One WIP down. . . to the frog pond

I think I have to frog this:



This is one of the "risks" I took, and I took it with the understanding that it may not work out. It's not working out.

Two things are going on here that I don't like. One, I seem to have lost count in the pattern a couple of times, and ended up with an extra stitch (or not enough stitches) at the end of the row. Not that I added or decreased a stitch -- I just lost myself in the pattern (for example, the purl rows are something like P11, P2tog, and I think sometimes I've P10 or P12 instead. . . ). I let it go, but once I found myself “letting it go” about five times, I realized, “okay, you don’t just ‘let’ your mistakes go hoping nobody will notice or that it will look like a ‘design element’. This is beyond this – this is being sloppy and lazy!”. I don't know if y'all would use a lifeline in something like this -- I know people use lifelines for lace shawls all the time, and I think I understand what they are -- you thread a contrasting piece of yarn or thread through the live stitches, so when/if you have to frog back, you don't lose everything, right? Because tinking back lace is a big PITA. I also think I could avoid this by putting in stitch markers after each pattern repeat, which will help me keep count. I have to do that when casting on -- I put a stitch marker in every 20 stitches, so I don't have to go back and recount everything to make sure I've cast on the 56, 64, 72, or however many stitches I am casting on.

The second thing I don't like is that this garment has no shaping. It's just a straight up and down shell. Okay, I knew that when I started out, after all, it is a sixties pattern, but I thought maybe the openness of the lace would make it acceptable and I could get a tank top or camisole that matches to wear under it. Now that I've thought of that, do you know that I have not seen a single tank top or camisole that is jade? Not even Chadwick's, which has camis in almost every color imaginable, is carrying them in jade. There are too many clothes out there on the racks that require one to buy even more clothes in order to wear them (has anyone else noticed that trend? Or am I just paranoid in thinking that the fashion industry has gotten way pushier as to what is needed to put together a “look”? Don’t even get me started on how some fashion companies obviously get their inspiration from Craftster.) But, I digress.

So, there lies my reasoning behind the frogging-to-be. I hate frogging, as it makes me feel like such a failure. I think that even the best designers have to frog their designs a few times before they are successful. They just don’t blog about it, leaving us to think they are perfect. Or that’s what I tell myself.

I don’t think I am 100% “done” with this pattern, as I really like the basic stitch pattern here. I’m thinking of trying something with a solid stockinette top with the stitch pattern on the bottom. I just have to figure out how to shape it. I know there is a pattern out there that is similar; I just have to remember which one it is and find it. So, it won’t be an “original design”, but will be “inspired” by other patterns. You know, like the 2006 release of “The Wicker Man” was “inspired” by the original film, changing enough stuff in the movie that they really should have just given it a completely different title and not dragged the original down with it. But I digress (again).

I got used to the yarn – at first I thought the bamboo felt a bit stiff and icky, but after washing and blocking my swatch, I see how awesome it can be. Everyone says it blooms and drapes wonderfully, and they are right.



I also finished my basket weave rib sock.



I started the second one, and am now two and a half repeats into the leg of it, but I won’t bore you with a photo of that because it will look a lot like this. No need to take the same picture twice, is there?




(Yes, that is the same picture twice -- first with flash, then without. Because I am obsessed with Ken.)

I also got an RAK in the mail today.



I have no idea who sent me this polymer cat pendant from Etsy, but I love it! Thank you! I think I'll wear it tomorrow.

I also want to share a few photos of a pond that is at the far side of the Blue Hills Reservation. It's a gorgeous, peaceful place, and we took a long walk on Sunday to get out of the house and cheer ourselves up with some nature.

Isn't is beautiful?