna

[Andi]

I have no qualms and offer no apologies and rip, rip and rip. I know myself too well and I will focus on nothing but that mistake. I will even lose sleep over it. Not the greatest quality but that is how I roll.
You will not get a gasp from me, love.

Congratulations on ending the never ending scarf. What an amazing feeling and now a truly perfect stunning scarf. :)

[ellen]

I've noticed it depends on the knit. How much I love it vs. how much I want it to end and I'm probably not going to wear it or gift it, I'll just donate it. I'm not saying my knitting ways make sense, it is what it is.

This: "I was rather ambivalent about the choice of yarn (this often happens when I insist on knitting from the stash, knowing from the get-go that the marriage of yarn and pattern will not be a happy one)"

... is why if it's not sock yarn, I'm not stashing anything ever again.

[[email protected]]

I sort of feel the same way, Ellen.  Whenever I buy a sweater-worth of yarn....for the stash....it always ends up beings hats, mittens, charity something.  I'm only stashing fingering weight, too!!!!

[Tahnee]

Well.. I guess against all odds this scarf got finished and is beautiful! I think the yarn + pattern combination makes this mistake completely acceptable. For me it always depends on how big the mistake is. Smaller mistakes I tend to be okay with.. Plus something that always weighs in; how much time does it take me to fix it. I like to knit perfect things, but I can also be lazy at times..

[Caffeine Girl]

I think the scarf turned out beautifully. No one but you will ever notice the errors.
I'm with your daughter -- I live easily with imperfection!

[Dee]

Your secret is safe with me! LOL

However .........I'm in the compulsive pile. MUST.FIX.EVERYTHING! I wish it wasn't so, but there you have it.