Mistakes

I taught my friend, Jenn, to knit last month. I didn't really want to as I thought it would be very difficult. Jenn is, well, uh hard to describe but I thought she'd knit very, very tightly and it's always hard to teach people to loosen their death grips on the needles. I was in for a big surprise, however, because Jenn learned quickly and does not knit tightly at all. She's not very adventurous yet but she has finished a nice scarf and has started a second one.

Jenn was telling me that my knitting philsophy is very different from our friend, Jane's. Jane believes that mistakes in knitting give the piece character, make it "unique". I, on the other hand, examine every mistake to decide whether or not I can live with it. Most of the time I can't live with the mistake and I have to fix it.

This morning I finished the second repeat on the leg of my second Columbine Peak sock. I messed up somewhere and while I could "fix" it I knew it would never look right. In fact, I wasn't happy with much of the sock. Now I hate to frog. Really, really hate it but I ripped back all the way to the ribbing. Then I let the sock rest for the day while I worked on my Irish Hiking Scarf. I sat down tonight and the pattern just flowed. Everything just felt better and looks better. I'm just about done the second repeat now.

How do you feel about mistakes in your knitting? Do you think they add character or will it drive you crazy just knowing it's there?