Feeling discouraged...

[Crycket]

Has anyone felt discouraged because what you knit doesn't look like the picture.

There is always an imperfect seem, or thread hanging out somewhere. Imperfect tension or just something that makes you feel like your knitting is substandard?

I just finished knitting one panel of a lace curtain for my kitchen. It looks great! However, once I had it out on the blocking boards, I noticed two spots where I had misplaced a yarn over. Of course that did not disturb my knitting. It was simply a Yarn over in the wrong spot.

Now blocking, I am not going to take it back! But it bothers me. I would consider myself an experienced knitter. I just feel a bit discouraged that I am still making silly errors.

I duplicate stitched over my spare holes, and pinned open two new ones where the yarn overs should have been...but I know they are there....no one else will notice, but I know they are there...

*sigh*...

Anyone commiserate with me today?

[Sunshine's Mom]

You know, I do this to myself all the time too. Finish something grand and then see mistakes that tick me off something fierce. My sister told me that I should just treat the mistakes as my own personal flair so that I know the piece is mine and I could pick it out of a line up.

That's what I try to think of them as now. I know I'm going to make mistakes. I accept them. As long as it's not something that will make the piece look awful, I'm good with it.

[blueygh2]

It's unavoidable to make mistakes. I just ignore them, and pretend it's meant to be that way, should someone ever notice it or ask about it. :D

[Jan in CA]

Remember that you don't know how many times the designer had to knit, frog, knit, scream, frog, etc...before she finally got it right.

It's really almost impossible to knit something exactly like the pattern even if you use use same yarn, get gauge, etc. Everyone's tension and level of learning is different.

I'm sure they look beautiful!

[Ronda]

Believe it or not, I haven't liked one thing I've ever knitted! People tell me they like my finished piece, and some of them have even asked to keep them. I'm just a perfectionist and never like a darn thing I make. I really enjoy the process of knitting though. I love everything about it...except *my* FO.

[saracidaltendencies]

I can totally understand how you feel, but, unless it's a huge mistake that absolutely must be corrected, I wouldn't worry about it. It sucks that you know it is there but most likely, most everyone else won't notice.

I'm working on a sweater for my dad and I'm almost finished with the front...I just decreased for the armholes and I happened to see I made a mistake at the beginning...Not a huge mistake, but a mistake...The pattern is k5, p1 on RS and I accidentally knit the purl. Not a glaring mistake definitely but my eye goes right to it now that I found it. But, there's no way in hell I'm ripping it all out!! I'd be better off just starting over and that is sooo not happening. So, I have decided that it's fine how it is and it makes the sweater one of a kind...lol

[AngelaR]

I have moments where I beat myself up, but I always consider my mistakes "customization".

[Woodi]

I actually don't mind knitted items with mistakes in them....it sort of makes them look endearing. If they had been factory-made, you wouldn't think about a human being and their daily, persistent efforts to make each stitch.
I read somewhere that the Mennonites, when quilting, deliberately put in a mistake somewhere - "so as not to compete with God for perfection".

[lissaplus2]

I read somewhere that the Mennonites, when quilting, deliberately put in a mistake somewhere - "so as not to compete with God for perfection".

Thats interesting!

[Jan in CA]

I read somewhere that the Mennonites, when quilting, deliberately put in a mistake somewhere - "so as not to compete with God for perfection".

I've heard this in relation to Persian Rugs.