on Jan 20th, 2010Mobius Cowl Do-Over-5 Mis-shaped Knitting Project Lessons
Remember making a mistake while playing a game when you were a kid and you got a do-over? Well that’s what I gave myself with my purple mobius cowl. (Note: A mobius strip is an endless circle with a twist in it.)
My first purple mobius cowl came out very long and skinny since I cast on many, many more stitches to adjust for my smaller needles. I used 40 inch size 4 needles. Unfortunately, using a mobius cast on is impossible to measure effectively as you would a flat piece of knitting.
The original cowl wrapped around my neck about 3 times when finished and quickly grew to over 4 times. As it kept growing, I wondered whether my neck was going to grow to allow more room for my ever-expanding cowl. The loop went below my knees when unwound.
At that point, I re-read the instructions and realized the error of my ways. The cowl used larger needles since it was knitted using double strands. Since I loved the rich purple silk-merino Malabrigo that I bought in Alexandria, unwound the cowl. Having worn it made it difficult to unravel since the yarn had pilled slightly and my bindoffs where difficult to find and undo.
I must admit the redone piece is a major improvement! I love it so much more than the original. (Actually, it’s so good that my mom asked for it. She figured that I already had the infinity scarf!)
Here’s what I learned from my experience:
- Read the entire pattern through carefully, at least once before starting to knit. (Please note that I read the pattern as I always do but somehow didn’t process that using smaller needles and more stitches would not get me the desired effect.)
- Check out other knitters’ experiences on Ravelry before starting to knit.
- Consider the potential for how the finished product will stretch. (Please note that I rarely wash and block my scarf and shawl swatches.)
- Be willing to take apart an item, regardless of how much work it involved to have a better finished result.
- Sew in ends in such a way that they will keep the garment together but can be taken out relatively easily to make adjustments (including do overs!)
Based on my experience, I am glad that I had the willingness to rip it out. It helped that I loved the purple Malabrigo!
What do you do in such a situation? Do you keep your piece intact and just move on or do you rip it?
Submitted by Knitted Yarns Editor-in-Chief
