Sunday 29 January 2012

A drastic decision


This morning a made a big decision. My very first project from the list, that I first cast on way back in the summer when we started this Year of Projects, has been frogged.

Easy Lace Stole by Arlene's World of Lace

It's a great beginner's lace pattern. I learned a lot from it, when I first started knitting it. But my God, it was dull to work on. I had no idea what I would use the finished project for. I don't need more scarves!

Then we had the drama of the yarn snapping on me mid row.

My worst nightmare

The first time wasn't too disastrous. With the help of friends, we got the yarn rejoined and the stitches picked up and me back on track. When it snapped again a couple of rows later, I put the project on the naughty step and hadn't looked at it since.

This morning I realised it was never coming out of hibernation, so I made the decision to frog it and use the yarn for something else.


So with Jamie's help, we ripped out the knitting and wound the yarn back into a hank on my swift. Because it had already snapped, this single skein of yarn is now in two pieces. One is still neatly sitting in the centre pull cake I had wound the skein into, and the yarn we've unknit is now a separate hank, ready for a soak to relax the kinks.


I am not sure what I'm going to do with the yarn now. I may give Ishbel a go. Mostly, I am unsure that I like knitting with laceweight yarn. I didn't so much mind crocheting with it, so if I don't get on so well with Ishbel I may abandon all plans to knit it and do something crocheted instead.

17 comments:

  1. That's a very brave decision. I hope whatever you decide to knit it into next is more successful than this!

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  2. I love the colour of this yarn and I think if you weren't happy with the project then you were right to frog it and use the yarn for something else.

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  3. Sounds reasonable.  I think frogging is always better than leaving a WIP to sit for years :).

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  4. I'm not sure that I would have had the nerve to frog something that large. Whenever I realize a pattern is not working out I usually stuff it in a bag and refuse to look at it anymore. Naturally that doesn't work out great. The yarn looks like it is still in pretty good shape, good luck!

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  5. A little bit sheepish29 January 2012 at 15:36

    Sounds like a good decision, and now you have some pretty yarn to play with. If laceweight does not float your boat you can hold two strands together to make a heavier weight pattern

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  6. Sounds like the right call to me.  Plus, any piece of knitting that behaves that badly really doesn't want to be knit into anything at all.

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  7. How liberating! Good for you :) I am sure that yarn will live again as something beautiful. The skills that you gained will stay with you, regardless of whether you finish a project or not.

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  8. How horrible that it snaps; how annoying.  If you have to frog to make something you're having fun knitting or crocheting up, why not?

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  9. I'd be bored senseless, and if you don't love it, then frogging was absolutely the right decision. I'd put the yarn aside until the right project suggests itself to you. On to more fun things!

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  10. Sometimes frogging it is just what the doctor ordered... maybe Ishbel will be beautiful with it... maybe something else will speak to you... either way... I do think you made the right decision ;)

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  11. While it may have been a drastic decision, it seems to be one that will make you the happiest!  And look at all that beautiful yarn just waiting to become something new.
    *smiles*

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  12. Sounds like you made the right choice to me, the yarn colour is gorgeous, I've started making the (crocheted) festival shawl which is a lovely pattern and very quick yo make, I'm doing it with four ply which seems to work well....how does lace weight match up to that, is it thinner?

    I think I would go to pieces if my yarn snapped mid knitting!

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  13. Good idea to frog it. If it was boring and on the naughty step as well then you made the right call! I came to the conclusion a little while ago that I don't like laceweight all that much, so my suggestion would be to leave it to its own devices for a little while until you know just what you want to do with it

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  14. Sometimes it is a good idea to frog it, as you can use that wool for something else that is pretty and more fun to do. Hope you come up with a good project for it :)

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  15. Sometimes frogging is the best decision. At least you can use the yarn for something else :)

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  16. A difficult but pragmatic choice. And you're getting more bang for your buck from the yarn!

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  17. I have to say, sometimes it's really cathartic to frog something that you know is never going to be finished!

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