sock porn for knitting voyeurs.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

best intentions

Almost everything I knit has a mistake in it. Usually not glaring errors, something easily fudged in finishing-- but it doesn't bother me to know that there are small imperfections in a piece of work. Most of the time they're trivial, I wouldn't even tell you what they were or how I fixed them because it isn't important and unnoticeable. For big stuff, I have no qualms ripping out projects (usually just let them sit around for a month so my heart's not as tied to them...)

And then sometimes there are just hot messes I can't let go.

A small one...

P1030302
Pea Pod Baby Cardigan (pattern no longer available)
Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere
US 5, 3.75mm 24" addi
Started: January 2009

SO cute. I've loved this pattern for forever (and yes I'm sad it's not around to be downloaded anymore but I believe Kate Gilbert has said she'll re-release it sometime in the future), and even bought the pattern's yarn when I found this beautiful grey. My sister is expecting a boy in a few months and I figured that the leaf lace panel wouldn't be turned up at on a tiny, newborn boy (honestly I don't know how my sister/brother in law feels about lace + boys, but everyone's different and that's okay with me)... so I started the 3 month size.

I ass-u-med that my gauge would be close to the yarn/pattern, but oy. My 3 month directions are working into the 18 month size, literally. I've also only cracked the 3rd ball of yarn so that's not the worry-- it's just I don't know about a toddler boy + lace.

I worry too much. I'm going to finish it, and offer it. It is really adorable.

I also finished, mostly, the asymmetrical cardigan from months back...

P1030280

Beautiful! I love the color (saffron), the yarn (Vermont O-Wool), the idea of the pattern. What I don't love? My own mistakes that may have made this unwearable.

First... the two front panels are knit seperately and then joined as one piece for the arms and the back (this post has a photo of what I'm trying to describe). I managed to knit the left panel a half repeat longer than the right and the back...

P1030275

Yeah, it's not THAT asymmetrical.

Another view...

P1030277

Ergh.

Now, I'm no knitting doctor but thinking about this mess... I think I can undo the longer panel at the CO edge, rip to the point where the ribbing should start, put the front panel sts on a holder while casting on and knitting a seperate ribbing and then seaming that to the sts on the holder. I don't know... I know you're never supposed to rip a caston edge but there is no fix in ripping back (the construction means it'd ALL be ripped out).

Have I mentioned I'm pretty disgusted with myself?

Here's another reason: I modded the arms to be longer than the 3/4ish the pattern originally calls for, and also upped the increase rate so that the arms would have less of a "wing" at the back... now? They're way too wide for the body, swimmingly so.

P1030274

To fix this? Scissors.

:)

Kidding.

Maybe.

The only thing I can think of is instead of seaming at the edges, to fold the edges inside somewhat and seam so that the edges fold inside the arms. And maybe cut them off after some rigorous machine stitching.

(You can tell how mad I am, wanting to cut this poor thing into pieces.)

Aside from these GLARING errors, the cardi is really actually nice-- you can see where I've safety pinned it together to try it on :) I think I'll bury it for a bit, let other idea fixes marinate.

Whew. Just talking about this stuff has me all !!! :) Almost as much as last nite.

Til then!

7 comments:

Lindsay said...

While you can rip a cast-on edge, frogging the stitches is a bitch as you have to pull each out individually. I think it would be easier to just snip a row right below where you want the ribbing to start (at the top of the first pattern repeat), put the pattern stitches on a holder, and then frog down the cut-off piece to the top of the ribbing and sew the two pieces together.

If that makes sense? :)

~Tonia~ said...

Ouch! I think I would have to put it into time out for quite some time. All that work.

adrienne said...

Wow! The cardigan looks awesome in that colour! I hope you're able to get everything sorted out.

Abby said...

That's such a gorgeous color!

I second the snipping idea Lindsay had, I think that'd be much easier than ripping from the cast on edge.

Be fearless use scissors! ;-)

madonnaearth said...

I don't understand the part about fixing the sleeve, but I would say do whatever you need to do to the top of the sweater. Seam the underaarms and finish the top completely, then steek the bottom edge before the ribbing, pick up stitches, and reknit the bottom border in the round, using the ribbing instructions.

Unknown said...

I feel your pain; I know I have also made mistakes (the quilt makers of old always had an intentional mistake - this is the theory I use) although I am thinking that the orange cardi is really the issue. The baby sweater is so lovely and even if your sister can't use it for her little boy perhaps she will have a girl (or not)and she will certainly appreciate your effort. I love the cardi too and holy F what a dilemma. I have ripped back 10" on a sweater for Ed (no small feat) because I knew in the end it was the easier thing (I calculated my time on the ripping and re-knitting in order to assuage the anger I felt at making such a dumb mistake - a big ass boo boo in a major cable on the front of the sweater) and I could live with myself. I say take it out and start over - may not be popular but once you do it and start again, it is strangely cathartic. I know this is such a long response but you do such beautiful work and you need to be happy with the end result.

I also get the snipping and ripping and re-knitting and if anyone could do it you can. Good luck and I will be sending good knitterly thoughts your way!

kimchi said...

my knitting and fibery thoughts are with you and this misbehaving handknit! may you tame this unruly wip and show them who's the boss! (but in a nice non-karmic retribution way...) :o)

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