Monday, February 07, 2011

Do It Right

Do It Right

You are all familiar with that annoying say, "Anything worth doing is worth doing right." I feel like that has been the bane of my existence since picking up knitting and crocheting back six years ago. I really thought that I could get away with a mistake here, there, and yonder and it wouldn't drive me mad. Ah... but it does. It's like a blinking beacon screaming my name every time I look at something with a mistake. I am a champion ripper. So I find myself at the cross roads of a decision.

My second pair of Spring Forward socks is that blinking beacon screaming my name. They have been screaming my name for a few weeks now. I have a drawer that is dedicated to my handmade wool socks. Every time I open that drawer to put on a nice well fitted pair of socks, those orange Spring Forward socks stare me down.

(Sorry for the poor quality of the photo. My camera was having a tantrum and will soon be going to a time out for good!)

One sock is longer in the foot than the other and I avoid dealing with them but not wearing them. How long can I avoid it? This winter, next winter or the winter after? They will languish in the drawer and I will have to look at them every time I open it.


I can't take it anymore so I am going to fix my big fat honking make. I have no idea how I got one larger than the other in the foot but I did. I foolishly thought I could handle it. I can't. Does that mean that I have sock mistake OCD?

So today I am doing my best to find the places where I wove in the ends from closing up the toe. Then there will be teeth gnashing and moaning as I rip row after row of reinforced toe to get to the rest of the foot. Ugh!

Finally found the place where the threads were woven in and the re-knitting process is taking place. To be honest, it's going on the third time I have knit this one toe. Yesterday while knitting with friends I picked the wrong size needle (2.50 mm) and just knit away. Then later I discovered a mistake and ripped out the toe again. Today I am home alone and figure that if I have total quiet, no phones ringing, and the dogs are sleeping, I can actually get these puppies done!

TADA...I got them done and they both fit the same way. I finally got a picture of them today. I am so glad I ripped them out and made them right. Now I can wear them all winter and not worry about them starring me down from the sock drawer.

Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Sometimes things are more right than others but these are right on target! So I am going to sit back and admire my handywork!


8 comments:

Tracy Batchelder said...

A mistake that affects the fit is a mistake I couldn't live with either.

dalequan said...

you have serious issues Red

Anonymous said...

They are gorgeous and I'm with you, it was totally worth the effort to 'do it right'!

I have one pair that is rust colored with only one toe in green as I ran out of yarn. In that case I just get a nice chuckle every time I wear them! 8^)

Knit on!!!
gk

Ria said...

I would have had to fix it too.

erinkristi said...

I have a saying for myself at work, because I'm a recovering perfectionist: Finished is better than perfect. That applies very nicely to an excel worksheet but not so much to sock fit. I agree with Wool Winder...and I have a pair of socks that are staring me down, too. Well done, they look great! Please wear them this coming Saturday so we can admire!

Kimberly said...

I can see how the two socks not being the same length could be bothersome.

I can almost never find the ends after I've woven them. I think I'm going to have to practice undoing some ends for situations such as this one.

Paula said...

Wow! You totally rock!
When I make a mistake at anything, it's always WAYYY yonder too big to fix. *hehe*

Sharon said...

Good for you. My mother always said - anything worth doing is worth doing well. She would have approved. I've had to do the same thing myself - misery loves company :)