Dumb thing I did

bip · 05-23-2007, 02:28 PM

I am making this very cool lace baby blanket [img=http://arabianknitsfree.blogspot.com...y-blanket.html] for my condo manager's wife. It is a really fun pattern, but at first I would goof up on almost every row ... realize it at the end and have to unknit back to my goof.

Yesterday, I was on the second repeat of the pattern and finally feeling like I'd gotten the hang of it when I suddenly had only 120 sts, not the 121 I should have had. The mistake went back many many rows, like maybe 6. I vaguely remember being a st short at some point and but then getting distracted, forgetting to figure it out and continuing. It LOOKED fine, but was not going to be fine.

So I frogged oh so many rows, and found my way back to 121 sts. But then I couldn't figure out what row I was on. I was counting 23, but that would mean I was on one part of the pattern when I could clearly tell by my sts that I was on another. So I undid another few rows but same problem.

So I ended up frogging the whole thing. As I was casting on again, I realized that I had forgotten to consider the 8 rows of garter that were before the pattern rows. ARGH!!! I gave up on like 20 rows that were TOTALLY FINE. Plus all that time and frustration trying to figure out "my mistake". Argh.

The only silver lining I can see - and this is a huge stretch - is that I am able to frog back rows of lace, something I couldn't do a year ago when I was knitting lacy things. Granted, this is a pretty easy lace to frog, but still, I think there is some indication of progress here. Despite my dopeyness.

KnittingNat · 05-23-2007, 07:33 PM

Don't consider it a dumb thing, but striving for perfection

What i usually do is thoroughly examine the pattern and then starting, and always checking number of stitches...
Make sure to show us the FO!

bip · 05-23-2007, 07:35 PM

But I HAD perfection, I just didn't realize it! Frogging w/o an actual mistake just seems so depressing.

kellyh57 · 05-23-2007, 07:40 PM

Hey, I'm making that exact same blanket for a friend! I copied the text to a notepad so I could print out just 1-2 pages instead of the 5-6 that it was with all the other pictures and stuff on it. I got started on it, did a couple of rows and realized that I forgot the 1st part of the pattern- the bottom (all blocks) portion- and started in the middle. I had to frog only like 3 or 4 rows, but it was still pretty annoying! I did figure out after I had done 2 of the "row 1" patterns that I was doing SSK wrong and my blocks weren't tiltling too. I was too frustrated with already frogging it once so I just let it go. I seem to have a bunch of trouble with frogging and picking back up when I have the 2 stitches combined if that makes sense....

Kelly

RuthK · 05-23-2007, 07:53 PM

How frustrating!

I tried to do that same blanket last year, but got distracted and next thing I knew, the baby grew up! I couldn't stand to frog it, so I bound it off and now my daughter uses it as a scarf.

Momto G B and H · 05-23-2007, 08:29 PM

Here's a picture of mine completed. I used Red Heart Baby Econo in Snuggly. Not my favorite, nor the softest, but the receiver loved it!

Momto G B and H · 05-23-2007, 08:31 PM

Forgot to add, I added more rows to the pattern as I was using a sport weight yarn and not worsted. It ended up with a large rectangle in the center instead of a square.

pss56 · 05-23-2007, 11:33 PM

I can totally feel your pain. I don't know for sure how many times I frogged one of my recent projects. I had never done cable before and decided to do a hat, mittens, scarf set. I started with the scarf and it went very well

, BUT the mittens and hat were another story. But, alas, I persevered and finally finished the set. However, I noticed as I was in the finishing stages of the hat that I had done the crown wrong. I did however, leave it, after starting over at least 7 times

, I was DONE!! It did turn out pretty nice even with the errored crown and my daughter-in-law loved it and my son asked me to make him a hat like it in a different color for him

!

nancydee · 05-24-2007, 04:04 AM

Hi to everyone who is posting about the tilting block pattern:

When I first read a post about someone who was going to make this blanket, I almost posted a comment but didn't -- I began that blanket probably a year ago. I think it is a very pretty pattern, but I found it to be quite tedious! I was about 2/3 finished and decided to put it away for a while. Well, after reading your post, I got it out again and began again. (So, thank you, it inspired me to try to finish). I am a little more comfortable with it now, but I couldn't find my notes of where I had left off, so I did the best I could and continued from where I thought I was. It certainly is not perfect, but I just have to make myself finish it. It will be okay, very soft and a nice rose color of Simply Soft. I don't know if I will do it again. Anyway, I love the colors of the blanket that was just posted. It really looks wonderful and very well done!!

nancydee

noejusti · 05-24-2007, 07:43 AM

I am so sorry you had to frog that blanket. My only suggestion is to run a lifeline (I use sewing thread) in the work when you get to a stable row. I usually do it on an even row (or a multiple of 10 or 20), that way if you have to frog, you can frog down to the lifeline and you only have to load up your needle from that point and you will know what row you needed to start with from that point on. Ever since I started lifelines, I've never had to completely frog a piece of work.

Good luck.

v.