Learning Experience
I'll be the first one to admit it - I make mistakes. Yep even after seven years of knitting and too-many-to-count projects, still I slip up from time to time. They pop up occasionally, I think, as a way of waking me up, or making sure I'm actually paying attention. It's a nice life lesson, no?
Yet sometimes the tiny wake up call isn't the end. Instead it's only the beginning, with mistake after mistake piling up one after another. Despite the experience and the skill and the whatever else I may have to combat it, there is no defense.
Thus it was this weekend, with my latest attempt of a project. It started happily enough. Yet somehow, some way, this project took on a life of its own. It's confusing and yes, even a little painful. Embarrassing even. Allow me to share:
Saturday afternoon: Happily comb the Ravelry pattern listings for a pretty baby hat for a friend. Discover the lovely Flower Baby Hat. Begin.
Five Minutes Later: Realize there is no way I’ll be able to do the cast on described in the pattern, especially after I attempt it to no avail at all. Decide my usual cast on looks rather nice, so proceed.
Hour Later: Discover somehow I have an extra stitch for row 19. Back track, re-count and yes, I have one too many stitches. Look over my knitting to find I did the previous row correctly, therefore there should be no extra stitch.
Thirty Minutes Later: Search through Ravelry finds that there is no correction for the pattern, nor has anyone else reported on a mis-print. So it’s just me. Decide to handle it in the morning.
Sunday Before Church Services: Discover my mistake was a faulty yarn-over which gave me an extra stitch; correct mistake.
Sunday Following Lunch: After reaching the body of the hat, realize that despite having gotten gauge my hat is somehow two inches wider than the intended size. Reaffirm my stance on how gauge swatches lie and therefore pledge to not make them unless absolutely necessary. Frog.
Five Minutes Later: Begin hat with smaller needles. Realize about six rows in that somehow I have lost track of what row I’m working. Frog.
One Minute Later: Decide that I ought to use a smaller needle to cast on, then begin row one with the intended size needles. Frog again.
One Hour Later: Read directions and find that I must make the body of the hat 8 inches in length. Reach 4.5 inches and begin to wonder, because the hat is already seeming long and following the body is 1.5 inches of ribbing. Recheck instructions to find that the 8 was centimeters, not inches. Recall that yes, I had read it correctly to begin with, yet somehow between reading this and beginning to knit, my mind converted the two. Begin tinking back to a length of three inches.
Five Minutes Later: Realize somehow I have tinked back too far. Sigh, then begin knitting again.
Ten Minutes Later: Cast off. Am happy.
Two Minutes Later: Realize that somehow, some way, the hat size is off. Again. Consider options.
Five Minutes Later: Decide option B, to frog the hat, is the best. Admit defeat.
And thus the saga ends; in defeat. The knitting has won. Perhaps one day I'll try the pattern again. It is cute, and I do still need to make something for my friend's little girl. For now though, I'm working on something simple - a ribbed scarf. You know, just to be safe. ;)
Happy knitting!
Yet sometimes the tiny wake up call isn't the end. Instead it's only the beginning, with mistake after mistake piling up one after another. Despite the experience and the skill and the whatever else I may have to combat it, there is no defense.
Thus it was this weekend, with my latest attempt of a project. It started happily enough. Yet somehow, some way, this project took on a life of its own. It's confusing and yes, even a little painful. Embarrassing even. Allow me to share:
Saturday afternoon: Happily comb the Ravelry pattern listings for a pretty baby hat for a friend. Discover the lovely Flower Baby Hat. Begin.
Five Minutes Later: Realize there is no way I’ll be able to do the cast on described in the pattern, especially after I attempt it to no avail at all. Decide my usual cast on looks rather nice, so proceed.
Hour Later: Discover somehow I have an extra stitch for row 19. Back track, re-count and yes, I have one too many stitches. Look over my knitting to find I did the previous row correctly, therefore there should be no extra stitch.
Thirty Minutes Later: Search through Ravelry finds that there is no correction for the pattern, nor has anyone else reported on a mis-print. So it’s just me. Decide to handle it in the morning.
Sunday Before Church Services: Discover my mistake was a faulty yarn-over which gave me an extra stitch; correct mistake.
Sunday Following Lunch: After reaching the body of the hat, realize that despite having gotten gauge my hat is somehow two inches wider than the intended size. Reaffirm my stance on how gauge swatches lie and therefore pledge to not make them unless absolutely necessary. Frog.
Five Minutes Later: Begin hat with smaller needles. Realize about six rows in that somehow I have lost track of what row I’m working. Frog.
One Minute Later: Decide that I ought to use a smaller needle to cast on, then begin row one with the intended size needles. Frog again.
One Hour Later: Read directions and find that I must make the body of the hat 8 inches in length. Reach 4.5 inches and begin to wonder, because the hat is already seeming long and following the body is 1.5 inches of ribbing. Recheck instructions to find that the 8 was centimeters, not inches. Recall that yes, I had read it correctly to begin with, yet somehow between reading this and beginning to knit, my mind converted the two. Begin tinking back to a length of three inches.
Five Minutes Later: Realize somehow I have tinked back too far. Sigh, then begin knitting again.
Ten Minutes Later: Cast off. Am happy.
Two Minutes Later: Realize that somehow, some way, the hat size is off. Again. Consider options.
Five Minutes Later: Decide option B, to frog the hat, is the best. Admit defeat.
And thus the saga ends; in defeat. The knitting has won. Perhaps one day I'll try the pattern again. It is cute, and I do still need to make something for my friend's little girl. For now though, I'm working on something simple - a ribbed scarf. You know, just to be safe. ;)
Happy knitting!