Monday 6 February 2012

Allegories and metaphors

Yesterday I went to the crochet clinic. The garment I am crocheting posed problems which seemed intractable. I spent many hours, weeks ago, trying to make sense of the instructions, and failed utterly. Counting stitches, and double checking the pattern failed to reveal a solution. The frustration, the failure, the seemingly wasted effort, all haunted me. So much time and effort, so much searching for understanding. And all for nothing, it seemed. I could not understand, could not work it out, and all my effort was useless.

I put away that part of the garment and worked on other pieces. Finally, yesterday, I sought the help of the crochet expert.

It was not my mistake. Put simply, the pattern was wrong. The required result was given, but the means of achieving it was wrong. Really wrong. If I had done what the pattern said, I would have produced something totally unsatisfactory. There has had to be much unravelling and re-working.

It is a very old pattern, and in all probability, if I contacted the company, they would shrug their metaphorical shoulders and tell me that the pattern was written so long ago that there is nothing they could do about it.

I might contact them, just to see what they say.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try, and try again.

I have finished one piece, and am now working on the second. Once that has been completed, it will be time to put it all together, and only then will I discover whether what I have produced is what I need and want.

I won't know until it is done, and tested.

Is there a better way?

4 comments:

Friko said...

I don't think I'd embark on a project like yours without having an idea what it will turn out like and whether I want/need it or not.

I am the most practical person on earth (I do so wish I were frivolous - but no chance) and any effort expended must be worth it in the end.

I am also good at giving up half way.

I hope the item turns out beautifully and is just what you wanted.

molly said...

My mother was a marvelous knitter,and a perfectionist to boot. if she was up to the armhole on an Aran sweater and found a mistake way back down near the bottom ribbing, she would rip the whole thing out! Enough to make a grown woman [me]cry! In the same situation I would call the mistake a design element and tout it as making the garment unique! Hope it turns out well!

Elephant's Child said...

I think I would contact the company. Out of curiosity to see what their response would be as much as anything.
While it must have been supremely frustrating I would have been relieved that it was not my mistake.

VioletSky said...

You have had far too many frustrating events to let this one go by without contacting them. Surely you were not the only one frustrated by this wrong pattern.