"'Tis a lesson you should heed – Try again;
If at first you don’t succeed, – Try again.
Then your courage should appear;
For if you will persevere,
You will conquer, never fear, – Try again."

– Edward Hickson

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Hello there fellow knitter!

This is The Yarnist. The daily newsletter that makes you love knitting the same way Christ Stapleton loves starting over.

Here's what we've got for you today...

• Knitspiration: When should you start over a project?
• Stitchionary: The right way to frog your knits
• Pattern Pick: This project is full of mistakes on purpose
• PLUS: Center pulling, hug scarf, and more

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Disclaimer: This newsletter may contain sponsored ads and affiliate links.
When you buy using them, you support our work here at The Yarnist, as we get a small commission.

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Knitspiration

🏁 When Should You Restart a Knitting Project?

Today, June 5th, is National Start Over day.

As knitters we do everything we can to keep from having to start over.

We use lifelines, learn to fix mistakes, and read over patterns with a magnifying glass, just to make sure we're doing it EXACTLY right.

But despite our best efforts, sometimes things just don't work out the way we hoped.

So how do we know if it's time to frog the whole thing?

We're going to walk through three scenarios where it might be time to begin again.

Scenario 1: You can't stand the yarn

Look, its not your fault.

The yarn looked real purdy on the shelf, but then when you got it home it turned into something else.

The color didn't look quite the way you expected.

It wasn't quite as soft as you first thought.

Maybe that bouquet of colorful variegation ended up creating a messy pool in your fabric.

How were you supposed to know the yarn lied?

It was acting all sweet and innocent, begging you to take it home with you.

Sometimes, the yarn just isn't working out, and it's time to sub it out for something that brings you joy.

Scenario 2: You don't like the pattern

Ok, sure, you liked the pattern before you downloaded it.

The pictures were lovely and you dreamed of being just as happy wearing the finished project as the person in the photo.

Then you started to realize something wasn't right.

It could be the pattern had a few too many mistakes.

It could be that it was a lot more complicated than you thought.

Or it could be that it's super boring to knit.

But your time is precious and you should spend it enjoying what you're knitting.

Wind that yarn back up and find a project you actually like knitting.

Scenario 3: You've got a knitting emergency

It happens.

Everything is going fine and you're knitting along without any issues.

Then you notice something off.

And it dawns on you that you've been knitting a whole section of the pattern wrong...

which has been going on for 30 rows. 😱

Maybe you finished a sleeve only to realize it's not going to fit properly unless you redo all of the shaping.

Perhaps you finally start sewing everything together, and it's clear things are not lining up the way they should.

Do you commit the project to the UFO pile?

Or do you take the Fearless Knitter approach and embrace your mistakes, so you can learn from them while you go about fixing them?

You Probably Don't Need to Start Over

Recently one of our YARNIST+ members posted in our community about a problem she encountered.

She was trying to fix an issue with some stitches and in the process accidentally undid the cast on edge.

The situation was so frustrating that she wanted to throw the whole project into the trash!

But you know what?

Our amazing community members rallied around her.

They not only encouraged her not to give up, they gave her some great tips on how to address the situation...

...without starting the whole thing over.

Sometimes, you just need another set of eyes on a problem to help you come up with a creative solution.

And the knowledge that you don't have to do it alone. 😊

Conclusion

So there you have it.

Sometimes we need to start over, and that's totally ok. It's not easy, and we may not want to, but it's not the end of the world.

We knit, in part, because we love the PROCESS, and fixing mistakes is part of that.

And sometimes there's no need to start over at all. You might just need a little help approaching a problem from a different direction.

But what do you think?

Have you had to restart a project before?

What was your experience?

Hit reply and share your experience with us!

We'd love to hear your feedback. 😊

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UPDATE

YARNIST SEASON 2: The Summer of Color

We're only a couple days in and we've already reached almost 25% of our funding goal!

Thanks so much to all of our contributors so far. 🙏🏽

If you want to help us produce our next season, and get a HUGE discount on our Summer of Color YarnCrate, click the button below to learn how.

I Want To Be A Supporter

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Daily Stitch

How to FROG Your Knitting

You've probably pulled out your knitting without even trying at some point.

But if you need to start over, even if it's just a few rows back, there is a RIGHT way to rip-it, rip-it.

This video will show you how so you don't have to rip out the whole project and start from the beginning.

Learn this Technique

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Yarnist Insider Bonus

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Members Only

LIVE Knitting Circle (Wed, June 5th @ 7PM EST) Join us for our weekly live knit together ​RSVP HERE​

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Pattern Pick

Mistake Rib Cowl by Joelle Hoverson

One of the best ways to keep from having to start over a project is to make mistakes intentionally.

This classic cowl uses a simple one row stitch pattern. Although, it's two rows when knit in the round.

It's a quick project perfect for a nice skein of luxury yarn.

And the best part is it's 100% free!

Get This Pattern

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Knits & Giggles

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Thanks for reading!

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Before you go...below you'll find a few ways we can work together, and other bits & bobs:

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Look at you reading all the way to the end!

Here's a bonus video with this incredible arial footage of sheep being herded. 🤯

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Made with 💙🖤🤍 in Tallinn, Estonia

Narva Mnt 15, Tallinn, 10120