Starting over (a discussion about crafts)
By Porcospino
@Porcospino (31365)
Denmark
February 26, 2013 9:52am CST
I recently started knitting again after a long break. I am knitting a blanket at the moment. I enjoy it, but I didn't get the best start. At first I had to start over because I made a mistake. I found that quite annoying because I had spent a lot of time on the blanket before I discovered the mistake, and it felt like a waste of time. But I decided to be more careful and I started over.
The second time everything went well at first. I didn't finish the entire blanket, but I was happy about the result so far and there were no mistakes. I left the blanket in the living room and went to talk to my husband in the kitchen. When I came back to the living room I found my blanket on the floor. Our dog had been playing with it and it was completely ruined 
I hope that things go better the third time 
This is a question for those of you who like crafts. How you react when you have to start over because of a mistake or because of something else? Do you patiently start over or do you get very frustrated?
I hope that things go better the third time
This is a question for those of you who like crafts. How you react when you have to start over because of a mistake or because of something else? Do you patiently start over or do you get very frustrated?2 people like this
4 responses
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
26 Feb 13
Horrendously frustrated...I have starts of work, in my closet, that need to be ripped out somewhat..and restarted! I do eventually finish them, but I sometimes have to put them away, and procrastinate. Case in point, for Christmas I finally finished a King Size knitted afghan for my son..how in the world, I did this, but put his initials in the centre..and they were backwards..DUH! It sat in the closet, until one day my son said; "Mum, if I get nothing else for Christmas...could I have my blanket?" I was embarassed, retreived the blanket...and vowed to do nothing else 'til it was completed! It was the last present he opened at Christmas...but I had put it in a BIG cardboard box...with BIG rocks in it, so he couldn't guess. He remarked; "I guess I don;t get my blanket!" as he was opening it...we all had a good laugh! Now, I must get on with several "Cowichan sweaters" that are partly done..egads!
They say; 3rd time Lucky...so I wish you the best!
1 person likes this
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
26 Feb 13
Would have been the absolute solution..but there, as you know always a wrong side to knitting, that is the carry side, where you carry your wools for contrasting color on the right side, and of course, I was knitting his initials in a royal blue, on the ecru background. Course knitting is always from the bottom to the top, so I was looking at it upside down..LOL!!!1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
27 Feb 13
That sounds very frustrating. I hate to find mistakes in things that I already finished. I like the way that you hid the blanket in a big cardboard box and I can imagine your son's reaction when he found the blanket
Yes, I hope that I will manage to finish the blanket the third time. Our dog doesn't usually touch the things that I knit, so I didn't think that it would be a problem to leave the blanket in the living room. Next time I will make sure that the dog doesn't get the chance to touch it.
Yes, I hope that I will manage to finish the blanket the third time. Our dog doesn't usually touch the things that I knit, so I didn't think that it would be a problem to leave the blanket in the living room. Next time I will make sure that the dog doesn't get the chance to touch it.
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
26 Feb 13
I have never to learned crochet, but I would like to learn it one day. The first time when I had to start over it didn't really bother me that much. It was a little annoying, but I decided to start again and be more careful the next time.
@coffeebreak (17797)
• United States
27 Feb 13
With crocheting, I didn't mind it to much, as it was so easy to pull it all out and then just re roll the ball of yarn. But with sewing...pulling out those tiny stitches just drive me to drink! I try to watch and do my best to not make them, but I do. And then usually I do just have to take a seam ripper and pull it all out. Not that bad, really with a seam ripper, but back in the day when I first started sewing...either they didn't have seam rippers or my mom didn't know about them of think they =were needed. We just used a straight pin (and back then they were just thin, small small head short pins! not like these longer, bigger head pins they have today!)
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
8 Mar 13
It can be quite frustrating when this happens. I hate when you are making something and have to tear it all out and start over, or something get to it and make it not look right. Has happened here more than not since most of the items I make are also for sale. When it frustrates me, I have to usually set things aside for a while, and start again later.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
8 Mar 13
Sometimes I think that it is best to set things aside for a while before you start again as you said. That is how I feel about my blanket at the moment. I had to start over twice. First I had to start over because I made a mistake and the second time our dog ruined the things I had knitted. I hope that I am going to succeed the third time, but I have decided to wait some time before I start again. Yes, it is frustrating when we make a mistake and have to start over. I hate when I discover a mistake in a crafts project that is almost finished. When that happens I am forced to start over and I feel that I have wasted my time on the project, but I am a perfectionist and if I discover a mistake I always start over.
@jillhill (37353)
• United States
28 Feb 13
I get frustrated. If I am sewing and things start going wrong I quit and leave it for another day.....if I don't it seems like I make one mistake after another...usually when I am stamping though I can recover more quickly.....I find a way to cover the mistake.
1 person likes this
@Porcospino (31365)
• Denmark
8 Mar 13
I have experienced that, too. Things start to go wrong and then I make one mistake after another. Sometimes I get stubborn and decide to continue, but that usually isn't a good idea because things just continue to go wrong. It is a better idea to leave it for another day like you do. When I draw I experience the same thing. Some days I just can't draw and it is better to accept that and continue another day. When I paint it is easier to cover the mistake that I have made, sometimes a mistake actually makes the painting better than before because I am forced to change my original idea and that can lead to some interesting results sometimes.
