A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

Coss — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 00:13:00 GMT

I've just joined Knitting Daily. My name is Karen and I've been knitting since I was 16, which is 28yrs. My adored maternal grandmother, God rest her, taught me how to knit and I've been doing it...and countless other crafts, ever since. I read with interest your Sept comments about the endlessness of same rows of stitching eg on the back. These are the bits I love best! I can pop a movie on and sit mindlessly knitting AND viewing at the same time. The worst part for me is starting a new piece of a pattern...hate the casting on and the increasing...find it quite vexing lol. How did your finished product turn out???

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

cathymoore — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:52:37 GMT

Another great lifeline material is fishing line. It comes in fluorescent colors now and my husband rarely minds handing over a yard now and then. especially because he's always thumbing through my various needlework supplies for things he can use to tie flies.

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

RubyZ — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:53:35 GMT

I try to be philosophical about the great quantitiy of mistakes I make (yes, I actually believe it's good to have a bit--or a lot--more to knit! But it makes for a lot of projects that are finished way after they should, like summer tops in the middle of October).

What I've found to work wonderfully for a lifeline is not yarn, but the line used in a weed eater/trimmer (gardening). It is nylon, comes in bright colors (red, fluorescent green, bright blue) and is very easy to thread into the sitiches, plus a breeze to get the stitches back onto the needles. It comes in different gauges, and you can cut it any length you want to. I also use it to hold stitiches, like the sleeves in a raglan sweater. It is also great when you want to check the fit of something, but your circular needles don't give you the desired length--just pass your knitting to a long enough piece of this nylon line, knotting the ends or using those black and silver office binder clips to keep your stiches from falling off.

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

Pink Lady — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:54:15 GMT

I feel your pain. While knitting Julia's shawl from Wrapped in Comfort I got off track and was so frustrated that I stuffed the whole thing in a project bag and moved on. Then came the fall again and I start thinking about all the things I "should" finish. So out comes the UFO's and this shawl is one of them. I tried to figure out what to do to fix this mess and finally I frogged the entire thing and started over. Frustrating as it was I learned a lot and now it is perfect (so far, knock on wood, rub a rabbit's foot, cross my toes because my fingers are busy). I have learned from experience that if I make a mistake, even one that only I will see, I know it's there and I'll probably never wear the thing because it bugs me. (I still wish I'd frogged back to that one seed stitch out of place on that beautiful pink cardigan.)

I feel I've found a home here with others who understand this Klingonese we speak here. Knit on!

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

TamaraM — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:55:04 GMT

I'm knitting a charcoal vest, and just had to go back (yes, 1 stitch at a time), so I feel your pain!

I'm also thrilled (but not surprised) that you're a fan of Serenity! Indeed, Joss Whedon, and whoever melded the Western lingo and social ethics with sci fi, is a genius. Great casting, too. I can definitely understand (especially if you were also petting the dog!) how you could veer off your pattern.

I like the comment above about not thinking about putting in a lifeline, but just doing it! Perhaps a little Nike symbol somewhere in your knitting things?

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

Joan Southworth — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 22:32:24 GMT

I sooo laughed when reading your star lace dilemma! I am new to Knitting Daily and did not know about lifelines! But I was making a scarf in a very soft angora with stitches that you pick up below the row and yarn overs and stuff, etc. Well, needless to say, I THOUGHT it was an easy pattern until I tried to 'remove a row or two'. Not going to happen. Because of the picked up stitches below the row, it was impossible to figure out how to pick up the stiches! So I am surmising that a 'lifeline' would solve that problem. Sooo I'm glad you wrote about lifelines. And, to get to the point of my comment. I did some creative knitting and added some ruffles on my scarf over the booboos that I could not figure out how to fix. I'm not done yet but I don't think anyone would be the wiser! Certainly not my nonknitting friends! I do alot of free form knitting and crocheting with Prudence Mapstone ideas, and have just discovered Jane Thornley's wonderful free range knitting! SOoo, creative knitting is GREAT!!!!!! JoanS.

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

BetteN — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:30:00 GMT

Nice post. Very convincing. But a little confusing to those of us who don't yet know what YOU mean when you speak of a lifeline. I have yet to see the term in the "abbreviations" section of my newest knitting magazine. Bette

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

ValerieP — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:25:20 GMT

As my latest blog entry shows, I, too, will be a-froggin' the stars. What is it about this pattern? It lulls you into thinking you can't possibly go wrong...

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

Sharon V — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:17:04 GMT

Thank you for breaking the rule for me. Maybe now I won't!

Good luck with the re-knit!

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

Darlene@30 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:57:23 GMT

Oh Sandy, I think you have inspired me to put in a lifeline. I am making a rectangular shawl out of linen that is done in 2 halves, lengthwise. I once had to frog out a sock in an intricate pattern because I stopped at 2 full patterns instead of 2 1/2. Never noticed it until the toe was finished.

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

Lilia@2 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 22:20:20 GMT

Hi Sandi,

I am a beginner at lace kniiting, but I found a neat trick. I don't use yarn as a lifeline, but a KnitPro cable. It's a bit fiddly to feed through - but if you need it, it makes life a lot easier. :-)

Greetings from Germany

Lilia

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

Jayne — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:44:44 GMT

Aw Sandy, I'm so sorry. It doesn't matter how many times people say, "well now you can just spend more time knitting...." it's one of the most angering things!!

I completed the Silken Scabbard pattern - splurged on Sea Silk for it and everything - spent my week at the cottage working on it. The problem? I was too lazy to move ALL of the stitches onto waste yarn to try it on as I knit (top-down) , then put them ALL back on the needles, and so, in the final, glorious moment when I slip on my beautiful, blue scabbard... the length between the neckline and cast0off for sleeves is about 2 inches too far apart so it rides up to have a floppy neck or I pull it down and walk stiff-armed to keep it in place.

That one's still sitting in the corner until I get the right energy to rip out the ENTIRE sweater!!!

Question: Are lifelines used in stockinette/cable patterns too?

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

ALA — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:48:08 GMT

Note to self - quit thinking "I ought to put a lifeline in here" and just do it. Also the blanket - I'm working on my first four-star row. As soon as I pick it up again, adding a lifeline.

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

JeanB@2 — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:16:17 GMT

Whether or not I use a lifeline seems dependent on the size and complexity of my project. The cost of my yarn sometimes enters into my decision to frog or try other repairs.

re: A Whole Lot of Frogging Going On Here...

MicheleB — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:10:19 GMT

Oh, I feel your pain! I've been frogging a lot lately, too. It's just a sock, but it's an experimental learning sock, so I feel compelled to frog to try to make it bend to my will!

knit on!