The Curse

As you may have noticed, I tend to knit for others most of the time.  There are many reasons for this:  I love giving gifts, I love spending my time making something for someone I love, I struggle at times with a feeling of not deserving such lovely things as I see coming off the needles out there.  This, though, is the main reason - I am cursed.  Whenever I take it upon myself to knit something for me and only me, something goes terribly wrong.  I lose the last ball of wool in that dye lot.  My gauge goes screwy, and even with the benefit of swatching, the finished item is too big or too small.  I make some dumb mistake, and don't notice it until far to late to fix it.

Knitting the T-Twist has been much the same.  A simple pattern, I somehow did a yarn-over in the middle of the body, creating a gaping hole, and adding a stitch, guaranteed to throw off the decreases and shaping.  I bit the bullet, ripped it back, and started again.  This was not enough, however.  Oh, no, there must be more.  I finished the T-Twist.  I followed the instructions exactly.  It was perfect.  Until the moment when instructed to try on the sweater before binding off.  I had a brilliant idea.  "I know," I said to myself, "I'll use my Denise needles, extend the cable, and it will be easy as pie!"  Self, you should know better.  Just as I pulled the ill fated sweater over my head, the cable join popped.  I could feel stitches unraveling, and was helpless to stop it!  I looked over my shoulder.  There -  about 30 stitches running down the back, including one of the raglan decreases.

I am fed up.  I am ready to chuck the sweater in the garbage.  I am so close to finishing it, and so frustrated I could cry.  I tried to save it, really I did.  My knitting time these days is so rare and precious, I didn't want to waste a moment.  I sat into the wee hours, carefully hooking up stitches, attempting to follow the decreases, and save the damn thing.

I really don't know where to go from here.  I tell myself, in my calm moments, that I can just rip the yoke back to where I attached the sleeves, and re-knit from there.  Not such a big deal, really.  A decrease of 12 stitches on every other round makes it go quite quickly, I could rip and re-knit in no time.  But I don't want to.  I'm sick of the dumb thing, and I don't ever want to see it again.  I want to frog and put the whole thing out of my memory.  In the words of the great Harlot, I've had my ass kicked by my knitting.

Comments

[TK]

Oh, no! That's so frustrating. I'd hate to see all that work go back into the skein, but sometimes ripping feels so good. I say, if you won't regret the work you've done, rip it with pleasure.

[erin]

Oh no! Just keep it aside for a day and when you feel better you can return to tackle it again.

[Knittypants]

Oh no!! You need to take a break from that sweater. Start some happy knitting and come back to it when you feel ready. And yes you do deserve pretty things that come off your needles, and don't forget it!

[marianne]

Sweetie, you DO deserve pretty knits, remember that. Tuck Twisted T in a bag, just as she is, now take care with her, she's not to blame (I'm not saying you are either) but put her away for a few days, knit some other little something, and maybe another 'something', then go back and see how she's doing, you'll know when it's time to pick her up again, (you know you want her ;^)

[Jennifer]

I'd be so frustrated! AHHHH!!! I'd put it in time out for a week or so and then go back to it with a fresh eye and spirit.

[Barbp]

Oh poor you! I vote for putting it in a time out, see how you feel after you've had some distraction.

[Carrie K]

It's just the cable stitches that ran? You can always practice fixing cables (it really is pretty easy). After a nice time out for the T-Twist. Bad top.

And you absolutely do deserve your own handknit! Silly girl.

[Dipsy D.]

Poor you! This curse that you describe usually happens to me when I knit for others - no real problems with things for myself, but as soon as I start knitting for someone else, everything that you described and more happens to me. A totally different curse, but a curse for sure!
I think best would be if you give this project a Time Out - place it in your knitting basket and focus on something else, and you'll realize that one day when you're ready for it it'll call for you to continue working on it - and it'll be perfect then!

[Karen]

How vexing! Have a break before you make a decision, then look upon it as an opportunity. (Isn't it easy to be philosophical when you're advising others?)

[Patty]

Shades of my Ariann, Charity. As others have said, put it away for a day or so. Once I tore Ariann back to the addition of the sleeves and started again it finished up quickly. I feel for ya sister!

[Laura]

Been there and am sympathizing with you! I had to rip out a tank top three times before it made it to finish, a summer cardigan three times before getting it done, and most recently I ripped and reknit the front of an InterweavesKnits cardigan four times, finally finishing it last night.

You've gotten a lot of good advice already. I don't think I can add anything else - except, if I knit something for me to wear, it has to be done right, or I know I won't wear it. If I don't rip and reknit, or frog completely and make something new... well, I don't know what the outcome would be, because I've never gone that route. Maybe you'll explore uncharted territory for yourself!

[Ruth]

What a shame! I'd agree - put it away, but not too long, or you'll lose the will to finish.

[meg]

Oh- OUCH! I can feel your pain all the way down here :( Give a day or two, then if you still feel the same- rip away! There are just some things that are just not meant to be & you shouldn't drive yourself crazy over it.