Guys, I just cannot get on top of this project.

First of all I tried it with a yarn that was, frankly, a pain in the behind. I was trying to hold it double, even though it’s yarn on a cone, so was having to unravel balls of it to work from, then join more on as it ran out. The yarn is splitty by nature and holding double exacerbated that. And it didn’t feel nice in my hands.

I was also failing to follow the pattern and had made several mistakes by the time I took this picture:

I included it in a WiPs post, and some kind commenters recommended what I knew in my heart of hearts: follow the advice of Edwin Collins, rip it out and start again.

I bought new, cotton yarn (Drops Safran) and, while I was still holding double, it all seemed much easier. I did have a few false starts (three of ’em), but after those, the remake was whizzing along. I thought it’d soon be out of my hair. Never a great sign, when that’s how you feel about finishing a project – that you’re ‘getting rid of it’ rather than ‘finishing it’.

Now is perhaps a good time to note that a break from blogging meant a break from photographing my knits. This meant, in hindsight rather foolishly, a break from spreading out my knits and looking at them properly.

As I came close to finishing the second sleeve, and therefore the whole garment, I noticed that the raglans were completely uneven:

The right of the picture looks fine. The left of the picture decidedly does not. I unravelled the whole thing in very poor humour.

But now I’m looking at other people’s project pics on Ravelry and… I think that’s just how it looks? It’s hard to tell but it seems like at least one of those projects shows the raglans unevenly placed.

It’s for G, and I had them try it on more than once. It was a little neat, which I thought blocking would solve, but no sense of it being twisted around…

I’ve put the yarn in a time out. I don’t know if trying it again would be perseverance or madness. What do you think?


17 responses to “The Saga of the Rave Sleeves”

  1. yarnmama Avatar

    It sounds like it’s time to let it go. Either something is not clicking for you or it’s just wonky. It sucks, but it happens to all of us at times.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      I really have given it a good go, but we’re not getting on!

      Liked by 1 person

  2. Kat Avatar

    As one who has had giant raglan problems recently, I hear you! I don’t know how that will wear with that twisting… would it wriggle around the body as one wears it? I fear it might. I knit once with yarn that biased insanely early on in my knitting. I blocked the hell out of it but when I wore it… well, yarn has a mind of its own… yep, it twisted as I wore it. (I am sure this is not the advice you were looking for… sorry!)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      No it’s actually nice to hear that it’s not just me, and I’m not giving up too easy! It was a request from my partner so I’ll just have to find (or create) an alternative.

      Like

  3. Missy’s Crafty Mess - 365 Knit Socks Avatar

    oh no! I completely frogged half of a cardigan the other day. The yarn is still completing its time out punishment. So, frustrating when it happens but it does happen to all of us

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      Honestly, I hope that yarn is thinking hard about its actions 😂

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Jane Wolfe Avatar
    Jane Wolfe

    Frogging does happen to all of us. This winter I unraveled an entire sweater because it was just too big and the yarn was too nice for a sweater I’d rarely wear. What ever you decide, needles crossed it works out for you.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      Needles crossed, I love that 😊

      Like

  5. tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles Avatar

    Sorry its been a challenge and hopefully the yarn will get itself together during its time out ;-)

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      It needs to have a word with itself because its behaviour has been unacceptable 😁

      Liked by 1 person

  6. knittingissofun Avatar

    OMG. That’s frustrating.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      I’m so peeved about it 😄

      Liked by 1 person

  7. highlandheffalump Avatar

    I’d give up on that pattern personally. There’s so many others to try and even if it was a bought one it’s probably only cost you the same as a coffee and cake. Onwards and upwards.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      You’re absolutely right – there’s no shortage of patterns in the world!

      Liked by 1 person

  8. quiteayarnblog Avatar

    That is a shame, but I know what you mean. It does look a little wonky – and maybe that just is the pattern. At this point I would just move on and make something similar for G – there have to be patterns that are close that would behave and cooperate with you!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. CA Avatar

      Surely! I suppose it’s just like people, you can’t get on with everyone 😁

      Liked by 1 person

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