My current WIP is Lauriel, from my recently-acquired and already much-treasured copy of Ysolda Teague's Little Red in the City.
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| This colour in this picture is more accurate than the two photos below |
I had chosen some lovely yarn - Sublime Cashmere Merino Silk DK - which cost more than I would normally spend on yarn for one garment, but I wanted this to be really lovely. And although it was knitting up slower than I thought/hoped it would, I was pleased with how it was coming along. Note the word 'was' there.
Yesterday, during our weekly knitting meet-up, I noticed the yoke pattern on two of my friends' WIPs was a lot more defined than mine. I thought mine looked a little different due to the wool variation. But now I know it's not right, and I've realised why. I thought I was being clever by using the eastern style of stockinette stitch right from the start of the pattern, as Ysolda suggests to use as it makes your gauge more constant and the work neater. But unfortunately, this also means that the action to 'KBL' or knit through the back loop is cancelled out by the fact the stitch was already back-loop forward facing. Does this make any sense?! Anyway, it's not right.
This has really disheartened me. It took me hours to do the yoke and I really took my time to ensure every stitch of the pattern was perfect, and I was so proud. But I wasn't totally happy with it, and now I've seen how it should look it's just going to bug me forever. But I've spent hours and hours and hours getting half way down the body and I really don't want to frog it and start over now. I never complete anything as it is, getting so little time to knit, and I'm not sure I'd ever find it in me to pick it back up or finish it. Sigh.
So, a question to those more experienced knitters out there. If you don't mind? Please? Would it be possible to go back later, un-do the cast on edge, frog the yoke section and either re-knit it upwards? Or knit the yoke separately and re-join it, perhaps using the three-needle bind-off technique on the wrong side? Or am I just kidding myself? Maybe I was kidding myself trying to take on something so pretty. Any suggestions would be really appreciated.
Sorry for the negativity. Just having a bad time right now, nothing major, I really should be grateful for what I have, my gorgeous boys and husband, but silly things like this are just the straw that broke the camel's back, everything is really getting to me and upsetting me - I really didn't need this. :(
Oh well, going to try and enjoy my last day off before a run of seven days at work tomorrow and head to Yorkshire Sculpture Park and hopefully forget my worries for a few hours. Or try at least!
xXx
P.S. I've scheduled a FO Friday blog post for Friday - and there'll be a giveaway too. Hope to see you then :)
13 comments:
Oh no! I'm not sure what to suggest to fix it, but if you aren't happy with it then you need to do something to make it how you want it to look.
Hope you get it sorted soon x
Hun, if it were me, having splashed out on the perfect expensive yarn, I would rip it back and start again if I had to. As you say, if you don't do it justice, it will bug you forever, and it will spoil any enjoyment of wearing it too. {{ hugs }}
Oh, I'm sorry that you're feeling blue about it. I saw it and thought actually the yoke was prettier than some of the ones I've seen already! Are you definitely, 100% sure you won't like it as it is? I'm not experienced enough to make any suggestions, but if you put it away for a few days and look at it afresh, will you be able to see beyond the fact that it is different?
This looks gorgeous!
Oh dear,I can totally understand your frustration. I was completely there with you last week. I put my projects aside and did a few instant gratification things to make me feel more successful. I also told a few people off, which helped too. Oh, and poured myself a big rum.
I'd put it in time out for a week or two and then revisit it. I have no idea if it can be fixed instead of frogged (sorry), but if it's not right and you're not going to be happy with it, then you'll have to RIP and restart. (sorry again). It looks beautiful to me, but I haven't seen the others you speak of.
You won't like my answer. Frog it and start over. Don't let your desire to not rip out the work make your decision for you. Could you undo from the top and knit it back up? Likely, but then all the instructions would be reversed. Since you are asking a question of more experienced knitters, I assume you are not as exp? Be sure you can translate the pattern in reverse before taking it on. Maybe to answer the question, do that now before you go any further in your downward knitting. Then, if it doesn't work you are only frogging what's been done so far, and not the entire body. The first mistake knitters make is to refuse to unknit and keep going when they know something is wrong. Sure, it sucks to rip out all that work, but it's really just a mind game. Just think of it as a new project, not a redo of an old one. Don't let your desire for the finished item rule your knitting. Knit for the joy of the stitch, not the final product. Have I made any sense? LOL! Good luck.
Oh this is a tricky one - to frog or continue. It would be possible to go back and undo it from the cast one edge and then knit 'upwards'. Could be difficult as you'd be knitting the pattern in reverse and as it's a more intricate pattern - it may not work. Or like you suggested you could knit the yoke separately and graft it onto the garment.
But what if neither looks right to you then?
I think I would frog it. Get the yoke right and then happily continue knitting. If you are anything like me you'd be constantly thinking about the yoke if you carried on anyway - so get it sorted first!
Good luck with whatever you choose!
Liz
I'm sorry you're have such trouble with that beautiful sweater. I don't think undoing the knitting from the top and reknitting will work.
Just like the others, I agree with frogging the whole thing and starting again. Enjoy the process of knitting with that wonderful yarn.
I've frogged and reknit whole sweaters as I was dissatisfied with the final look.
I have never un done the cast on and reknitted the top and you would be doing it backwards if that makes sense so you could land up making a huge balls up of it.
My advise as you have spent so much money on the beautiful yarn, is to frog it. You won't wear it with the pride it deserves otherwise, it might even be banished to the back of the cupboard, which is worse.
Not an easy choice to make and even harder one to execute
Oh, that's so heartbreaking, but I went and looked at other pictures in Ravelry and I can totally understand you saying you'd never be happy with it. And life's too short to knit what you're not happy with. I have some of that yarn and it is DIVINE to work with, so it will reknit beautifully, too. I know you don't want to rip, but at least it will be fast.... Then maybe you can put it away for a while and forget the feelings of regret and start anew. I personally wouldn't be able to stand the suspense of trying to graft or go from the bottom up for the yoke and not knowing if all my work would be for naught in the end.... {{{hugs}}}
Oh so sorry you run into problems :o(
I normally do eastern knitting too but only when no shaping (knitting through back loops, ssk etc) is involved.
Sometimes frogging is the best way forward, otherwise it may bug you forever.
I hope you can overcome this and have a beautiful cardi at the end x
With so much encouragement I have read from these coments, Starting over may not be so bad!
Oh no!
Afraid to say it, but if it really bothers you Id rip it back - undoing the cast-on alone will be a pain, nevermind working 'backwards' from the pattern, and you may end up wishing you'd ripped back anyway.
I hope you sort it soon, I'd take a break for a week or 2 if you do rip back, just to clear your head.
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