She seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. --Proverbs 31:13

1/12/2006

Rule No. 1: Always read the directions. I am afraid that in my delight at figuring out the Mobius cast on, I rushed into this project. I did not check gauge, I did not check what the finished dimensions of the project were supposed to be and I most certainly did not read the directions. Oh, I skimmed the directions, I thought I had read them, but I really hadn't.
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As a result, My cowl is really a scarf, it is not wide enough to cover my head as shown in the picture on the pattern, and I spend hours yesterday mistakenly knitting what was supposed to be "purl one through front and back loop, purl 3" as purl one through front and back loop all the way around, in every stitch. It took for ever to knit that row and the next one.

I had started the bind off when I discovered my mistake. I had to think for a while about whether I even wanted to rip it back, or just finish it and be done with it. Usually, I wouldn't worry about it, I would call it a design feature and be finished. But yesterday, I ripped back. I had to mentally close my eyes to do it, there were a lot of stitches on those needles. Luckily it was wool yarn, and the stitches were easy to pick back up again, even though it took forever. The sad thing is, it probably would have looked better if I had just finished it the way it was! Finally, after knitting the rows correctly, and binding off, I discovered that the fabric curls horribly, probably because this would work with cashmere, it has a lot more drap than wool, I bet. In wool, it curls.

I am really just not happy with this project, although it was a blast to knit. And it was totally my fault, not the designers, hers looked great or I wouldn't have knitted it in the first place. What will I do about it? Well, I love this yarn. The color is the only thing that I like about the finished project. I might sit down this evening and pick out the woven in ends and rip it all back, or I might just throw it in a drawer and get back to the knitting and spinning at hand. I haven't quite decided yet, LOL.

5 comments:

zhsy00001 said...

I had a desk chair that wouldn't roll or turn properly because I didn't follow the directions. Something about a bolt being upside down.

Kelly

Anonymous said...

Hm. And you don't have any cashmere laying around in your stash? Hard to imagine.

Okay, I really need to take a look at the pattern picture. Your yarn looks pretty, regardless. :)

Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you :o( I really love the look of the yarn and its colour!

Tracy Batchelder said...

We all have days like that. At least in knitting, things can be undone and fixed almost every time. Gotta love it.

cyndy said...

Your experience reminded me of the brioche stitch gaiter I never completed! (still hanging around in my drawer, lucious angora waiting for me to figure out the stitch!)