can’t win them all
January 11, 2011
but i’d like to win one every now and then.
i finished my never-ending sleeve and it’s quite lovely.
to reward myself, i decided to finish my clockwork today.
in a classic harlot-esk snowy bush photo.
i love this yarn and this pattern.
i was beyond excited to cast off and try it on.
finally! i would have a stephen west stripy neck accessory,
something i’ve desired for so long now.
the thing is . . .
i don’t like it.
not on me anyway.
something just isn’t right.
right yarn, right colors, right pattern
apparently ≠the perfect neck accessory for me.
i can’t tell what it is exactly,
other than it being a touch smaller than i would like.
there is just . . . . . . . something wrong!
i’m blocking it now, hoping the magic of water will change my mind.
otherwise, i guess i’m giving it away.
what do you think?
what should i do?
Bitches Get Stitches 
January 11, 2011 at 6:50 pm
how can that be?? they’re so your colors, and the pattern is so beautiful! are you just not used to seeing yourself in manshawls yet?
January 11, 2011 at 7:04 pm
Give it a try. Take it to NS, let us vote. I bet it looks great on you. I think you are just sick of looking at it because it took so long to make. Step back an give it a chance.
January 11, 2011 at 7:44 pm
Oh, no!!! It looks amazing, on the bush, that is. Let us see you wearing it! Can’t make an informed decision until we have some modeled shots. But, truly, don’t you think it’s about time you keep something for yourself!!!
January 11, 2011 at 8:09 pm
I agree – we need pics of you modeling it please. I’ll bet it looks great – you’ve just been looking at it too long. It’s abso-freakin-lutely gorgeous, so it’s got to work. (Of course, if after all that you still need to give it away, you have my address. Just in case we’re calling dibs.)
January 11, 2011 at 8:42 pm
yeah take a picture of you wearing it….make a post about everyone voting and we will give honest answers whether we think it suits you or not..then decide 🙂
January 11, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Send it on a trip around the world? Flat Stanley style….only more like “warm, traveling knitting” style.
January 12, 2011 at 1:16 am
A really good principal I worked for told me to always wait 5 hours before sending a response to a negative parent email. I think the same advice could be adapted here. Wait 5 days. Lay it on your bed, on a chair and just let it soak in. Once it is gone, it is gone.
I want to make a gallery on my Smug mug site with my different knitting projects. Problem is all my photos look like kaka. Can you do a little blog with a few photo pointers?
Fondly,
Nancy
PS- Are you going to the sock thing in Portland this summer?
January 12, 2011 at 9:41 am
Personally, if you don’t like it now…you never will. Just part with it immediately is what I say. (Perhaps to your favorite quilter???) Give ya a quarter…
January 12, 2011 at 1:07 pm
Ahh, I know the feeling. Sometimes things don’t come out “right”, despite using the perfect yarn in the perfect color with the perfect pattern. Sometimes we need them to come out right, either for comfort or reward, and it just doesn’t work. Perhaps you are overthinking it? If you can’t quite put your finger on why it doesn’t jive, then maybe its due to the fact that you need it to feel perfect and are being overly critical. I say put it out of sight for a couple weeks and come back to it with a fresh perspective. Not when you need it to be right but when you feel ready to look at it again. 🙂
January 12, 2011 at 1:18 pm
Oh no! I also recently completed my first Stephen West shawl – pogona – only to be a little disappointed in the size as well. Wish it was a tad larger! And believe me, I stretched the sucker on the blocking mats 😉
I decided I still thought it was beautiful though, but it’s not big enough to be worn like those picture on his pattern..boo…