Knitting And Unknitting

Deschain sweater, Kestrel yarn from Quince&Co.

I know. I know. You can't see a mistake on a galloping horse. That's what a lot of knitters say when they talk about mistakes they've made in their knitting. And I can agree...up to a point. Deciding when to correct a mistake, or to even start over is a purely personal decision. Let me share my thinking on this issue that is bound to crop up from time to time.

I haven't knitted much since the wedding shawl. For the most part, knitting has been in the background this summer. But I've had this yarn staring at me for nearly a year now. I bought it last fall while on our anniversary trip. I bought the yarn to make a summer sweater. I thought it would be nice to use the yarn before our anniversary comes around again. So I cast on a few days ago.

It's a pretty straight forward pattern. But I managed to make one mistake fairly quickly. Somewhere I was missing a stitch in the lace panel. I added a stitch in the next row to compensate and kept going. Then I did a wrong stitch at the very edge.

Then I discovered I was one stitch short AGAIN in that lace panel. Made another correction. But as I neared the end of the first skein of yarn I took a hard look at my knitting. I tried to tell myself it was okay. No one would notice. And I figured out where I had made my mistake. Twice. So I wasn't likely to do that again. (See the circled stitch on the pattern in the top photo?)

I set it down and went to bed still thinking about it. The next morning, before my coffee, I decided that I could see the mistakes and I was never going to be happy with this. Then I pulled it all out and rolled it back into a ball. Doing it before my coffee was the key. Quick action. Less thinking. Like ripping off a bandaid.

I erased my check sheet of rows and cast on again. Then I had my coffee. And more coffee. And then I  started over, with a clearer understanding of the pattern.

During the afternoon I knitted this again. No mistakes this time. I marked the spot where I had left out a stitch both times to remind me not to skip it. (How did I not read that in the beginning???) Hopefully it's smooth sailing from here to the end.

Here's my thinking on correcting mistakes and ripping out and starting over:

1. The most important factor is "will this bother me forever?" Doesn't matter if no one else will notice the mistake. If it really bothers you, admit it. Be honest. You'll never enjoy your hand knit if that mistake annoys you. 

2. Many mistakes are easily fixed if you see them soon enough. Best knitting advice I ever got is "Stop often and admire your work." Spread it out and give it a look over. It's easier to make a correction if you see it before you are six inches past it. If I had realized that I had skipped a yarn-over when I did the next row, it would have been an easy fix. It would have been an actual correction—and not a compensating added stitch.

3. Think about where the mistake is. My wrong stitch on the edge wasn't a big deal. It was going to be under my arm when I wear the sweater. Truly no one would see that one. Not one I would have bothered to fix.

4. But if the mistakes fall front and center, it might be time for drastic action. My missed yarn-overs were right in the front in the most noticeable spot of the sweater, close to the neckline. And I had TWO mistakes in that area. 

5. How much have will have to be ripped out? I had knitted less than 50 grams of yarn, so it was not so painful to pull out a few rows. 33 rows to be exact. Rows less than 100 stitches. That was not the end of the earth to undo. I decided that starting over would be faster for me than trying to drop down stitches and make corrections.

Again, be honest with yourself. My mistakes weren't going to affect the fit, so I could have kept going. (And the front would be done now.) You might be fine with forging ahead. I am much happier now that I pulled it all out and started over.

There are many mistakes that can be corrected fairly simply without ripping back rows and rows. If you don't know how to pick up a dropped stitch, change a purl to a knit, or add a missing yarn over, find a class on "fixing your mistakes." Or, look it up online. Not all mistakes can be fixed quickly (like mine this time), but any knitter needs to know these skills. It's well worth your time to learn.

PS...I let this post "rest" for a few days before I posted. And I let the sweater rest, too. Picked it up yesterday and worked a few more rows. And darn, if I didn't do the edge stitch wrong again on a couple of rows. Realized it a few rows later. THOSE mistakes are staying! They will be caught in the seam and it was too much to rip out again. See? I told you that to rip or not is a personal decision. And it might be different each time. It all depends.

Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn, Size 5 needles.

In the knitting success category, here is another sweet baby hat, knitted for a new granddaughter of a friend. As long as babies keep coming, I'll keep making these.

For newborn size, use DK yarn and size 5 or 6 16-inch circular needles. Switch to DPNs when necessary as you decrease.

Cast on 72 stitches. Knit for 5 to 5-1/4 inches. Begin decreases:
K2tog, k6
K2tog, k5
K2tog, k4, etc.
When there are 5 stitches left on needles, work i-cord for about 6 rows. Last row, work two k2tog and k1 to have 3 stitches left. Cut yarn and with a yarn needle, run tail through those 3 stitches. Take yarn down through inside of stem and work in end.