Rip It, Rip It: When to Throw Your Work to the Frogs

frogging

needlework slang for the massive ripping out of a section of--or of each and every lovingly made stitch in--a project.

Repeat after me: Rip it...rip it...rip it...

Earlier in this blog (you know--last February when I last bothered to post more than one day in a row), I made mention of the Afghan From Hell. This was my pet name for the large afghan I was (am) making for my sister's wedding, which was on October 11, 2008. Note that I say "am," because it is still not done.

Now, I've had projects that I haven't finished before that were intended to be gifts. I still feel guilt over them, but the person wasn't expecting a gift from me, specifically, so no harm done, right? (My name is Judy, and I'm a Myers-Brigg P.) This is the first time I've ever failed to finish a gift that had a definite do-or-die due date. Hopefully it won't start a trend. But, I digress...

The afghan is in a classic cream (Plymouth Encore 75/25 Knitting Worsted, Color 0256). I was looking for a classic pattern to go with it, something in a fisherman sweater style. I finally settled on a pattern (Leisure Arts #100318, "Afghans for All Seasons," pg. 72), bought my 20 balls of yarn, and got started.

I was on the second or third row of the pattern when I jokingly dubbed it "The Afghan from Hell" because it was a perfect case of take two steps forward and one step back. Now, don't get me wrong--it's a gorgeous fabric that looks very similar to a knitted design. But, it was all done in single crochet or slip stitches, front loop only or back loop only. To the uninitiated, this means that it was IMPOSSIBLE to do it without paying total attention. The few times I allowed myself to be distracted by, I don't know, trying to talk and crochet at the same time (imagine, wanting to do that!), I messed up the pattern, didn't discover it until halfway through the next row, had to rip it out, and there went an hour's work. Yet, I persevered, until it resembled a wide scarf (I'd done about 35 rows out of 230-something). At which point summer came, and I kept finding other things to do.

Anyway, one of the reasons I haven't been back here since spring is that, when I wasn't working on The Afghan from Hell, I wasn't working on anything else, either. I totally stopped knitting and crocheting, mostly due to the guilt. I knitted a bit on a trip to my hometown because I bought the materials there and couldn't have taken the larger project with me anyway (the bride was there), so the guilt didn't get in the way that weekend.

So, finally, I made the decision. I could not motivate myself to work on The Afghan from Hell. And I still wanted to make an afghan for my sister with that large quantity of yarn I'd purchased for a large quantity of money. So, I spelunked in my books and on the internet, and came up with this. I'm about a third of the way through it, the fall leaves are falling, the wedding trip is behind me, and the costumes have to be done by Saturday. So, after that, it's crisp fall air and afghans for me! I confess that I have NOT frogged the original afghan, yet--if I need the yarn, I will. If I don't, I guess I have a really pretty scarf!

Moral of this story: If you don't like it--if it isn't fun to make--then don't make it. There's too little time, too many patterns, and too much yarn out there for that!

So, sister dear, it's not done, yet. I hope you are enjoying the thread crochet doily I gave you for your bridal shower (I did finish that!). I promise to have your beautiful, cozy afghan finished before the winter winds bring chilly weather to southern California!