Let go of perfectionism in your knitting...I can help!
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- Опубліковано 27 чер 2024
- Today we're chatting about perfectionism in crafting and what to do about it.
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Tayler
We all experience it from time to time...but how and when do we let it go?
I'm 71 years old and this subject hits home for me. My Step-Mom taught her self and me, how to knit. Everything she did was perfect. She would tear things apart and do them over until they were perfect. I still have a lot of her hand knits and her machine knits and you look at the seams she sewed together and they are perfect, truly perfect. She was always trying to correct what she thought I was doing wrong. I continued to knit, but I always knew I would never be as good as she was. Now, skip ahead to now, and along comes Stephen West. As you can imagine, I love Stephen because as you watch him knit and talk you through his patterns, he tells you not to sweat being out a few stitches because you can add a few, or decrease a few and no one will ever know and it won't affect the garment. WELL! That was my eye opener! You can make mistakes! You can knit anything you want because we have great teachers like Stephen that will walk you through technique and everything else. I'm not saying you shouldn't strive for perfect, but it's not the end of the world if you don't achieve it. I also think everyone knits differently and if you are happy with how your knits fit and feel and look, then that's perfect.
Wow, thank you for sharing your story!
Quote by Anne Wilson Schaef: “Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order.”
One of the best tips I got was from The Stitchery here on youtube, where she stands back 5 feet and goes "can I see it? Nope, good enough" She calls it the 5 ft rule. Another thing that helps me battle my perfectionism is looking at older projects and seeing how much better my current ones are. I sewed a bag for my bestie, and it was the first one I ever did. It has its flaws, but she loves it so much she's wearing holes in it and won't let me replace it for her! It makes me proud of the older things I've made as well as the newer ones.
I’ve always heard, if you can’t see an error from 3 feet away, it’s not a mistake. 😊
Knitting is a new hobby I took up as an exercise in overcoming my perfectionism. My flavor of perfectionism is not being able to tell when something is done or "good enough". Because knitting is a series of steps, each section offers me a chance to weigh my options and decide whether I can live with a mistake or not. Then, once that decision has been made and I move on that door is closed. And when I get to the end of the pattern...well, the project is done! No more fretting over knowing if I'm done and happy with it.
I never really thought about this. I am sort of particular in that i dont start a lot of projects unless i am already confident that i can do it well. And if it doesnt work out i have no problem starting over, frogging, rethinking or just learning and doing it differently next time. I am pretty picky about my final finished products but its because i just want them to be my best work. I recently made a mistake in my decreases on a heel flap and gusset sock. I reversed which way they leaned. I spent a whole day figuring out how to fix it and now i know how but i decided not to fix my socks. Its ok because i figured out what i did, how to change it, why it bothered me and thats enough to make the mistake not a mistake and for cryin out loud its under my foot and inside my shoe.
Perfectionism is just so boring! I own my mistakes and love the odd personality they gives to my handmade items. Value my time more than the excellence!
Yes! I love this outlook on mistakes Alek. ❤
Hey Tayler. Great video. In relation to knitting there is only one question I ask myself and that is “Will I wear it?” If the answer is No then I go back and fix it - no matter what it takes. That’s because if I don’t fix it then I won’t wear it and the effort I have invested will be wasted. If the answer to my question is yes (I will wear it) then I mentally reclassify my “mistake”. It’s genuinely not a mistake to me anymore it’s just the same as any other stitch and I let it go. 😊
You have such a beautiful way of offering practical steps to something very emotional. Lovely podcast. Thank you
THIS!
As my grandmother the knitter used to say, "It will never be noticed on a galloping horse!"
I always felt that knitting is a great cure for perfectionism: the fact that you can restart, re-think, learn something new without wastage, is super encouraging. As I’ve aged I notice I’m much more relaxed about restarting something and not stressing about mistakes. I decide in a case by case basis whether it’s worth it to correct any mistakes, or if it’s not necessary at all. Sometimes I just change things, and the result can be something I had not planned at all and better than Plan A. On the other hand, I’ve also learned to be more perfectionist when it matters: instead of burying my head in the sand and just hope the mistake goes away by itself, I try to face reality head on and decide what to do, instead of going on and on, “throwing good money after bad”…
honestly the meme "who's gonna know? nobody's gonna know? how would they know?" has been so helpful with little imperfections in my knitting because it puts things in perspective for me, genuinely, who will know if this tiny thing is off??? how????
My maxim is to strive for excellence rather than perfection. The latter always sets you up for a fall! Excellence is the best that you can do given your own abilities and limitations. Perfection leads to guilt, self-judgment, lack of self-worth.
everytime you said "at the onset of your project" it made me chuckle, cause it conjured up an image of a frenzied bout of crafting like it was a fever sickness or something
thanks for your awesome and uplifting content and attitude! your videos always make me think beyond the moment.
I have to remind myself that everything doesn’t have to be perfect. Im learning from my mistakes.
I don't remember where I saw this, so I can't give appropriate credit, but it has been too valuable to me not to share.
"Perfectionism is not about quality work. It's about ego."
Watching all of your videos as a form of self-healing. Thank you!
I'm afraid I fall into the "there's a tiny mistake that no one will see ever, might as well START OVER" camp. 😂🤦♀️ I've gotten better about it as I've aged, but I'm stubborn and patient enough to rip out nearly completed garments multiple times because I couldn't sleep. Literally could not sleep knowing the mistakes still existed. Please don't follow my example! 😊 People who do not knit or crochet likely won't see your mistakes, they'll just be impressed that you made the thing! Knitters/crocheters who see mistakes will appreciate your work because they understand (and if they don't, then they're not the kind of people you want to hang around with! )
Let go of trying to duplicate the work a machine can do. I see it in spinners of all level of skill. We aren't machines. Sometimes fixing a mistake is also an opportunity to learn a new skill that could help you in the future. I have two mistakes in the sweater I am currently knitting. One mistake isn't worth the hassle to fix, the other mistake is worth me taking the time to fix by laddering it down and picking up those stitches the proper way.
4H motto is "to make the best better ". I think of that when I'm deciding to fix it or leave it.
I find it really validating when I see that a seasoned “expert” knitter makes mistakes. Some mistakes are worth reworking and some will fall to duplicate stitch corrections. Thanks for broaching the subject.
I very much appreciate the point about the difference between doing something right and doing perfectly. ❤
Oh my goodness. 10 minutes in and I LOVE this so much. I am a pretty new knitter, but I am a professional violinist and violin teacher. I have been dealing with what I call "crippling perfectionism" in my students for YEARS!
A number of them are so afraid of making mistakes that they don't even want to start. It's gotten to the point that I have a poster on my studio wall that reads "perfection is an illusion".
You are discussing this so clearly and kindly. I may have my students watch this to get them to think through the issue and be kinder to themselves!
I made a colourwork sweater for my husband and made a mistake in the colourwork that I didn't notice until the body was done. Since it doesn't affect the fit of the sweater, I left it the way it is and my husband still loves his sweater!
probably because it's 'his sweater' it has something that makes it different from all the other sweaters made from the same pattern 😊
This is perfect for me. I’m a newer-ish knitter. I am knitting my first pair of socks. I made a huge mistake. I learned from one video to learn to fix your mistakes and move on. I would have frogged it to make it look better. But I will never learn how to make socks if I keep making the same one over and over again. I need to learn to make lots of basic socks to get better. Perfect socks is not my goal. Learning how to make socks is. They are for me. When I get better and they are gifted, I will fix them then. Otherwise, Happy Knitting 🧶
I agree!
I made my first sweater late last year and my goal was to make a sweater. I left big mistakes in because they didn’t affect how the sweater was constructed. Re-knitting wasn’t going to give me the big picture understanding of putting together a seamed garment.
@@recycleonwednesdays Exactly! Being a knitter is always about learning - not perfection!
If, in the end, you achieved a wearable pair of socks in a size that fits you I would suggest that your mistake was not that huge. 😊
I am learning how to knit, but i also crochet. I made my father in law a blanket for Christmas one year, and one of the corners was wonky. He didn't care, he lovec and used it all time, when he could pry it away from my Mother in law. It was an important lesson, that most people don't see your mistakes, they love having a useful, unique item made just for them. After he passed away, my mother in law keeps that blanket on her bed, since it brings her comfort and helps her feel close to him, even though he is gone.
If I can't immediately fix the problem and it doesn't affect the functionality, the project goes in 'time out" for say 2 weeks, if by the end of that 2 weeks I've either forgotten about the mistake, or remember but can't find it, I plod on happily. If I can find it and it gets on my nerves then it's work around time or frog and fix, but I do always try to give myself that space first
This is a great idea! I will definitely try it - thanks!
I'm knitting a shawl in fingering yarn with different sections of colors and techniques...there are mistakes. After listening to your video I feel more confident/relax about leaving my mistakes in the over-all project. Thanks for your valuable advice, it could be applied to more than our knitters and crafters!
If I see something wrong I HAVE TO FIX IT. I feel more at ease starting all over again if it will look at the item and like it, otherwise I will kinda hunt me.
I always try to do the most minimal undoing as possible. If I see a split stitch, wrong stitch, twisted stitch or wrong increase/decrease and is notorious, I will undo the column and fix it. I know I'll look at it and I will notice and it will bug me to the end of time 😂
Lots of great advice to ponder. I’ve been able, on rare occasions, to “let it go,” but would like to get to the point where minor mistakes don’t even make me flinch. Thanks for broaching the topic, Tayler.
Thank you for relating this kind of thinking to the craft, we don't want to tarnish our favorite hobby and maybe this will be a baby step in accepting less than perfect. ❤
I tend to be a perfectionist, but am learning to be more flexible. I recently was fixing something fairly minor only to later realize I had dropped a stitch and had to go back again. A mistake can be a learning experience. I “fixed” a cable on a hat with duplicate stitch thanks to UA-cam university. Great topic!
Fabulous episode. Good mental exercise in self-acceptance.
Wonderful post and a good question! Mom said when she would knit us mittens as children, we tended to lose the perfect ones, but not the imperfect ones. I tend to work hard to make it right, hope for perfection, but not obsess over it. Also try to do the concept of "will this matter in 5 years?" (or pick the number of your choice). It helps. Thanks for sharing!
There's a saying that you put your soul into your craft and leaving a mistake allows it to escape.
My "self talk" with the need to be perfect had more to do with self worth. I've learned to embrace imperfections since then with the mind of a scientist, when things dont go as expected, take a look at all the variables and correct it or try again. In the meantime, I'll get my satisfaction from knitting socks as something I can finish and use while I work on getting something done to my level of satisfaction. Feeds both sides of my soul
Great video love the philosophy, great comments too. I think you should do a video on repairs. I have on many occasions found that little winged friends have snacked on handmade garments. Depending where the hole is, I now make little conspicuous fingering weight patches and sew them on ( the idea is like your mum used to do when you tore the knee out of your jeans). I really feel this could become a trend and would fit well with the new mending is trending vibe.
I was once told that knitters would intentionally make a small error so the receiver of the gift ( and anyone who thought they needed to inspect the work) knew it was a hand knit and not some well made machine version being passed off as a hand knit.
Just the message that I needed to hear in time for memademay! Thank you very much
Crafting projects are a living journal. I'm learning to embrace minor mistakes as part of that "journal" - makes it easier to track progress and learning when you keep the mistakes around, and very often they don't seem so bad after a while! The only question I ask myself is "Can I live with it?".
I look at these issues as a process, rather than a product knitter. If I have to do some part of things over again it’s all good. I get to knit some more without buying any more yarn.
There are SO many cultural traditions involved with perfect things being bad luck, or attracting bad energy/spirits. My personal view of it all is it is a way to acknowledge that the more perfect and enviable something or someone is, the more trouble that comes for it because it is more valued.
I think in Ireland/Whales/Scotland there's something about making intentional mistakes in your work to not make the fae jealous.
Many culturals believe pretty babies need to be protected similarly, that having seen their cuteness you've put them at risk for having the "evil eye" come for them.
There are many stories and fables about the dangers of trying to be too perfect throughout our cultures.
Which, while I don't believe in anything supernatural myself, I DO acknowledge the dangers of being too perfect.
There are some incredible crafters out there that can tink back only the section they found the mistake, say a cable section. Dropping that section and undoing all that work, that gives me anxiety 😂
A quote I often think about “ why is there never enough time to do it right the first time, but there is always time to do it over?”
Tayler, I'm so jealous of your hair today! Love it!!!
Thank you Emily! It was warm in my office on this day and I felt like it kept curling more and more! 😂
For the first bunch of years of my knitting and crocheting, if I saw a mistake, I would rip back to where it was and fix it no matter how far I had to go. It took me a long time to get over that. A couple of years ago I made a cabled sweater for my daughter and I noticed a mistake pretty far down on the back. So I showed the piece to her and asked her if she saw the mistake and she said no. Then I showed it to her partner and he didn’t see it either. So I left it in! I’m at a point where if the mistake isn’t obvious, I’m okay with it. It only took me about 25 + years to get there! Love your videos btw!
I have worked on projects before and found I've made the same mistake several times, rather than frog and start before the 1st mistake I've intentionally repeated the 'mistake' at random through the rest of the project to ensure it became a design element.
So smart!
I think it is also important to know what works for you. Sometimes I follow a pattern and know that I have better way to do it than the pattern tells me to do. I don't mean that the pattern is badly written. There are just ways I like to do things and ways I stay away from. Maybe switching something may cause the project look bit different but if it makes it easier or/and more enjoyable for you, it is worth it. There are things I have tried to learn and wrap my mind around but just cannot. Or it just takes too much brain power to work with that I don't want to bother. I accept that because I am not perfect and I don't try to be.
My mother-in-law is a knitter and huge perfectionist. She finds tiny mistakes in my knitting and criticises. Interestingly, I’ve never seen her finish anything.
Interesting how that works. 😉❤
Is a person truly a knitter if they never finish a project? Forge on!😊
If I wanted perfection, I'd buy a machine made item. If the item is still functional, I consider slip ups the mark of uniqueness and make the thing more special 😊. Definitely not in danger of being a perfectionist 😅
As far as hiding or covering up a mistake, I've seen a fair number of designs/classes/patterns more recently that have been incorporating embroidery on your knits. I think this could be a great way to hide a mistake on knitting (particularly an error with raglan increases, or in the yoke, but anywhere visible on the garment it would probably work) that could also be an opportunity to learn or grow with a new skill. I think this could also be helpful if you chose to ignore a mistake, but then later after completing the project you are regretting the decision or the mistake is bothering you more than you thought it would.
I started knitting with the idea that I could control the process and finish something. Fast forward a decade, I enjoy my craft life as a place where I can be creative, play with different ideas and have something to share with others. Sometimes things don't work out, then I frog and start over 😊.
I knit wrong….some people call it the “Old Russian Grandmother” style. It’s how my mom taught me when I was 8. She by this time was knitting “properly”, but I my hands were too small to do the purl without dropping stitches. Then as I grew up and got busy, I stopped knitting…and picked it up again when I started to have grand kids. I was horrified to see that I knit wrong all these years….i knit through the back loop and pull differently than the “proper” way. Now when doing nothing but stocking stitch, there is no difference. Even cables there is not a lot of difference…but lace knitting….difference with SSK and K2TOG as well as yarn overs etc…..
Not at 64 I find the purl stitch the proper way so clumsy…but as I decided lace knitting is something I love as do my daughters and granddaughters…I am slow…have made a ton of mistakes…but everyone wears my mistake ridden sweaters, summer tops and winter sweaters with pride as if it is an original from Paris….it is original..but from Seattle and my craft room rocking chair……..
Each garment I get a bit better and starting to try to knit “properly” more often..especially if short rows are involved!
Ugh! If only I'd seen this video an hour earlier, as I had just completed the first sleeve of a sweater destined for a friend, decided my work was sub-par (even though no one but me would see the "flaws") AND RIPPED THE ENTIRE THING OUT! I think my desire for perfection stems from my lifelong experience as a seamstress - the highest compliment I could get was when someone was incredulous to learn that I made the garment. Likewise, I never want my knitting to look like it was made by "loving hands at home", i.e. flawed. My knitting group is well-aware of the many projects I've ripped out. This video gave me a lot to think about. It's not as if I'm getting judged by a tribunal. The garment will still function for its intended purpose, and marled or tweed yarn can hide a multitude of errors! I hope I will carry this lesson going forward...
Good to know that you’re not a perfect knitter 😬… cuz your knits always look flawless!!!
I work in IT, and subscribe to the “It’s not a bug, it’s a feature” camp whenever possible. Bob Ross also talked about “happy little accidents” in his painting demonstrations. That said, I do have one hibernating project that I’m going to completely frog and start over since the foundation stitches are riddled with errors that I don’t think I’ll be able to turn into something beautiful.
Pretty much every crocheted item I’ve done, and the one knitted item, has some sort of mistake or flaw, but I’ve noticed that while initially after I’ve finished the item, as time passes I forget what the mistake was and I look at the item thinking “wow I did that and I did a great job!” A handful of times I should have gone back and fixed it but on those that would have been a ton of work.
I needed to hear this, thank you.
I think that my issues with something being perfect is my own need to compare my work to others that show”perfect” FO’s and my own self sabotage. I say perfect in quotes, because the host may never claim that it’s perfect, it’s me assuming it is. But sometimes, it would nice to have a podcaster admit and SHOW some of the flaws in their work. I appreciate your comments on the raglan eyelets. That happens to me all the time! With that said, if the item that I am knitting is a gift, I am much harsher judge on myself.
I start to hate everything i knit but after i am finished after a few weeks i start to chill about it
I ask myself what I’d say to a friend who came to me with this “mistake.” Then I do that for myself.
I made sure to learn how to knit socks 2 at a time because 1) I have “Second Sock Syndrome,” and 2) if there’s a mistake on the first sock, I’ll probably make it on the second, and at least they’ll match!
I so needed this! Thank you ❤❤❤
This was not only great advice for crafting, but many points could be applied to life in general!! GREAT podcast!!💕 I've struggled with perfectionism my whole life, in every aspect... But this past year, I've been on medical leave and I've tried to focus more on what brings me joy, and knitting/crocheting and crafting provide pure joy and the mindfulness I need to enjoy life. Yes sometimes, I must "frog" something, but if it's a minor thing it now stays! Huge step for me!!
Enjoy your podcasts so much! Always great content and very helpful!!❤️🧶☺️ Thanks!!
Good Job! -Adam
I used to struggle with perfectionism; hence wouldn’t finish. Now at the ripe age of 70 I don’t have time for that silliness. I’m crocheting a granny square afghan for the first time; it has a few mistakes in it, but I love it it’s going to be a great blanket a do the job it was meant to do and it’s beautiful ❤️
There is also a point where worrying if you are perfectionist is its own problem! 😜 I have enough years in fine art and professional graphic design that I am no perfectionist, just rightist.
I shall contribute a saying from my great-grandmother, referring to minor cosmetic flaws that aren’t particularly visible: “It’ll never be seen from a galloping horse!” You’re welcome. 😘
Great-grandma’s saying just had me burst out laughing aloud! Ain’t that the truth!!!😂😂
I love this discussion! My favorite thing to say to friends who point out a little mistake on a project is, "If anyone notices, they're looking too close!"
I don't feel like I'm a perfectionist with my knitting, but there are definitely parts of my life that I felt very called out 😅
I needed to hear this, thank you. I am a detailed oriented perfectionist and at one time it started causing my knitting to feel tedious. I never want knitting to feel tedious, I want to enjoy the process and not fixate on the results. I have learned to relax and oddly that has actually improved the results.😂😂😂
I am working a design with 2 side rws of cables. One place didn't look pronounced so I think I made an error. I tried to fix it. It's OK but not the best. Today I will graft the area, remove those 17 stitches, redo again. Because it would look much better. Something like that would make the sweater look better if fixed.
I currently have a crochet bag on hold because I’m not sure it’s perfect! Must be sure before lining it! 🫢
I always like to say "there are a few mistakes in here, but that's how you know it's handmade!"
I feel like hand made things are meant to have character. If I want something perfect, I will buy one a machine made. Even then, things do not remain perfect. Even the most well made things grow old and develop flaws. I say be kind to yourself. Do your best, and it will be good enough.
I’m a bit of a perfectionist I have to confess. If I find a minimal mistake way back I ask myself “Do I want it perfect or do I want it done?”
I've been sewing for almost 60 years, and will pick out most mistakes. Most things I make have no time limit, so I figure I want the item to not have careless errors that I might find on cheap ready-to-wear items. That said, when I've complimented women on something they've sewn, they typically point out the errors in the piece. It can make the person who complimented the piece feel like their praise was meaningless. Just learn to accept the compliment, and say, "Thanks, I had a lot of fun knitting it!" If the other person starts to examine the piece looking for mistakes, that's a problem you can't begin to solve.
"It can make the person who complimented the piece feel like their praise was meaningless." Good point! I'm sure the maker doesn't mean to do this, but it's a good thing to think about. And the person who denigrates the complement might want to meditate on: "Why can't I accept praise?"
Great video it gave permission to enjoy knitting once again, I was also told you need 1 mistake so your soul doesn't get caught in the piece 😅
I’m fine with imperfections of the knit item is for me depending on how big the mistake it is. If however the knit item is a gift then I have to frog it back. Like a Sophie shawl I am making for someone else. There is a small mistake near the beginning and I am halfway finished. I have to take it back completely and start again. My fellow knitters have that it won’t be noticed but it bothers me too much.
Thank you for this video! I'm knitting a stuffed animal for the first time and messed up an eye lid! I think I can hide it with the eyeball. The legs are supposed to be stockinette stitch, but wound up being garter stitch; but they are even, both legs look identical. I don't want to pull out the knitting for that. I'm putting it all down to learning stuffed animals!
And unless the recipient is the author of the pattern, how would they know the difference anyway?
This is so helpful! ❤
I'm so glad Melissa!
I heard a long time ago that you should leave at least one "mistake" in a project to keep the bad faeries away. Must be that bad faeries are perfectionists? IDK but I'm always happily amused when I find at least one mistake I "must" leave in. 🥰
Just another perspective of fixing 'errors'. I am currently working on a knit t-shirt in 4-ply (I believe that is fingering weight in the US). It is knit in the round bottom-up. As I was knitting it I did not like the loose and uneven ribbing at the bottom of the garment, but I carried on until I got to the armholes. At this point, I found out that the pattern had an error - the pattern involves blocks of knit and purl, and the amount of stitches in a purl section and knit section had been reversed. It would make the pattern unsymmetrical and I did not like that, but after 38cm of knitting on 3mm needles 🙃 I did not want to unpick it all. I tried to unpick the incorrect knits (by dropping stitches back to the hem) but it impaired the tension in those stitches that I had unpicked and picked back up as purl. So here I am having ripped it all back to the beginning. I decided that as I was ripping it back anyway, I would knit the hem ribbing on a smaller needle and 4x4 rib instead of 2x2 rib. It is making for a much neater rib so it has improved the overall aesthetic. I normally would allow some imperfections but on this one occasion it has proved worthwhile to start again. I now only have 1cm of rib so far, but i really love the yarn (a bamboo cotton from a store bought jumper that I unpicked) and the pattern. Sometimes, you just have to go back, but sometimes you can accept that an error just makes it 'yours'.
I'm so into an item being functional. Just finishing up my binge of sweater making to start frogging a few projects because they weren't functional. My first and only pair of colourwork mittens look great - but they don't fit me. I've put off frogging for at least a year. Planned every step to get back to workable yarn cakes as well as redesigning the pattern to fit my hands better. Second frogging project is my first brioche scarf. Quite a few visible mistakes but my choice of light gray as the main colour with the two contrast colours (navy + burgundy) is the biggest mistake of all. I haven't worn the scarf since it was finished 2 winters ago.
To me, my biggest mistake has been waiting so long to frog because I've got a lot more work to make the yarn ready to knit. Lesson learned as I frog as soon as possible now.
You posed very good insightful questions to help someone release themselves from knitting perfection.
Finished is better than perfect!
I've been struggling with this a lot lately as I consider myself more advanced I expected myself to become perfect. Just in my recent project I decided to keep all mistakes if they don't ruin der shawl (like dropped stitches - I fixed those). It's been a bit of a journey of personal growth. I also implemented the "husband rule". If I show him my WIP and say "Look the mistake I made." and he can't figure out what I'm referring to, I keep the mistake. Nobody will look at the piece as close as I do. Not even fellow knitters.
The copy (used) of Three Bags Full arrived today.
Yay!! Enjoy!
I have a rotator cuff problem ( no surgery required) so I’m doing more reading and less needlepoint and less knitting while I work on strengthening my arm. The doctor, PA and PT assured me it’s not knitting and needlepoint that caused the problem.
It's a design element! Accept if you can and move on. We joke all the time within my crafting circle about this. We're enjoying our craft and hope to improve but not everything is perfect. Even ready to wear has flaws.
What a lovely podcast.
Excellent advice! Thank you 😁
It’s the reason I do not follow patterns, I make my own patterns, in my head so there is nothing right or wrong and it does not matter if I am hand knitting, machine knitting, crocheting or sewing. If it’s done and wearable say, if I know there’s a missed stitch in the joining up well who is going to whip it off me to check? If I used a different seam to the recommended pattern, so what. Better finished than perfect 🇬🇧
Looking forward to part 2
I'm not a religious person at all, but I once heard that the Amish say something perfect made by a human would be an offense to God. So I try to embrace a mistake or two as a sign that I am a flawed but nonetheless valuable human being.
I heard something similar regarding Amish quilts. The women would purposefully make a mistake or leave one in so as not to insult God.
@@valeriehowden471 yes, that's where I heard it also. In fact, I made an Amish style quilt years ago, and when I was finished, I realized that one square was 90 degrees off, and I was actually relieved to know that it had an error. :)
I have heard the same saying attributed to the Navajo weavers, or just a vague "Indian tribe", or even some religion in Africa. I personally do not believe that humans can be perfect no matter how hard we try. So I expect to make mistakes and don't bother with them unless they will significantly affect whatever I am making. I prefer variegated yarn, thick/thin yarn, "hairy" yarns, and the like because mistakes are less likely to show. I've been quilting lately and precision is more important to get a good result. Did I mention that I prefer "improv" quilts and a scrappy color way? Wonder why? LOL Perfectionism makes crafting less relaxing I think, and why bother to craft if it makes you anxious?
Hmm well I decided 4 weeks ago to 'live' with a glaring mistake on this current wip. The reason being I had cast on 370 stitches 3 times on a bottom up sweater. I WAS not inclined to do it a 4th time. The mistake is incorrect stitch cast on... again... and there's a v shape in the hem where I 'fixed' it. It bugged me for 3 weeks and now I just shrug and decide this 'design feature' is here to stay! 😅
Wow. This was so good. I struggle with a lot of the things mentioned. Mostly expecting perfection when that’s not in proportion with my actual skill and experience. This was thought provoking and encouraging. 💚🧶 Heading over to the chat. 😁
Unfortunately I am a perfectionist, not just with my knitting, but in everything I do, been this way since I was a small child and I am now 78, so very doubtful I will ever change.
I'm 73 and I HAVE changed, in order to keep from driving myself and those around me crazy! In my case, my perfectionism arose because I was the child of an alcoholic. I learned that perfectionism was my attempt to control an uncontrollable situation. I had to quilt blaming myself for the behavior of others, and learn to let it go. One cause of my anxiety was unrealistic expectations, of myself and others. Another was "magical thinking", that if I concentrated hard enough, or tried long enough, things would change. I had to learn what was under my control and what was not, and sometimes I had to remove certain circumstances from my life. And I learned to release my burdens to Jesus Christ at His invitation. I don't know, Patricia, if any of these ideas apply to you or not, but I hope they have been helpful! I would encourage you to let go of whatever harmed you as a small child. It still isn't too late to change.
I understand your point and I don’t disagree with it, but I am a perfectionist knitter. And to be honest, I get a little annoyed at times with my friends who constantly tell me oh just let it go -You don’t need to fix that. The thing is I want to fix it. I enjoy creating things that are as perfect as I can make them. That’s literally part of the pleasure of the process for me. But I don’t put that point of view out to other people. I have no problem with my friends and family that allow mistakes to remain in their Knitting. If they’re comfortable with it then that’s up to them and I have no problem with that. I do sometimes feel a little picked on, I am a perfectionist. If it’s not making me unhappy, then that’s OK also. We need to allow for people to have different points of view.
I love your top. Is it your pattern? What's your experience when knitting with dark yarn?
I need a flow chart with these questions 😅
A little question: will the mistake in your garment, have the impact of not wearing it?
The answer I normally have is, if it means you won’t wear it, the fix the mistake ❤
Yes! I agree 100%. And I don’t think I emphasized this enough in this video so I’m so glad you mentioned here. ❤️
Another point to considering and that im currently dealing with. Does the misstanke influence your desire to finish the project?
Im knitting a cardigan with a decorative border. And somwhere early I seem to have made a misstanke so that im on differential lines in the pattern at the right and left side of the cardigan. I really dont think anyone will notice but since descovering the problem I have not wanted to pick up the project. So if I dont fix it it will never be finished...
Learning to spin really makes a person let go of perfectionism 🙄. I think embracing doing your best, at whatever level your best is at any given moment within whatever craft you are doing, is a good way to enjoy the hobby without perfection paralysis. I have decided to apporach spinning with a wabi sabi philosophy. My knitting, crochet, and handspun will never be perfect. Some mistakes I can live with, some need to be fixed. I am trying to pay more attention to that little knitting and crochet voice that tells me something is wrong. I usually regret it when I ignore the voice and have to rip out a lot more stitches.