Knotty Nancys

The journey of this hobby has been fun for the most part. At times, there are monotonous parts of patterns that just repeat the same stitches over and over without variation.  For entirely different reasons, I have become completely frustrated with one project based on confusing directions and numerous errors. I've taken out sections of the sweater now FOUR times. That is a pretty bad feeling - seeing all the work you've done be undone far faster then you created it, and hoping that you can get the stitches back on the needle. It's a scary thing. But regardless of how how I tried to correct prior errors each time I started over, I somehow came to new issues each time. Today, I was asked if I wanted to consider abandoning the project altogether, at least using that pattern, and start afresh. This was something I hadn't wanted to even consider. But I guess I was at my wits end. It was time to 'frog' the project. I wish it was that easy to finally give up on thin...

There is a rush of adrenaline with that last step. As if you have in fact run a marathon, sewing together the last seam on a project now completed. There is something that I can show for the hours of work I've put in and the lessons I've put to use. I took knitting classes years ago with friends and if I remember correctly, we all chose the same pattern to learn on. It was a raglan roll-kneck children's sweater, a la JCrew. I made mine in a navy blue, no recipient in mind necessarily. That turned out to be a blessing the project was put down and never picked up again once I got to the point where I needed to sew the seams together. I admit that I was intimidated by that last step. It was something new that I had not learned before. My approach to knitting and my classes in general now are the complete opposite. I purposefully selecting projects that include skills that I believe need strengthening so. I don't expect we can all known or learn everything, but if we can at...