Tag: lifeline

How Do You Know When to Just Give Up?

My first instinct is to rip the whole thing out. I’m talking knitting here, and looking at a big mistake, or a very tough and time-consuming mistake to fix. Are you calm, cool and collected and simply get on with the fix? Or, like me do you see lots of unraveling ahead – like the entire thing? How about tossing the project (and all at the yarn to go along with it) into a container, covering it up and hiding it so you can forget about the blunder.

All these things crossed my mind as I looked at the mess that was supposed to be a buttonhole on the Cobblestone #2. Eventually, I did use an embroidery needle with light blue yarn and attempt a row pick up. I was not sure any of this would work, but I made the effort. It took a lot of time, which negated all the time it took me to knit about 4 rows that were then removed.

Big note here: The problem was all me, and not with the pattern. I’m doing a completely different type of buttonhole, rather than the super simple one in the pattern. I’ve knit this sweater before, and had no problems at all. It’s a great pattern.

Even the video for doing this buttonhole is excellent. (I decided to change the buttonhole from the one in the pattern to make it stronger.) The Horizontal Buttonhole video is by Suzanne Bryan, and can be found here. What I did was try to follow my notes instead of watching her video again. (I’d already successfully made one buttonhole by watching and knitting along). Live and learn. I can’t trust my notes.

fixing knitting mistakes by the row
Lifeline and ripping back in knitting

What really upset me the most is that I’d already had trouble counting my stitches. YES… I have learned that I CAN’T COUNT.

Is this sweater cursed? I’m wondering that too. The increase rows call for a lot of increases at once. It is easy to lose count. Also, I have changed the pattern and am doing stockinette and not garter. For that reason, I am making my increases differently. I did it all correctly (I realize that the RRI includes a knit stitch), but when it came to counting the 200+ stitches, I simply screwed up. Then I thought I needed more stitches, added them on the next row, and counted again… wait, now I have too many stitches! So, backwards I go, unknitting my unneeded fix.

My exasperated conclusion: Quit counting stitches. Assume I am knitting it correctly and just keep going. This is not really a good idea, and I know it, but at this point I am quite mad at myself and have lost all confidence in my counting abilities. It was not a good day.

This sweater could take a year to finish because every time I knit, I end up “tinking” my work! Deep breath. Glass-es of wine, and try again tomorrow.

What Does it Take to Completely Frog a Project?

I’ve only once become so frustrated with a sweater project that I completely gave up. I don’t regret it to this day. When the knitting becomes a dreaded chore, it’s time to quit.

I was not at that point with Cobblestone. I know it’s a great pattern because I’ve already knit it once without a problem! Also, I did successfully rip back those three rows. Yay me!

I did give up when knitting the Oxbow Cardigan by Andrea Mowry. I’d gotten a long way with both sleeves finished, and much of the body – see my photo. I’d had trouble with the patterning on the sleeves, but managed to figure that out. It was the body that did me in. Whenever I thought about knitting Oxbow, I would begin to stress. Maybe the thing was too advanced for me, but I hated the pattern. To this day, I have not been inclined to attempt a textured pattern cardigan.

Knitting the Oxbow cardigan sweater
Knitting progress on the Oxbow

The following day I was back knitting my blue, Cobblestone #2. All went well and there was no “tinking”. I even managed to make my second buttonhole without a problem (knit along with Suzanne’s video). Lessons learned.

Here is a link to the Cobblestone Cardigan by Jarod Flood (link goes to Ravelry).

knitting divider cat with needles

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First Attempt at Knitting Clotilde

I didn’t get far when I began the Clotilde Cardigan pattern, but it’s a good looking cardigan, and I’ll try knitting the pattern again.

My Experience With Using a Lifeline While Knitting

I knew nothing about lifelines in knitting until not long ago. I thought, “what a great idea”. Often I will not attempt a difficult pattern simply because I know I will mess it up eventually, and then what?

Now I know that I will not have to undo all my hard work and start over completely – if I do the lifeline correctly.

The Craftsy site has a page about using lifelines, but I have some other information to add.

First of all, choose a place where going back to pick up the stitches will actually work.

I’m not a very experienced knitter, but I am trying to get better by trying new and bigger projects. I ordered some beautiful “Spring Clover Green” fingering yarn from Miss Babs with the intention of making a rectangular shawl.

big skein of spring green yarn
“Spring Green” Katahdin fingering yarn from Miss Babs – Bluefaced Leicester Wool – 1750 yards

For this shawl project (which is a pattern mostly made up by me, and I will share at some point) I am following a diamond stitch pattern which goes on for 12 rows.  I decided to add a lifeline after the 12th row.

Sure enough, I messed up about 4 rows later, so I decided to go back – rip out stitches to the lifeline – and go from there.

NOT SO EASILY DONE…. The stitches at my lifeline row were so intertwined that I couldn’t follow the lifeline and pick up the stitches….!  I got a tiny crochet hook to try to pull the stitches into place and painstakingly edged my knitting needle along the row.  It took forever!  I nearly threw the entire project into the front yard. The cost of all that nice yarn stopped me…..

The row was such a mess I couldn’t continue the pattern from where I left off, so I did a couple rows of garter stitch and then added a new lifeline. Because this lifeline is on a continuous knit stitch, it should be easier to pick up the stitches if I have to go back.  I’ll move the lifeline up as I get further along in the project.

It messed up my pattern, but the diamond design will now be separated by a few rows of garter stitch.

Screen Shot 2018-06-02 at 12.24.36 PM
Darning needle with floss gets pulled through the stitches

Dental floss is one of the suggestions to use when creating a lifeline. Whatever you use it needs to be easy to see and easy to remove. And make a note as to where you placed the lifeline so you can continue the pattern accordingly.  On the first row above the lifeline simply ignore it and knit the row as the pattern says.  Leave it there until you get further along.  Pull out the floss or yarn and create a new lifeline.

Be sure the yarn or floss is long enough to hang out both ends of the needle so you don’t lose it while knitting.

adding a floss lifeline to my knitting
Pulling floss through my knit stitches to use as a lifeline

lifeline knitting
Be sure to pick up every stitch with that lifeline

Have some of these needle tip covers for to prevent stitches from slipping off. You’ll get a lot of use out of them, believe me.

Screen Shot 2018-06-02 at 12.24.29 PM
Use an end cap so the stitches don’t fall off

I have continued on with this pattern but I am still making mistakes. Since I plan to give this shawl to my daughter, or keep it for myself, I may keep going and see how it goes. I’ve put so much work into it already and I love the yarn color.  Once it is blocked, I think it will look pretty.  I have to learn about blocking.