Wednesday, February 19, 2014

frustrations

It's been one of those weeks unfortunately, where I can't seem to take a trick with my projects...

Firstly, with the thought of entry deadlines looming, I cast on a wee baby cardigan for one of my Red Hill Show entries.  In an effort to be thrifty I grabbed some stash wool, but it was truly a bad, bad choice of yarn for this gauge and project.


The wool is some Spotlight 4ply that I picked up on a whim because it was on sale, but the old adage of "you get what you pay for" has never rung truer.  It's labelled as pure new wool but reality is; it's cheap, and scratchy, and I had a terrible time getting consistent tension with it.  Not really desirable qualities for a Show entry.


Then,  I began the 5th clue on my Follow your Arrow shawl only to discover something had gone awry with the 4th clue.


 Try as I might, I could NOT work it out, and I ended up ripping it back all the way to the end of the 3rd clue. 

I'm incredibly frustrated with myself regarding these two projects. I knew that it was a risky yarn choice by the time I got through the border lace, so why did I persevere? Why??  The shawl pattern is by no means difficult but it does seem to require an unexpected level of concentration, and I dropped the ball on that front.   I think partially because I was so focused on finishing each clue before the next was released? 


So with this in mind, and a deep breath, I put the baby cardigan in the op-shop pile, and re-started clue #4 on the shawl.  The silver lining was I got to do the alternate clue (4B) to what I had originally chosen (4A).  After seeing finished shawls on the Ravelry group board, I really preferred the other clue but I’d already finished most of 4A and didn’t want to rip it back. 

Ahem.  The Universe sending me a message or something??

I can see that I need to step back and try to find my way back to the enjoyment the process of creating gives me.  I'm too caught up with finishing, meeting deadlines and worrying about the list ahead to breathe and enjoy the present.  It's a direct reflection of other areas of my life at the moment, but I don't think I fully recognised this until I sat down to work out the woes plaguing these two current projects.

With all this in mind, my new focus is looking forward (but not too far forward).  I’m going to take it a step at a time, starting with these three goals:
  • Finish Follow your Arrow by Feb 21st, to be in the running for the prizes on the Ravelry group!
  • Get Peasy on the needles
  • Write a firm but small list of entries for the Red Hill Show and get started one at a time (entry forms are due March 7th, articles due by the 19th).  Follow your Arrow will be one entry – double dipping for the win!


6 comments:

nicole said...

eep! that does sound super frustrating!
onwards and upwards though!

ps. i am LOVING the follow your arrow kal. all the shawls popping up on instagram are GORGEOUS! yours included!!
xo

rebecca said...

You are so right how knitting can be a metaphor for life. Turning our pleasure into a to do list seems to strip them of joy but how else do we make time for them. The baby cardy looks lovely at least! Great idea with the show pieces, enter what you are making anyway. May the breath be with you!

Caffeine Girl said...

It is so easy to get wrapped up in deadlines and forget to go with the knitting flow. We all do it all too often.

The baby sweater looks beautiful in the photos, though I know what you mean about cheap yarn. I always regret it, too.

2paw said...

Yes you usually do get what you pay for, but it is disappointing, when hopes are dashed. It is a silver lining that you can do the other #4 option, but it is irksome nonetheless!! Good luck with your list.

Rose Red said...

I never enjoy deadline knitting as much as other projects.
Shame about the spotlight yarn, as the cardi is really lovely.

DrK said...

ah i really related to this. there is nothing that kills the love of knitting for me like a deadline. even if its something i really like, or something im gifting, it just takes all the love out of it. i really do knit for process, for the relaxation of the DOING, so to be focused on the DONE stresses me out, which is not the point of knitting in the first place. i am stuck dead set in that space right now and need to find a way out because i'd even rather not knit! eeeep!! its a shame about the yarn because that little cardi is truly gorgeous. i didnt sign up for the KAL but im looking forward to seeing how these turn out.