Lessons Learned by Frogging . . . .

The first lesson is amazement at HOW much my knitting has improved in twenty years – in many ways.
1. My gauge is more accurate, fits what the yarn wants to do. I know that suggested needle size is just that, SUGGESTED. I’m a loose knitter (not as loose as I was, perhaps five years ago, but still loose.) An example of how suggested is just that, my former boss at the LYS starts checking gauge by going UP two needle sizes from that suggested in the pattern, another friend might start with what the pattern says to use, and I go DOWN two needle sizes – and we will all end up with exactly the gauge called for in the pattern!
2. Finishing. It was very sloppy twenty years ago. If, I had found this as a completely finished sweater, I would not have found a new home for it, I would have trashed it or sent it to Good Will.
3. I never bind off at shoulders anymore – I’ll short-row if it’s stepped bind-off, and then do a three-needle bind off putting the front(s) and back together.
4. And, the sweater would not sit as close to finished, languishing for so long – it would have been frogged within five years of becoming a UFO. – the reason it did languish all these years is we moved sixteen and a half years ago, and it was in a box of yarn that didn’t see the light of day until we started digging out our attic (I said there were boxes that went into the attic when we moved in, and hadn’t been looked at since then.)

The LYS I worked at existed in a physical space for 12 and a half years. I discovered them within the first two or three months of their opening. I was a customer only for the first four years and then went to work there for eight years. I took many classes, taught several sock classes, and learned an amazing amount, just hanging out there and from the many other knitters (mostly fellow staff members) that were at the store. Frogging this sweater has shown me HOW much I learned!

And it’s taking longer to frog than I thought it would – I’ve only finished the sleeves right now. Still have to separate the back and fronts, and then frog them. Below is a photo of the sweater being frogged.


I started the sweater at Knit Group tonight. I’ll show photos of the first few inches of the new vest, once there are a few inches. It’s looking good, I think I’m going to be happy with it.

And to finish, here’s a photo of the revived afghan.