I came to the conclusion today that some things just don’t work out.

For instance, a sweater I’ve been working on for two days in chunky yarn did not turn out at all. The shoulders were too big, the button band didn’t meet in the front in the right places, the seed stitch pattern done on size 19 needles made me look tubby (which I am not, thank you very much), and to top it all off, I ran out of yarn. So I stuffed it back in the bag and decided to ignore it for a while until I can make time to frog it. I didn’t feel like ripping it back right now, so it can linger in its ugliness.

Sweaters are wonderful when they work out, but awful when they don’t (obviously…just thought I’d point that out). All the other sweaters I’ve made have always been fine, albeit not exactly how I imagined, but what thing that I make ever is? However, this sweater attempt did not work out, and I think I know why:

I don’t like to follow patterns exactly. I’m a little bit of a know-it-all sometimes, and sometimes, I just think I know a better way of doing things than what the designer of the pattern suggests. This quality is great to possess–most of the time–because it means I can improvise, improve, adapt. It makes my work original and unique and wonderfully mine. The downside, though, is that sometimes my changes are not always for the better (obviously, as in this most recent case).

So for now, my failure shall sit in a bag until I can face it again and change it (sometimes I wish this approach worked in life). I still think the yarn will be used for a sweater, just a different one (obviously, again).

And the lesson in all of this would be: when all else fails, go crochet some granny squares.