Abracadabra
Now you see it…
Now you don’t.
Knitting magic! Albeit not the sort generally enthused about on knit blogs, but there is something to be said about the particular allure of ripping back. Yes, allure! Once the agonizing final decision is made that nothing else can be done to rescue the knitting, there’s something incredibly satisfying and freeing in the soft rrrrr’s of stitches popping apart to gentle tugs. A fresh start. A brand new chance to make it all perfect. What’s more magical than that?
Of course, the decision to rip is the not quite so magical part. It’s amazing how much my brain will twists itself into knots rationalizing errors to avoid any consideration of the dreaded act of ripping back. In this case, it took more repeat trying-ons of the Anemoi-in-progress and more continued knitting-in-denial than I’d like to admit for me to succumb to the attractive notion of ripping it all back to the cuff. Never mind that the mitten was obviously too large, or that the stitches were definitely too loose, or that for several rows, the palm bore more resemblance to abstract art than the precise diamond lattice design charted on the pattern, my brain kept insisting that it’ll all be fine. It took until a handful of rows past the completion of the thumb gusset for the realization that since this was to be a pair of matching mittens, it would be rather stupid to invest all that time to knit not just one but two mistake ridden, ill-fitting hand-coverings rather than negating a tiny bit of work by ripping back to knit a better version.
So, hello new path to perfection!*
*Actually more like the road that meanders near Perfection. Teeny stitch color error, you see. Sort of inevitable...
Now you don’t.
Knitting magic! Albeit not the sort generally enthused about on knit blogs, but there is something to be said about the particular allure of ripping back. Yes, allure! Once the agonizing final decision is made that nothing else can be done to rescue the knitting, there’s something incredibly satisfying and freeing in the soft rrrrr’s of stitches popping apart to gentle tugs. A fresh start. A brand new chance to make it all perfect. What’s more magical than that?
Of course, the decision to rip is the not quite so magical part. It’s amazing how much my brain will twists itself into knots rationalizing errors to avoid any consideration of the dreaded act of ripping back. In this case, it took more repeat trying-ons of the Anemoi-in-progress and more continued knitting-in-denial than I’d like to admit for me to succumb to the attractive notion of ripping it all back to the cuff. Never mind that the mitten was obviously too large, or that the stitches were definitely too loose, or that for several rows, the palm bore more resemblance to abstract art than the precise diamond lattice design charted on the pattern, my brain kept insisting that it’ll all be fine. It took until a handful of rows past the completion of the thumb gusset for the realization that since this was to be a pair of matching mittens, it would be rather stupid to invest all that time to knit not just one but two mistake ridden, ill-fitting hand-coverings rather than negating a tiny bit of work by ripping back to knit a better version.
So, hello new path to perfection!*
*Actually more like the road that meanders near Perfection. Teeny stitch color error, you see. Sort of inevitable...
posted by Marie at 10:18 PM
5 Comments:
That would have been hard for me. I hate ripping back. Good Luck on the second go round.
The road to the decision is a troubled one, but I have yet to regret ripping back.
I do nitice I have greatly increased my use of lifelines. It helps to know I only need to rip 5, 10 or 15 rows.
As much as I hate ripping, I have discovered the value in doing it sometimes. And really, you will be much happier with the finished product this way.
It is always hard to rip back, but you will be much more satisfied with the finished mittens now. The colors you are working with are really pretty.
Whereas I rip almost everything because it's never good enough. I like the idea of the path that wanders near Perfection. :) xo
Post a Comment
<< Home