Knitting Fails: When Things Go Wrong

If you've ever picked up a pair of knitting needles or even a crochet hook, then you've probably had a fiber fail. If you didn't then you're obviously from another planet.

I have been knitting with a capital K for about 10 years now and I've had many fails. So I thought it would be fun to go through them with you, just to show you that they actually do happen, even to the most experienced knitter (crocheter) and that it's not the end of the world.

I've picked out four examples though there are many more. (click on the name to see the original pattern.)

Calli Cardigan (there is no picture in the pattern page, so this link will take you to my project page)

Callie was the first adult garment that I made which required seaming. I loved the shape and even the colour and bought the same yarn that was used in the original pattern Sublime Lustrous Extra Fine Merino DK. 

This is were I made my first mistakes. The yarn is a blend of merino and a silvery thread. This wasn't obvious from the original picture but I still wanted to use it. The shade I wanted, which is the same as the original pattern, was out of stock so I bought a reddish-purple one instead.

In hindsight, I should never have used this yarn. Firstly the blend of fibres is one of my least favourites, I don't like yarn that's shiny and sparkly. The second reason why I shouldn't have bought this was the shade, now I am fully aware of what shades of yarn suit me, but in my early days, I would just by anything without thinking about whether the colour was right for me. The dark reddish-purple made the silvery thread stand out even more and it just wasn't me.

So I have the yarn and I make the pattern. Everything went well until I made the neckline/button band, my tension just went haywire. One side came out slightly larger than the other, I had to do a little fudging when seaming it on to the main body. The result was a lopsided, bottom-heavy band that stuck out and flopped around when worn open.

When I wore it closed, it looked too big. The rest of the cardigan looked fine but that hem made me look like I was wearing a tabard. Mr. U said I looked like a little girl who's mum has forced her to join the adult's choir. (I have no idea).

Where is this cardigan now? Who knows, I dropped it off at the charity shop. Hopefully, someone is enjoying it.

Adaptable Poncho

I had high hopes for this one. It was simple and the yarn was a bulky weight so it wasn't going to take a long time to make.
This pattern is from Bergere de France. As with the Callie cardigan, I used the yarn recommended in the pattern but couldn't get the same shade.

Instead, I went for a beige, this is really not my colour. 

Putting the shade choice aside, the first mistake I made was not swatching. "I don't need to swatch, it's just a simple pattern." I said to my self. I knitted up the medium and was so excited to see it all coming together.

When it was finished, I blocked it and tried it on. A wave of disappointment washed over me. It was too small and did not look good. I tried wearing it all the different ways suggested in the pattern and only the scarf option worked.

I felt so defeated, I'd been looking forward to wearing it and all I was left with was a large rectangle.

What became of this fail? Well, some time passed and it just sat in a cupboard. One day I brought it out, wondering what I could do with the yarn. I decided to try and wear it in a different way, as seen in the picture above and here and I had a light bulb moment. This gave birth to the Diamante shrug, which I wear on a regular basis.

I have since frogged this piece and the yarn is waiting to be used for something else.

3 in 1 Top

This is one fail that could potentially be fixed, but before we go into that, let's start at the beginning. I love the layered effect of this top and knew it would be something that I would wear a lot. The construction intrigued me too, so this definitely went to the top of my 'To Make' queue.

Where things went wrong with this top was my timing. I began making it when I was pregnant with Little Miss. I thought that if I just went with my usual size, everything would be okay.

As you can see from the picture, it wasn't. This is a bottom-up pattern and I miscalculated the length of my torso resulting in a top with a long body and sleeves.

Unlike the other two, it still looks good when worn, like it's supposed to be oversized. All I have to do is push the sleeves up. I do wear this from time to time, but only around the house or to the corner shop.

As I mentioned before, this can be fixed. I can cut out one row from the section of the sleeve that's worked in one colour. Rip out a few rows and then attach the sleeve back using the Kitchener stitch. I won't be able to do this with the body because of the buttons, but shortening the sleeves will be enough to make it wearable outside.

I'm yet to make these adjustments, but I haven't ruled making another one.

Caramel

This particular item is one that I do wear outside regularly., so it's only a minor fail. It's on this list to show that fails can come in all shapes and sizes. All the other fails occurred before or during the actual knitting. This one occurred whilst I was blocking.

Everything had gone well, the body was right, the shaping, the sleeves, bind off, cast on. I had no issues, then when I blocked it I got a little over-enthusiastic and over blocked it. For some reason, I kept stretching out the back and now it falls off my shoulders. The only way to stop this is to pin it closed, but even then it has a very wide boat neck shape.

This can possibly be remedied by crocheting along the back of the neckline to cinch everything in. I plan on doing this once the weather begins to get a little warmer. I also plan on making another one in a lighter shade because this really is a great pattern.

Takeaway

So if you've always wanted to be more adventurous in your fiber arts but are worried that things may go wrong. Just remember that it could go wrong, but there are ways to fix things and we all learn from our mistakes.

However, in order to reduce your chances of experiencing a knitting fail, you can do the following.

1. Make sure the shade you choose actually suits you and fits in with what you're likely to wear the finished piece with.

2. If you substitute the yarn, make sure you choose one that has the same or similar gauge. Also take into consideration the fibre content and how it will affect the different elements of the finished piece, such as the stitch pattern and the way it hangs or moves around.

3. Measure yourself correctly and try it on (properly) as you're making it.

4. If you're making something in pieces, try to make each piece under the same conditions. Your tension when sitting at home in front of the T.V can be slightly different to your tension when knitting on a train.

5. Swatch. Now, I'm not saying you have to do a full-on swatch, because even I don't do those. I make it big enough to take measurements from different areas. The size of my swatch will also be dependant on the complexity of the pattern and who/what I'm making it for.

6. Don't over/under block. Check the pattern for the finished measurements and block accordingly. If your gauge is right you won't have to block aggressively.

What was your biggest crafting fail?
What advice would you give to someone who's had a lot of crafting fails or who wants to be adventurous but is afraid of getting it wrong?