Or give up

[Sewingsue]

Experienced knitters of TSP, have any of you realised when 3/4 through knitting something that you made a major mistake early on (size etc) and unravelled most of it and started again?

[Sheilago]

Oh dear @Sewingsue , I sympathise. I have several times almost finished baby cardigans and then not liked the colour or the pattern and have ripped them out to knit something new. I have also sometimes knitted the back of a jumper and thinking it’s going to work out too big, have just done a fudge by knitting the front a bit smaller, but the same length . It’s frustrating to rip things out, but no point in knitting something that’s not going to be right.

[Acorn]

Yes - I converted an old aran jumper pattern so that I could make it on a circular needle.  I was more than two thirds of the way up the body - at the armpits I think - when I realised that the ribbing was lying diagonally.

[Sewingsue]

It’s frustrating to rip things out, but no point in knitting something that’s not going to be right.

Thank you.

Yes, I know it's daft at my age to think I need permission, but then I have never denied that I am daft 

[Starryfish]

Frequently! Indeed I often take several attempts to get a project started in the first place.

[Sewingsue]

Yes - I converted an old aran jumper pattern so that I could make it on a circular needle.  I was more than two thirds of the way up the body - at the armpits I think - when I realised that the ribbing was lying diagonally.

Oh that must have been frustrating.

Actually several steps beyond frustrating and into very rude words territory.

[Cazlyn]

I once knitted DH a cabled sweater, completely finished it , sewed it up and it didn’t fit over his head.  I undid it but never finished it.

[HenriettaMaria]

I'm currently crocheting a sweater (pics to follow eventually), a shorter version of this.  The back was fine but when I'd got up to the neck level on the front I realised I'd got the foundation row, on which the repeat is slightly different to prevent the bottom edge flaring, wrong and I therefore had too few stitches.  Had to unravel the lot and do it again!  Moral - count stitches regularly 

The pattern doesn't help.  The tension is wild.  If I get the stitches and rows down to what they suggest the resultant fabric is rigid, so I went down a size in the pattern and half a size in the hook.  Still fairly firm but usable.  I also think there are typos in the sleeve pattern, so I've gone with my gut and it seems to be working.  Just started second sleeve.

[Pearl]

Yes.  I’m currently knitting myself an Aran cardigan.  I’ve knitted the back three times

[Sewingsue]

Thank you all.

If people who tackle Aran and Cable can find themselves unravelling then I fell better about having to do it. It isn't just me not being capable.

[toileandtrouble]

@Cazlyn  I would just undo the shoulder seams, add edgings  with buttonholes and make a feature of the shoulder fastening.

[HenriettaMaria]

@toileandtrouble  I had an enormous head for my age when I was little - it's still at the top end of the size range for women now - so my mum learned very early to do that with any crew necks that she knitted me.  I recall asking her to knit a dark brown sweater with the Guinness logo on the front (never drink the stuff but I liked the look) when I was an undergraduate.  She put buttons on the centre back on that too, even though my head was no longer out of proportion to the rest of me!

[SingingSinger]

Oh yes, definitely. I'd almost finished sewing up a cardigan for my grand daughter and realised it will be too small, so I'm now unravelling it and starting again!

[Celia]

Me too

Last jumper for me was completely knitted and then unknitted and re knitted changing one of the colours…..

[annierose]

I love crochet, but having done lots of scarves etc. i decided to do a cardi. I did a dry run with cheap yarn, it was a bit big but basically OK, so 18 months ago I got some lovely wool from West Yorkshire Spinners and oh my goodness I have struggled! I simply cannot get the size right and I don't have a clue where I am going wrong! It is taking ages because I have to keep checking it, unravelling etc. I also have to go off and do some simple crochet (shopping bags this time).
I am almost there - I couldn't possibly give up having spent so much on the yarn - and it is a joy to work with. But I am never, ever, making a garment again.
I've just chosen some more yarn from WYS for a holday project - a large pashmina-style shawl.

Thank you all for your experiences - it makes me feel a bit better!