Knot a Total Loss

It's All Wordy Bit This Time:

I've mentioned before that we celebrate failure, and that's true...to a point. No one in my family sets out to fail, but when we do, as long as we can learn from it, we celebrate it. There's no shame or harm in failing, as long as you learn from it. This was my first big "failure" in crochet, and I learned a good bit. Looks quite innocuous, doesn't it?


I was attempting to do what the fine folks at Daisy Farm Crafts have perfected: the plaid or gingham blanket. I followed their formula: a set number of stitches and rows per color, the griddle stitch (alternating a single crochet and a double crochet), and three colors that blend. I even carried my yarn through (for the first time). And that proved my downfall. 

I have a habit of watching television while I crochet, and sometimes that can alter my tension. I was watching something particularly suspenseful for a portion of this blanket, and my tension increased, and I was also pulling my carried yarn through too tight. I wasn't stopping and admiring my work, either, so I had no idea what was wrong until I was about to start on the border. That's when I laid it out flat for the first time.


Oh, dear...see what happened? The tension changes, pulling the yarn too tight through, and not checking my work became a wonky mess. And, unfortunately, the symphony of mess ups means blocking it won't fix it. There's not enough stretch in the yarn for that. And if you're thinking, "Hey, that's not too bad"...look what happens when it's folded in half.


Whew...not good. Not horrible, mind you, but not good. I haven't come back around to a project like this again yet, but I will. I was just mentioning to my husband that we need some warmer throw blankets, and this is warm! It's just not very attractive, and I know I can do better. And bigger. I have to remember that my husband is quite tall and needs more than the standard sized throw. It's quite comical to see him barely cover just his legs with one, though..

So, here are the major lessons this project has taught me:
1. Be mindful of maintaining tension.
2. Don't carry through so tightly (it's okay to see the yarn peeking through).
3. Pause every so often and admire your work in full. Stretch it out, lay it out, and give it a good look over. 
4. Not every project is going to go perfectly--and that's okay.

I'll revisit this project next year (maybe with a different color scheme) and try again. When we fail, we learn, and I never want to stop learning. I'll keep you updated on how it goes, and don't hesitate to mention some of your failures in the comments and what they taught you. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ooey-Gooey Caramel Apple Pie

Image
  All You Need: Apple Filling 4-6 medium apples (I use 5-6 Rome apples, because that's what we picked at the orchard) 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 cup white, granulated sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1/4 teaspoon cloves 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour Pie Crust I rarely make my own. I use a pre-made store-bought favorite. But feel free to make your own. Make enough to line the bottom of a deep dish 9 inch pie plate. Streusel Topping 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, slightly softened Oven Deep dish 9-inch pie plate 2 mixing bowls (a large one for the apples and a medium one for the topping) Chef's knife and cutting board What You Do: First things first, preheat your oven to 425°. Core and slice the apples to about 1/8 - 1/4 inch thick. You can peel them, if you like. I don't. Partly because I'm lazy and partly because I think it helps them retain the...
Read more

Super Easy No Churn Strawberry Ice Cream

Image
All You Need: 1 1/2 - 2 lbs strawberries, fresh or frozen (hulled and halved) 1-2 Tablespoons white, granulated sugar 2 cups heavy whipping cream 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened, Condensed Milk 1-2 teaspoons vanilla some sort of storage container, 7 cup capacity freezer food processor or blender a hand or stand mixer helps, too What You Do: First things first, we need to heighten the flavor of the strawberries while also removing the majority of the water from them. I do this in a two-step process:  I started by mixing my strawberries (I've used fresh and frozen) with sugar and placing them in the fridge to macerate. With fresh strawberries, this process can take 8-12 hours (or up to 24). With frozen strawberries, you're also wanting them to thaw, so it's best to give them a full 24 hours.  After they have sat in sugar for 24 hours, drain them as much as possible. But do not rinse them! And blend them in a food processor or with a blender. I have blended them...
Read more

My How the Time Flew!

Image
 The Wordy Bit I accidentally took over a month off! How did that happen?? Well, to be perfectly honest, I do know how it happened. Here at our house, it has been a summer full of gardening, cooking, baking, prepping, teen drama, and toddler drama. Not to mention, the Mr. is still working from home, and that can impact the daily flow. As such, the daily flow now looks nothing like it did this time last year. I also can't decide which I prefer: then or now. I truly enjoy having him around more, but our little is still having difficulty grasping the fact that Daddy needs to work. I'm hoping that starting preschool in a few weeks will keep her busy enough to even her out a bit.  That's right, I said preschool. I've been stocking up on supplies, and I even purchased a curriculum (The Homegrown Preschooler). I like the fact that it is all hands-on and craft-based. I even like that there are opportunities to include faith-based learning (I swapped their stuff out for my stuff...
Read more