Fear of Frogs

I was digging through my sundry pile of wayward knit goods today, looking for inspiration. *Sigh* What I found instead was this little number (modelled by Mitzy): . . .which doesn't look so bad until you get to the incriminating close-ups. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, here is your perp walk:

*The knitting police

Are coming my way ...

They're gonna take away my double points ...

Gonna sell them on e-bay...

*(Sung to the tune of "Bad to the Bone" by

George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers)

So here's the back story: About 5 years ago I wanted to make something really special for my friend Eileen's 60th birthday. (I know! A shawl!! ) No matter that I had never knit a shawl before, or that Eileen's birthday was in --oh -- 3 weeks. I ordered a lovely skein of Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace (50/50 wool silk) and started the pattern printed on the ball band.

From the get-go, this project was a cuss fest. Compared to what I was used to knitting, the yarn was puny, the needles were a matched set of hat pins, and the pattern . . . well, the pattern assumed I had a clue, which I did not. My motto for this project was "Just keep going!" (Wasn't that the last line in "Thelma & Louise" -- like right before they went over the cliff?) I had heard that many errors "came out in the wash" when you were knitting lace, and I was really, really depending on this little truism to save my bacon.

Alas, there is not enough "wash" in the world to erase this shawl's iniquities. I did not finish it in time for Eileen's party (finally gave up and made her a quilt,), and when I did finish it I didn't know what to do with it. It's not that Eileen would have even seen the mistakes -- she's one of the nicest ladies I've ever met, and would have worn the mangled thing with pride. Isn't that the way it goes, though -- the very friends who don't mind substandard knit goods are the people you want to give perfection! (Or as close to perfection as you can muster.)

So, I think I should frog it, wash it, and try again. It has been 5 freaking years, after all. I even thought about knitting another MS3 with this yarn, but I don't think its variegated colors would suit the pattern.

Yep, that is what I need to do. Frog it. But somehow I never get around to it. One of these nights I need to sit down with this wanna-be shawl, a glass of wine and a pair of scissors. Or maybe a bottle of Jim Beam and a machete.