In my post about the alien take over of my closet, I talked about my Hemlock Ring Blanket and the fact that I was going to frog it - well, I finally took the plunge! However, as I was ripping it out, I had a thought (scary - I know) that I could salvage the center medallion which is just what I did! I decided that it will make a lovely circular pillow or a bag. I want to say that I will knit the Hemlock Ring in its entirety one day but sometimes it's just best to move on. I am sure that Jared Flood would agree with me (I hope) and his pattern is amazing - it really was me goofing up in this one section...sigh!

What will I be next?

I have learned, after a few years of knitting, that for whatever reason a pattern will flummox me with no fault of the designer. However, when I go back to it later on, I will be ready to work it up without frustration or tears.  My expectations can work against me when I'm knitting or doing just about anything else in life. So until I can let go of my perfectionist ideals (yea, right!) I just won't be able to tackle some things. I humbly submit that this is all true and while I know this from lots and lots of experience, I still get stumped by things that should be easy for me.

One of the comments left on my original post asked why I thought I would frog my Shoal Water shawl (was the pattern difficult or did I just lose interest?) and I have to say that the pattern is phenomenally written and it is simply the knitter that has changed. While I have yet to actually frog the project (there is always room for a U-turn) I think that I want to use the yarn for a Knit Swirl sweater. I will most likely have to add to the amount of yarn I currently have, but I think it is really a possibility. I guess the point of sharing my missteps in my knitting is to hopefully give you the confidence to rip out when needed and move on.

Isn't that why we knit to grow and learn? I truly believe that every stitch I rip out has taught me something more than just how to avoid making a mistake but how to make a mistake and learn from it.



As always, happy knitting, crocheting, and frogging!!


Jeanne


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