To Fix or Not to Fix
everybody makes mistakes…
First, big thanks to all of you who joined me in celebrating the second anniversary of A Good Yarn by becoming a paid subscriber in the past week. Your encouragement and financial support are a demonstration of how much you value the information and ideas I share each week. I’ll keep working to earn the confidence you’ve shown.
And if you have not yet become a paid subscriber, you haven’t missed out. the anniversary deal is valid until December 1. Show your support and save 20% on a new annual paid subscription by clicking the button below.
Oops
You’ve seen the cowl in these photos before. It’s a design in progress, knit with Homegrown Fingering yarn from my friends at WoolTribe. The pattern is a 32-row repeat, with stripes of stockinette stitch, moss stitch, and garter ridges. I’ve just started the fourth repeat of the pattern.
Earlier this week, I noticed I had made a mistake. Can you spot it?
No, it’s not the little jog in the stripes that happens at the beginning of the round. That’s not a mistake; it’s just the nature of circular knitting. I’m talking about an actual error in the execution of the stitch pattern.
Here, I’ll zoom in and point out the error.
A garter ridge is supposed to occur before each stripe of moss stitch. To make that ridge distinct, a plain knit round must follow the purl round to separate the ridge. Without that knit round, the ridge blends in with the moss stitch. I left out that knit round.
I’ve Decided to Let it Go
Will this error impact the warmth or wearability of this cowl? Of course not. Will the error detract from the beauty of the finished piece? I don’t think so. I’m guessing most people won’t notice that missing round, even if they examine the piece closely. When it’s in use, scrunched up around the wearer’s neck, it will be even less apparent.
The thing that draws my eye to a mistake is a disruption in the visual rhythm of the fabric. Something will just look off. It might take a minute to identify the problem, but my gut tells me it’s just not right. It may be a single mis-crossed cable in an allover pattern, a misalignment of motifs in a colorwork pattern, or a stripe with an extra row or two. Once I’ve seen this sort of problem, I can’t unsee it. These are the sorts of errors I am compelled to fix. But this missing knit round does not draw my attention in that way.
If I had seen the error while I was knitting that round or while knitting the first round of the moss stitch stripe, I would have backed up and fixed it. But I didn’t see it until the mistake was twelve rounds in the past. To rip back and re-knit would have cost me three hours.
The Key to Getting Away With Knitting Mistakes
I have a high tolerance for small mistakes in my knitting. If the error doesn’t impact the wearability of the piece and doesn’t draw my eye, I’m not going to fret about it. And I’m not going to point out the mistake to anyone (except you, here, now).
I can’t tell you how often I’ve complimented a knitter on their sweater or other project only to have them say, “I messed up over here; let me show you.” Then they go to great pains to point out the twisted stitch or whatever. Almost always, it’s something I never would have noticed if they had not pointed it out. And if I had noticed, I wouldn’t have been so rude as to mention it.
Why do we feel compelled to point out our mistakes? Are we trying to demonstrate modesty by deflecting the compliment? Why can’t we just smile and say, “thank you!”?
Perhaps people feel compelled to point out their mistakes to me because they know I’m a professional knitter. Maybe they suspect I’m mentally cataloging their errors, and they want to let me know they are aware of the mistakes. They judge themselves to beat me to the punch. I assure you, I’m not looking that closely.
If I were the Emily Post of knitting etiquette, here is what I’d propose:
Always view other people’s projects with kindness and generosity
Refrain from critiquing someone else’s knitting unless they have specifically asked you to do so
If you see a mistake, do not mention it unless it is something that can be easily corrected on the spot
Never argue with a compliment. Just smile and say, “thank you!”
What do you think? How do you decide whether to fix an error or let it go? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
In Other Knitting News
I’m working my way down the body of my holiday sweater. About 4 inches more in the snow flurry pattern, then the rolled hem, then on to the sleeves. This project is still making me feel pleased with myself.
Today’s book recommendation will be brief. I listened to The Wilderness by Angela Flournoy last week and I loved it.
This novel is an insightful character study of four women through the lens of their thirty-year friendship. With both humor and deep compassion, Flournoy captures the tenderness and betrayals, the ebbs and flows of relationships between women. I’m glad I read this book.
Things that caught my eye…
I stumbled across In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon on Prime video, and I was enthralled. It’s both a chronicle of his musical career and a close look at an artist who, at age 84, is still compelled toward creative exploration. If, like me, you still sing along when you hear, “Just slip out the back, Jack. Make a new plan, Stan.” and you still dance through the house while listening to “Graceland”, you won’t want to miss this.
Most sheep farmers keep only a few rams to impregnate many ewes. A farmer in Germany and a fashion designer in Los Angeles have banded together to save “male-oriented rams”, who refuse to breed, from slaughter. One thing the story got wrong: a person quoted in the story says, “When female sheep get pregnant, they stop growing wool”. This is not true. Wool growth can slow, especially late in pregnancy, but it does not stop.
I appreciate
’s clear-eyed analysis of consumer culture. In this week’s Pattern Recognition newsletter, she looks at the collective insanity that is Black Friday.
As always, I’m grateful for your time, attention, and support. Don’t forget to take advantage of the anniversary discount on new paid subscriptions, good through December 1.
Continue the conversation—How comfortable are you with leaving errors in your knitting? Do you point them out to people? I look forward to reading your thoughts in the comments.
I like the notion of, “if you can’t see it from a galloping horse, leave it.” I’ve always thought this to be a funny quote and though I usually fix a mistake if it bothers me, I have left a few. And I stopped pointing out my knitting mistakes unless I’m in a conversation with another knitter who might know a fix.
I would never point out mistakes, but I am very guilty of pointing out my own when someone compliments something I have made.
Why are we so hard on ourselves?
I am at the advanced beginner stage, completely self-taught using books and YouTube videos, and making many mistakes. I have learned so much about knitting and mistakes:
1) Wine and knitting do not go together.
2) Don't knit when I am tired.
3) Do a practice swatch of a challenging stitch (looking at you Brioche)
4) Check each completed row before moving forward (I hope someday to eliminate this.)
5) Train those around me with a hand signal to not talk while I am counting.
6) My local knitting group is too chatty for me.
Thank you for sharing your perspective!