and I knew I was approaching the length I wanted to the armhole. So I slipped all the stitches to a longer circular needle and tried it on.
Eek.
I was significantly larger than I had planned. There was an extra 4 inches circumference at the bust - and that just wasn't the look I was aiming for.
So I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled the thing off the needles.
This takes courage.
I coach students on this all the time... if you're going to hate the result, if it's not going to fit, if it's not going to be what you want - ultimately, if you're never going to wear it - then it's not worth finishing. You should have the courage of your convictions to start over again.
But that doesn't mean it's easy or fun.
There's a secondary lesson here - it's always a good idea to check your progress as you're going. Measure the piece once in a while to make sure it's actually the size (and indeed shape) it's supposed to be. If I'd checked earlier, I could have saved myself some time.
Still, I'd rather have spent the extra time to get the garment I want.
So with fewer stitches, I'm making faster progress, and am well on my way to completing this thing.
(Add to list of things that make for difficult and boring photography: black mohair knitting projects in progress.)
1 comment:
I had to do that with a stocking I made for my son right before Christmas. I wasn't really using a pattern, just going by eye and a basic technique for toe-up socks. By the time I got to the heel it was looking pretty big. By the time I got past the heel, it was going to be HUUUUUGE. I decided there was no other option than to rip it out and start over. My husband was horrified, but it had to be done. And the second one turned out great, and much quicker than the monster stocking.
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