Smack Down
I rarely, if ever, knit a pattern exactly as it’s written. Although the alterations I make are not mapped out in intricate detail, I usually have some idea of where I’m headed based on my experiences with past projects. I’ve luckily managed to avoid the frog pond, even when I’ve designed large, lace shawls completely from scratch.
Yesterday, my luck ran out.
I’ve been working on a shoulder shawl design using Judy’s lovely yarns. I decided to try a shape I’ve never played with before: a bottom-up crescent. I had a good idea of the rate and placement of the decreases to get the correct shaping and, voila, the prototype turned out perfect.
For the final version, I had the not-so-clever idea to fool with the placement of the eyelets in the upper portion of the shawl. Tossing aside any remnants of good sense, I plowed ahead with my ill-fated scheme, not stopping to knit even a tiny sample swatch.
To my credit, when I was about halfway through I knew it wasn’t going to work. But, hope mixed with denial is a powerful motivator. So I knit on.
Of course it didn’t work.
Instead of a lovely crescent shape, I have a strange hybrid: crescent on the bottom and inverted triangle on the top. It actually looks very interesting when it’s set out flat–a little like an aerial view of a bird with its wings spread–but it doesn’t sit nicely on the shoulders.
I haven’t frogged it just yet. Perhaps I need to drown my sorrow with some yarn purchases first. Or, maybe I should just sit quietly in the corner and admire the skein of fingering-weight singles I spun from Anne’s lovely merino roving in the Silk Road colorway.
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22 comments Susan | designing, knitting, lace, shawls, spinning
I love silk road!
Silk Road is gorgeous. At least you did a nice job of spinning.
What shawl do you have in mind for it?
Y’know, even your ‘failure’ looks pretty darn cool! is it possible to tweak with what you’ve created so it sits on the shoulders better but retains the interesting shape? I’ve never done shoulder shaping on a shawl before so I couldn’t really offer any brilliant ideas in that regard, but it would be awesome if it could be managed!
I love the way that looks! I like the idea of a fairly weightless bit of color in warmer weather. Are you going to publish the “pre-tweaked” pattern?
Well, at least you tried! And the Silk Road yarn? Gorgeous.
That’s a shame. It looks like a great design. Do you think you’ll be able to come up with a solution?
Love the start of it! I’ll be watching to see what transpires!
Hope mixed with denial has been my road to ripping too many times! Looks like an approach with great potential, however.
Well, I guess that wasn’t the final version after all, was it? I love the prototype though. Love.
I dig the Silk Road yarn.
You will figure the shawl out.
Is it any consolation that you knit quickly, and it represents a finite number of hours that will be frogged?
Love the singles…really good yarn pr0n.
I love the shape and the color. If you near the finish, and still do not like it, I’d love to but it. seriously.
J
I’m sorry about the shawl troubles. It certainly looks lovely in the photos!
Is it Faroese that has that shaping? You may be onto something
I think the edging is lovely. Can’t wait to see how it ends up.
Well, the shawl is lovely, even if it doesn’t sit well. I think the sitting quietly would help – but only if you have chocolate there with you! 8-). Seriously, I am so in awe of people who design. Anything! I don’t think I could design even a pair of regular old stockinette stitch socks! I just didn’t get the gene….8-/ I didn’t get the roller coaster gene, or the good housekeeper one, either.
Keep up the good work, even if it does get a little froggy. You do good!!!
Linda
Well, sitting quietly admiring that spinning should be a real joy – the colors and yarn are both luscious.
And yeah, that hope/denial cocktail can lead to some real hangovers, eh?
Awwh, darn! It was a good beginning, so you learned a lot… the color is too beautiful to neglect though, so I am betting you will transform this into a beautiful butterfly soon.
it is always a disappointment when your knitting does not work out. drives me buggy sometimes I love the handspun you did very nice.
ouch. I love the prototype. Back to plan ‘A’.
that’s some lovely spinning, friend
Perhaps you want to reconsider casting off with a looser touch?
I think it should look great with a lapel pin.
Might as well admit that ravelry has replaced my blog… lol
I like the looks of the prototype shawl, especially the bottom. I hope you get the top worked out in a way that works to sit on the shoulders. Let me know if you want me to “whisper” the pattern.