I learned many interesting things from the
hundreds of emails y'all sent in response to the post about my “big”
mistake in the Vine Lace Baby Hat.
(Not the least of these was that "verklempt" is more often spelled
"fahrklempt." Thanks to all the language buffs who pointed that out!)
As I read through all the stories (and I did read every single one),
I learned several important things; however, one problem stood out from
all the rest and thus seems to be universal:
- Getting it to fit can be a fight. No matter how many
tape measures we knitters have, it seems that getting our handknit
sweaters/socks/mittens to fit is a major challenge. Many of you
described knitting all the pieces of a sweater and seaming them up,
only to find you had knit a garment worthy of either King Kong or an
octopus. I think my favorite story was from Kristin, who proudly
stepped back after making her sweater only to find she had sewn both
sleeves into the same armhole. (The only reason I can laugh at that is
that I myself once knit two heels onto the same sock.)
Lesson: Measure while you knit. Don’t wait until the entire
piece is finished—check your progress along the way, so if you have to
rip back or make adjustments, you won’t feel too badly about the whole
thing. (Kristin, I am not sure how this solves the
sewing-both-sleeves-into-the-same-armhole situation. Perhaps more
coffee? Or less?)
Next time: Learning from your wisdom.