51 Comments
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Joanna Campbell Slan's avatar

Kate, I think I love you. Go around the outside with a slip stitch or single crochet. That'll cover all sorts of problems. Also, there's this from Quora: After you've made something and you're ready to block, soak it in warm water with hair conditioner, rinse it, and then block it. It helps! Hello, Use fabric softener to soften cheap yarn. Alternatively, soak it in a mixture of water and hair conditioner, then rinse and let dry. And finally, I believe that exercising any type of creativity improves us overall.

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Kate McKean's avatar

Thank you for this advice!!!!! <3 <3 <3

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Jennifer Lauck's avatar

Truly adorable and more that you have the confidence to say...THIS IS ME! 🧣 I almost want you to give me your address, so I can knit you one pronto. 😉 But you're right. You did fine. There's a metaphors in there about writers and being proud of their early drafts, yes? Perhaps a future post?

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Marie Rossiter's avatar

I love this! As a writer who is struggling with perfectionism and a crocheter working on my first major project (hexagon temperature blanket), I see all the flaws and that has held me back before. Now, I'm showing off my blanket and am working through the blocks holding me back in my writing, as well. No one sees the flaws the way we do...

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Geoff Mantooth's avatar

Too funny. I like you took on something new. Hard to be ashamed for a fail when you try something new. Had my own just a short time ago.

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Maria Maggio Fisher's avatar

I think it looks fashionable and cute! Cool color. This is how writing feels for me, so that's good I guess :)

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Sara Merrick's avatar

Very true. I'm a writer and a knitter and ripping out stitches and knitting again is the perfect analogy for revision. Love your scarf! Makers Unite!

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mary g.'s avatar

If you live in Los Angeles, I will happily help you with the granny squares. I actually think you did a great job on the scarf. Blocking it will make all the difference. Hope you make another one!

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Lily's avatar

Last thing - when I discover I made a mistake in my knitting that I'm on the fence about going back to fix, I often tell myself that having a few tiny mistakes/variations in a knitted project is actually NICE because then people can tell it's handmade. If I spent months on a sweater, I don't want someone to think I just picked it up at Target!

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Lily's avatar

Love your crocheted scarf! I started loom knitting soon after finding that regular handknitting gives me a lot of pain, especially since I prefer to knit for long periods of time. I love the process, including the mistake-making and figuring it out. It's so fun. Right now I'm finishing up what I call my "Crazy Lady Legwarmers" since they are in a very vibrant variegated orange/yellow/purple/blue sock yarn, with varying improvisational stitch patterns for extra fun. Legwarmer #1 looks much less polished that Legwarmer #2, since it was my first project with such fine yarn, but who really cares. I say yes, do a granny square cardigan!

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Caitlin Wahrer's avatar

I'm going to start using the knitting/crocheting term "frogging" in place of "editing" when it's a really, really bad editing situation

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Deirdre Lewis's avatar

Still laughing at that picture! Oh my gosh, I think I want a scarf like that! Sometimes the best thing about what you create is there at the start.

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camden noir's avatar

If you ever make a granny square blanket like the one on Roseanne, I’m sure it would be sold immediately

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Sneaky Footprint's avatar

Haha, strangely I felt the same sometimes after finishing a few of my paintings! :)

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Wendy Kennar's avatar

Love this!!!

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Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️'s avatar

As a knitter who has tried to learn to crochet a few times and failed, great job!

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Kate McKean's avatar

I've heard that if you knit continental it's easier to learn to crochet. Knitting continental is the only way I could do it!

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Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️'s avatar

I was taught to knit when I was a little kid so I actually have no idea the style I do outside of left handed.

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Liana Hornyak's avatar

Ha, I love it! I learned to knit as a kid and revisited the hobby a few years ago. I made a couple scarves that I was proud of and considered opening an Etsy shop until my mother kindly asked me to calculate how many hours each took me to make, and then guess how much I could reasonably sell a homemade scarf for…annnnd, well, that dream promptly died lol.

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