A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post about my favorite finished items: pieces that have stood the test of time.
But life isn’t all daisies and roses… I’ve had my share of a few flops. Today, I’m going to share some finished items that turned out to be flops. Most of the flops are completely my fault: I picked an inappropriate yarn, I made changes to the pattern (which didn’t turn out so well) or I rushed ahead without doing a proper gauge swatch. So, I’m not going to link to the patterns… because it’s not really their fault.
Here we go! Weep along with me…
The super-stiff wrap
The pattern called for lace-weight yarn held double on size 6 needles. Somehow, I thought that if I held a laceweight yarn (in pretty colors) with a dk yarn (that I had a ton of), it would come out alright.
The gauge swatch should have been my clue: it was stiff… but I pressed on. The finished item (and this was a lot of knitting!) is as stiff as a board, and sorta uncomfortable to wear. And, because it’s knitted from 2 strands held together… it’d be a pain to frog. It’s currently living in limbo in my drawer.
The ugly yarn shawl
Fabulous pattern. Fun to knit. But the yarn…
Help! The weird pooling hurts my eyes!
The sadly felted tunic
This one breaks my heart. It took me forever to knit this entire tunic on size 3 needles. After wearing it twice, it had felted under the arms.
I told myself it was no big deal… who looks under your arms? But now, after about a dozen wearings, it’s sprung a few holes and the felting has continued to consume the sweater. I can probably eek a few more wearings out of it… but then it’s off to the trash…
The too-short hat
This one sorta is the pattern’s fault… it’s too short! It doesn’t cover my ears! What kind of hat is that?
The pilling cardigan
I LOVE this cardigan. It’s super-soft. It’s my favorite color. I handmade the buttons. I even did a fair-isle snail on the pocket.
Unfortunately, I picked a 100% merino that probably wasn’t meant for heavy-duty wear. It’s pilling… and bad. Sniff.
So, I brush it with a sweater stone, and hope it keeps hanging in there!
Have you any flops to share?
These are only the ones I’ve had since 2011! Trust me, there are even more if I go back further!
Thanks for stopping by and reading!
If you want to see more great finished items… make sure to visit Tami’s Amis blog, the organizer of this great FO Friday theme!
I hope you have an awesome and craft-filled weekend!
Be sure to check back tomorrow to see what exciting new craft I’ll get into on Craft School Saturday!
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I made a fair isle glove that had something like 10 colors on a single round. I didn’t use a larger size of dpns. ☹ It ended up the right size on the outside, but all stranding on the inside reduced it to a size only a small child could wear. ☺
@Dave- Oh no! That IS a very sad story!!!
You are such a kick and I appreciate the fact that you let us all know that you have some losers too. Big Hug.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you! I saw the wrap that turned out “super stiff” before in your blog. I really liked it and bought the pattern (still to be started). Like you, I am very blasé about substituting yarns and you have saved me from a similar sad ending. Sometimes I let wishful thinking get the better of me.
@Su- The pattern is really stunning… and I’m still thinking I’ll make it again one day (properly). So happy I saved you :)
I remember these FOs! I’m so sorry to hear about the tunic and the snail sweater. Those have been some of my favorites.
That tunic is FABULOUS! So sad to hear it is going to become unwearable soon!
I’m wondering if the self-felting tunic would whiz in the washing machine at the end of its tunic-life and then you would have felt for a glorious bag that would be the envy of us all.
Yeah, because that’s what I’m planning to do with a couple of things I can’t bear to throw out!
@Caroline- That’s an excellent suggestion. Felting it (and maybe sewing a stuffed animal from the fabric) is WAY better than just throwing it out! Thank you :)
The pullover with butterfly sleeves edged with a tablet woven band – that turned out to have clashing colors once they weren’t sitting next to each other in balls. The same thing happend with an odd ball sweater from lots of those pot luck bags at yarn close outs when I thought that was the only way I could affort yarn, and the time I machine knit a sweater for a friend in a yarn that wasn’t appropriate but I thought the customer knows best and, well, she didn’t.
I made a gorgeous black and gray striped sweater. It had different types of yarn for each of the upper stripes. They weighed so much when the whole sweater got done, that the shoulder seams just dragged it all down to my knees. And it weighed a ton, and was just plan hot. It is in a pile for frogging.
You can’t imagine how grateful I am with this post: it makes me think, OK… you’re not alone… despite shit happens…. it’s not a mistake, it’s something to improve :)
Today I had to start again… for the fifth time a simple needle bag…. My mind just forgot to switch from alternative lines…. What’s the meaning of having a pattern if you don’t read it properly? :)
Okay I could definately laugh along with you. I have had my share of disasters. I think mine are worse then yours though because I immediately put them in the trash.
It’s so good to see someone that actually shows the bad things that happen! makes us people reading feel more normal!! its such a shame about that tunic! it looks so perfect on you! Would you ever consider making it again with different yarn? or it just took too long…
Does anyone know a website or somewhere that will explain how different types of wool/fibres age?
I’m looking into buying some silk yarn for a shawl… but don’t want to waste the $40 per skein if it isn’t going to age well!
There are some great resources out there! One is to look up the yarn on Ravelry, and you’ll occasionally see comments about the wear (although, to be honest, most people’s comments are about how the item knits up, so keep that in mind). Second, Craftsy has a free class on knowing your wool, which explains different characteristics of wool. For example, merino has a short staple (fiber length), so pills easily. Third, I love the book The Knitters book of yarn- it discusses not only properties of fiber, but how the twist and ply of how the yarn is spun will affect wear over time.
Oh, and about the tunic… I might make another :)
Thanks Stacey! your the best!! i will check them all out!
I just finished knitting a 6 stitches to the inch cardigan for my father- in- law. It was supposed to be a surprise so I asked for his measurements. “Make an extra large. He wears an extra large in everything.” Despite my better judgment I knit a 49″ sweater with an extra 2″ of ease. Thw yarn was special ordered from Ireland and it took three months to finish. When he tried it on, the shoulders fit beautifully, he looked taller and thinner. Everyone complimentwd my knitting. But he didn’t like the “extra knitting around the belly”. Turns out he likes his sweaters close fitting no matter what. “Can’t you shrink it?” he asked. I nearly cried. Still don’t know what to do with it.
@ZoeOB- oh, my goodness… that’s SUCH a sad story! Don’t you just hate it when you had a feeling to begin with, and then listened to someone else?!?
Do you think he’ll change his mind? Maybe if enough folks compliment him on it…
For Erin: silk has no memory and will simply droop so take care with the pattern you use. Ask me how I know….
For Zoe: thanks so much Zoe! I’m actually making a shawl/neck scarf sort of thing – so i guess its not a big drama if it will drop a little, as long as u can still see the stitches. Thanks so much!
So sad about the sweater!! should have stuck with your judgement :( i hope it doesn’t get wasted!
For Zoe: i forgot to ask how u knew?? What did u make that drooped :(
@Erin- uh oh! I have a feeling there’s another sad story behind Zoe’s silk knowledge…
Stacey – I was going to say something similar to Caroline that you should try and completely felt the tunic and make something from it. I’ve seen awesome ideas for “recycling” felted wool: bags, toys, even coasters!
ZoeOB – would there be a way you could sew the sides to make it more form-fitting?
My biggest failures would be my first attempt at fair isle knitting (I need more practice getting tension correct with two colors), a crocheted sweater that looked horrible on me (I’m a diff shape than model) and bag I “designed” on my own to try out fun fur. My husband said it looked like something a hooker would use. I haven’t even wanted to try frogging it so it just sits in my closet.
@Carmen- oh no… not the hooker insult! That’s the worst!
Hi guys. Thanks so much for the validation.
Specific to the father-in-law sweater, the pattern was modified from one of those “knit in one piece without actually knitting in the round” jobs. With saddle shoulder sleeves. And anyone who has even knit saddle shoulder sleeves separate from the body knows the sewing up will drive you mad! I could indeed sew up the sides to take it in but it would ruin the knitting (and waste an awful lot of yarn). I’m keeping it for myself since I don’t mind oversized sweaters. I posted a picture on Craftsy (http://www.craftsy.com/user/191165/projects)
For Erin: you can see a few pictures of a pink shawl I made using handspun silk. While it has nice drape, it stretches with gravity. I would say silk is more of a cautionary tale. Try lace patterns or other open stitches or anything that makes the yarn go in different directions. If you do something in ribbing or stockinette, the whole thing will just stretch. And that is indeed so sad. Unless you are very lithe and willowy. In which case, you’ll look like a fairy sprite and so adorable no one will notice.
[...] should that be the worst of the worst? Anyhoo, taking a tip from Fresh Stitches, this Friday I’m going to feature some of my not so favorite FOs. And some things that never [...]
I am all about repurposing. When you can no longer stand the tunic, why not just felt the whole thing and then try making a bag or purse out of it. I think the coloring might be nice for that. Just a thought. Happy knitting.
The tunic sweated you make is beautiful. I assume you make it from the bottom up. Why not take it back down so far & get proper wool in a plain colour that is the proper wool and try working it
back up again.Just a thought. I know I did a sweater for a friend
had to enlarge it to fit her. Hate the wool I worked with as it
stretched so bad. Due to a size change it was awful & ver dis courageing.
@JoAnne- Unfortunately, it was worked top-down, so that solution doesn’t work so well…
Besides, even if it did, re-knitting the top half and the sleeves is almost 1/2 of the work!
[...] blogger/knitter named Stacey shared what she calls “The Sad, the Bad and the Ugly” — some projects that didn’t turn out quite as she expected. They don’t look like [...]