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Jun 29, 2014

Frog It with Flair

The times change and we change with them.
Latin proverb, sometimes attributed to Ovid

We all know I'm deep in the throes of an afghan addiction, the proof of which can be found all over this blog and on Ravelry.

My afghan obsession represents a change from the past because for a very long time, I thought of myself as a sweater knitter. It was a reasonable outlook, since for many years that was where I focused the majority of my knitting time, efforts and yarn dollars.

A few years ago, back when I was primarily a sweater knitter, I spent a healthy chunk of an extremely hot, sticky summer knitting a modified version of Flair by Wendy Bernard. It's a nice, versatile pattern.


Working on this cardigan, however, taught me many things:
  • Top-down construction is clever and convenient.
  • Top-down, one-piece sweaters are basically blankets with sleeves.
  • Top-down, one-piece wool sweaters can be cozy to work on in January but sweltering in June.
If you recall this project at all, it's most likely for one reason: My talented friend Robin took some lovely photos of the FO. The sweater is nice, but as you can see by the examples below, her pictures are dynamite. (To see more of her professional work, go to Robin Feld Photography.)


Recently, I took a careful look at the cold, hard facts, an exercise that was quite revealing. This is essentially a three-season cardigan, but over the course of a couple of years, I’ve worn it exactly zero times.

Nada. Never.


Why?

It turns out one-piece raglan sweaters are extraordinarily unbecoming on me. This fact has led me to a difficult but logical determination: It’s time to frog the frickin’ thing.


I've only just begun the rip, rip, ripping of all that knit, knit, knitting, but now that the initial shock has passed, it promises to be a remarkably soothing and contemplative task.


What will the yarn become in its next manifestation? I have no clue. It's possible it will find its way into another sweater. It's equally likely to end up in an afghan, but that decision can wait.

For now, I'm going to take my time and frog it with flair.


11 comments:

  1. It's difficult to undo all that work, isn't it? Looking forward to seeing what this yarn is destined to become ...

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  2. Sniffle sniffle - I feel your pain! I love top down construction but the last one I did was totally unflattering and I need to frog it as well.

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  3. Oh, that is hard! But, at least you are able to reuse it and make it into something else lovely, that you will hopefully use!

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  4. It is sad after all that hard work, but if you have never worn it and never will the yarn deserves to become something loved!!

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  5. Aw what a shame :( I've got a current cardigan WIP that was from a frogged one. Sometimes it's the right choice to try again with something else

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  6. It is so sad to discover that the sweater that you spent so much time knitting just doesn't flatter you when you wear it. I recently frogged a knitted top that didn't work for me either. I made it several years ago and it just sat in a drawer. I hope you find a good use for all that yarn.

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  7. Lovely coloured yarn - hope you find a nice pattern to knit it with.

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  8. ouch, I feel for you. I'm very much a sweater knitter myself and I hate to frog. However, sometimes its the only way....Good luck with whatever that gorgeous yarn is going to become!

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  9. Oh... my heart sinks... but I completely agree, the yarn should be something that is well-loved.

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  10. It is a great colour, so I am sure it will turn into something else gorgeous.

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  11. Oh my! That's a lot of frogging. I'm always in awe of people who make blankets and sweaters. So much patience.

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-b