This may sound odd, but I never worry about the time spent knitting. And that include ripping or frogging or any of the many ways to correct a flaw. I guess knitting for me is like a sport is for others. You walk on to a basketball court knowing you are always looking for ways to perfect your abilities. Knowing that there will be missed shots and times practicing shots and also at the foul line. That's part of that sport. I actually look forward to throwing some stitches on a needle to practice a new type of decrease or to see what will happen if I use two different size needles! No worries if that yarn is all undone later for some other practice session. After years of such time with needles in your hands you begin to have a sixth sense of any flubs that might have just taken place and there by catch them early on to more easily correct. And if it does need to be ripped, frogged or tinked back to, you just take it in stride as something you need to do. No biggie. Take that foul shot and go on with the game! 🤗 ( Note: I laughed out loud when spell check wanted to correct tinked to tinkled! 🤣)
Each one's approach might be a little different and when you try to explain it to others it might sound odd. Well, I see that you began your comment with exactly the same thought - "it might sound odd". That's the whole point. There is an internal method with every knitter to this apparent madness.!! 😀🤣The flowchart is meant to be mostly funny. With years of practice ripping just becomes part of the process - sixth sense as you put it. Especially the designs for me don't happen without a bunch of rip & redo.
I love the flowchart, especially thinking about designing. So often, we are faced with ripping back or frogging completely (for the sixth time!) hours and hours of work. (As I stare at the cowl I'm designing right now). Is it going to work? Is it not? Should I rip now, or complete it and see what happens....
Exactly Rama! It's all in the game and we all have developed our methods. :)) Lifelines are amazing, I just don't have the discipline to do them regularly.
Your diagram was right on point!!! I usually (unless it's lace or cables, or an unusual pattern that won't work to do this with) just take the stitch out above or even away above the error, sometimes it might be more than one stitch that I undo and run down to the error, and just get my crochet hook and fix it as I go back up. If it really is not noticeable and not for someone else I might just wear it, but if it's for someone else or it's noticeable, tink or frog to the mistake. Did that on my grand daughter's lace shawl I designed and knit for her, had to rip out about 10 rows. Darn shawl took me 45 hrs to knit, sigh, but it looked beautiful on her ;).
Thank you!! Learning to repair your work is such a handy skill. Aww, thank you for sharing about that beautiful moment. Ripping lace rows ain't for the faint of heart but I am so glad it all worked out. :)
To frog or not to frog, that is the question. It is such a cathartic feeling, and I’ve been embracing it more. It’s one of the magical things about knitting that’s not common in other crafts- the ability to start over at any time and not lose the materials. (Except mohair maybe, but I’ve even frogged that successfully.) The flow chart is fun. I could see the benefit of one for those projects that you stuck in a bag 2 years ago and forgot about. Thank you!
Love the chart! I’m willing to drop down and fix errors unless they are in lace work. Brioche or lace I’m a big fan of lifelines as I often find there’s no easy way to tink or even drop down because of yarn overs. I sometimes frog because I don’t like the feel or the way some aspect of a pattern works out.
Love this post and the chart. The method to the madness is different for me at different times and I am not very consistent. :) This post made me think about my approach to frogging. There have been times, when I continued without frogging to not be frustrated and lose interest in the project and finally abandon it. There are times, I just have to frog it even if don't find any serious mistake. I also get an irrational urge to tell or surreptitiously frog another person's project, if I spot a mistake in theirs ;)
Just yesterday I got this feeling when I attended a crafters meet. I spotted a few crocheters who have got it all wrong....(according to me!) and wanted to just pull out their project and rip them asking them to restart. The reason was: I found a person working on a beautiful pattern with the same yarn I had used for a sweater. The project he was working was being very tightly crocheted with no gaps even for air to enter. The project was so rough, that I thought it would scratch my hands if I held it for long. I tried various ways to ask if they actually wanted to change the hook size etc, but they looked at me as though I was new to the craft. So I left them to their methods. But I had this terrible urge to frog it when they were chatting and not holding their project. :)
Thank you!! I agree the method becomes slightly different every time. Rofl!! Vidya, that is too funny. Frogging other people's work could be a whole another thing. But seriously, everyone finds out what works for them eventually. I guess we have to limit ourselves to frogging our own after all. :)))
Love your flowchart! The only criteria I’ve ever heard from fellow knitters in my local knitting group is, “Will the mistake bother you?” If yes, frog or tink (never realized this was “knit” backwards! Lol!), if not, keep on knitting! I’ve never thought much about whether others would be able to notice the error (almost always “nope!” or how much time was wrapped up in the project by that point. I wonder if there are additional criteria some of us use in the “to frog/tink or not to frog/tink” decision making process.
Thank you!! I am so glad you enjoyed the chart. Of course there could be so many different ways people think about to frog or not to fro. I just put together some common traits I've come across. Personally, I don't think too much about what others would or wouldn't notice. I do think about the time spent though.
Oh how many times I did that! Quite frustrating at first, but the satisfaction of having a flawless piece is worth it. I agree with Sandy, it is like a sport in many ways. For me is certainly calming, almost meditative. and even more that that, it gives me a warm sense of belonging to the long line of knitters in my mother’s family.
I agree!! After lot of frustration, the satisfaction and learning is priceless. That's such a warm and loving thought about belonging with other knitters in the family. 💕
This may sound odd, but I never worry about the time spent knitting. And that include ripping or frogging or any of the many ways to correct a flaw. I guess knitting for me is like a sport is for others. You walk on to a basketball court knowing you are always looking for ways to perfect your abilities. Knowing that there will be missed shots and times practicing shots and also at the foul line. That's part of that sport. I actually look forward to throwing some stitches on a needle to practice a new type of decrease or to see what will happen if I use two different size needles! No worries if that yarn is all undone later for some other practice session. After years of such time with needles in your hands you begin to have a sixth sense of any flubs that might have just taken place and there by catch them early on to more easily correct. And if it does need to be ripped, frogged or tinked back to, you just take it in stride as something you need to do. No biggie. Take that foul shot and go on with the game! 🤗 ( Note: I laughed out loud when spell check wanted to correct tinked to tinkled! 🤣)
I love this analogy!
Each one's approach might be a little different and when you try to explain it to others it might sound odd. Well, I see that you began your comment with exactly the same thought - "it might sound odd". That's the whole point. There is an internal method with every knitter to this apparent madness.!! 😀🤣The flowchart is meant to be mostly funny. With years of practice ripping just becomes part of the process - sixth sense as you put it. Especially the designs for me don't happen without a bunch of rip & redo.
I love that chart!
Thank you!! 💕
I love the flowchart, especially thinking about designing. So often, we are faced with ripping back or frogging completely (for the sixth time!) hours and hours of work. (As I stare at the cowl I'm designing right now). Is it going to work? Is it not? Should I rip now, or complete it and see what happens....
Thank you Pamela! Designs simply don't happen without rip back. It is the hard truth. Hope the cowl works out well for you soon. 💕
Love this! Spot on with the flow chart! 😄
Lol! Thank you Archana! 😄
Very interesting to think from a non knitter perspective.
As a knitter, I have frogged, tinted and learnt to ise life lines whole knitting lace to avoid the above. 😂.
It's all in the game
Exactly Rama! It's all in the game and we all have developed our methods. :)) Lifelines are amazing, I just don't have the discipline to do them regularly.
Your diagram was right on point!!! I usually (unless it's lace or cables, or an unusual pattern that won't work to do this with) just take the stitch out above or even away above the error, sometimes it might be more than one stitch that I undo and run down to the error, and just get my crochet hook and fix it as I go back up. If it really is not noticeable and not for someone else I might just wear it, but if it's for someone else or it's noticeable, tink or frog to the mistake. Did that on my grand daughter's lace shawl I designed and knit for her, had to rip out about 10 rows. Darn shawl took me 45 hrs to knit, sigh, but it looked beautiful on her ;).
Thank you!! Learning to repair your work is such a handy skill. Aww, thank you for sharing about that beautiful moment. Ripping lace rows ain't for the faint of heart but I am so glad it all worked out. :)
To frog or not to frog, that is the question. It is such a cathartic feeling, and I’ve been embracing it more. It’s one of the magical things about knitting that’s not common in other crafts- the ability to start over at any time and not lose the materials. (Except mohair maybe, but I’ve even frogged that successfully.) The flow chart is fun. I could see the benefit of one for those projects that you stuck in a bag 2 years ago and forgot about. Thank you!
Thank you so much, I am so glad it all resonated with you. Knitting is indeed unique that we can recover the materials if we want to.
I love you flow chart!!
Thank you so much! 💕
Love the chart! I’m willing to drop down and fix errors unless they are in lace work. Brioche or lace I’m a big fan of lifelines as I often find there’s no easy way to tink or even drop down because of yarn overs. I sometimes frog because I don’t like the feel or the way some aspect of a pattern works out.
Thank you Linda! I agree, it takes a while to learn brioche or lace repair. Lifelines are our best bet at those times.
That's a fabulous chart! :)
Thank you Jodie! :)
Love this post and the chart. The method to the madness is different for me at different times and I am not very consistent. :) This post made me think about my approach to frogging. There have been times, when I continued without frogging to not be frustrated and lose interest in the project and finally abandon it. There are times, I just have to frog it even if don't find any serious mistake. I also get an irrational urge to tell or surreptitiously frog another person's project, if I spot a mistake in theirs ;)
Just yesterday I got this feeling when I attended a crafters meet. I spotted a few crocheters who have got it all wrong....(according to me!) and wanted to just pull out their project and rip them asking them to restart. The reason was: I found a person working on a beautiful pattern with the same yarn I had used for a sweater. The project he was working was being very tightly crocheted with no gaps even for air to enter. The project was so rough, that I thought it would scratch my hands if I held it for long. I tried various ways to ask if they actually wanted to change the hook size etc, but they looked at me as though I was new to the craft. So I left them to their methods. But I had this terrible urge to frog it when they were chatting and not holding their project. :)
Thank you!! I agree the method becomes slightly different every time. Rofl!! Vidya, that is too funny. Frogging other people's work could be a whole another thing. But seriously, everyone finds out what works for them eventually. I guess we have to limit ourselves to frogging our own after all. :)))
Obviously I won't rip other people's projects! But the feeling is real! :)
"This could go on for a while" made me laugh out loud, Kavitha! Exemplary chart. 😂
Thank you so much! Getting out of that loop is so hard! 😂
Chart makes perfect sense. But you forgot the “I am so exhausted I don’t care any more”!
Lol!! Thank you. If I ever make a version 2, I'll be sure to insert that somewhere in the flow. :))
It depends so much for me where I am in the project. There is a point at which my solution is to stick it in a bag and avoid it 😅
But I do try to learn how to fix things. Still very proud of learning to fix miscrossed cables!
Fixing miscrossed cables is a huge learning that could potentially boost other repair skills. Well done, you!
Love your flowchart! The only criteria I’ve ever heard from fellow knitters in my local knitting group is, “Will the mistake bother you?” If yes, frog or tink (never realized this was “knit” backwards! Lol!), if not, keep on knitting! I’ve never thought much about whether others would be able to notice the error (almost always “nope!” or how much time was wrapped up in the project by that point. I wonder if there are additional criteria some of us use in the “to frog/tink or not to frog/tink” decision making process.
Thank you!! I am so glad you enjoyed the chart. Of course there could be so many different ways people think about to frog or not to fro. I just put together some common traits I've come across. Personally, I don't think too much about what others would or wouldn't notice. I do think about the time spent though.
Oh how many times I did that! Quite frustrating at first, but the satisfaction of having a flawless piece is worth it. I agree with Sandy, it is like a sport in many ways. For me is certainly calming, almost meditative. and even more that that, it gives me a warm sense of belonging to the long line of knitters in my mother’s family.
I agree!! After lot of frustration, the satisfaction and learning is priceless. That's such a warm and loving thought about belonging with other knitters in the family. 💕