Tuesday 12 July 2011

Ribbit ribbit...I mean rip it rip it

I come to my blog with my head hanging in shame. A project and I were not getting along and I finally made the decision (after knitting about 10 more rounds...grr!) that it just wasn't meant to be.

It wasn't the yarn, whilst not the most exciting yarn there's nothing wrong with Regia, it's good solid stuff. The colours are vibrant, it doesn't split and it can be shoved in the washing machine so hardly something to complain about. It wasn't doing a new technique, I was coping quite happily with toe up sock knitting. It wasn't even the pattern, I've seen other peoples FOs for this and I really liked them. There was just something about it that I was not enjoying.

I think enjoying is the key part. I'm not one to rip projects out. I'll persevere through difficult patterns and with irritatingly splitty yarns (I'm looking at you Rowan Luxury Cotton), even when it seems a project will never end and I'm bored I may well put it aside but I'll come back to it and finish it off. I hate frogging, hate it. I feel like somehow I have failed as a knitter (though I know that's not true and would not think the same of other knitters who are quicker to frog than me) I do not like doing it.

This time though. I was not enjoying the knit. Whilst there was nothing in particular wrong with the pattern or the yarn every round felt like a chore. I couldn't see an end, I didn't want to, I knew even if I carried on I'd somehow resent these socks. They were not for me. I was also not convinced they'd be the right size anyway. They had to go.

Go they did...

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Right back to that magic cast on


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Until it was a ball of sock wool again.

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It wasn't my happiest knitting experience but it's done now. I will not be casting on again for the project either BUT I will try toe-up socks again as I'm certain that wasn't the problem. It was something else, I just can't quite put my finger on why I didn't enjoy them...but I didn't and knitting is supposed to be a hobby, hobbies should be fun and not a chore. I know I did the right thing.

It was made a little easier by having just finished some projects...but more of that another time.

12 comments:

  1. Sometimes projects just don't work. You have my sympathies on the pain of ripping something out but you made the right choice. Who wants to work on a project that makes the little voice in the back of your head say "it's not working" the entire time you are knitting?

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  2. Oh no! Put the yarn away for a bit, you'll find the perfect project for it in time.

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  3. Well at least you came to the conclusion you had to rip it before cast off. I often don't ;o)

    But yes definitely try toe-up socks again, they are worth it!

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  4. Bravo! It's hard but necessary ... that is lovely yarn! I'm sure it'll tell you soon what it wants to be.

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  5. Definitely the right choice - it's got to be fun

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  6. Good call :) I've just hibernated a project that was turning into a chore - life's too short to knit something if it's just not doing it for you.

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  7. It's not worth spending the time knitting something if you're not enjoying it so you made the right decision. I wonder what that ball of yarn is destined to be now.

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  8. Enjoying IS the key. What else do we do it for?

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  9. Good job! I did that the other day with a project that was making me furious ... its just gotta be done sometimes!

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  10. You've nothing to hang your head in shame about!! I always feel that if I'm not happy with a bit of knitting, then I won't use the FO. This yarn will eventually become something lovely. Aren't toe-up socks great though! ;) Here's a link to the provisional cast on I use, I find it's very easy.

    http://bellaknitting.typepad.com/bella_knitting/2007/10/provisional-cas.html

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  11. Were those the yarnissima Gush mystery socks? I've just cast on for those! Shame you didn't enjoy them. I think the pattern looks pretty, but it does look like a bit of an effort, especially since I'm thinking of mirroring the socks!

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  12. Meh, that happens sometimes. Best just face the music and let it go. The important thing is to have fun with what you're doing :)

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