Think before engaging needles

A salutory tale of why you need to think before you knit

I love this cardigan in Brownwyn Lowenthal's Love To Knit

I've learned an awful lot over the three years I've been knitting. It's a good job mistakes are there to be learned from, as I've certainly made my fair share. Two projects in particular stick out like a matching pair of sore thumbs this year: the Bronwyn Lowenthal cap-sleeved cardigans I embarked on and which have both stalled to a halt. 

The summery yellow version I was making for myself got pushed to one side when I found the complexities of the lace upper parts too advanced for my still fairly basic knitting skills. This isn't a real disaster as I really like the pattern and the way the pattern is taking shape, so I'll pick it up again when I'm feeling a bit more confident. I already have a better idea of how lace knitting works than I did when I started the cardigan, so this one's merely on hold. 

The second top is an entirely different matter. It's a classic case of having grand plans and rushing into them. The yarn I bought is rather too textured, but the colours are ever so pretty and my Mum will love whatever I end up making for her with it. Unfortunately, she won't be getting the cute cover-up cardigan I'd intended. 

I bought the Auracania yarn in a sale and wasn't careful enough about checking how much I'd need. Add the fact that I was using a one-size pattern that would be rather snug on my mum, so I was knitting on slightly larger needles, and it's probably no surprise to find myself two thirds of the way through knitting the cardigan's back with only one and a half skeins left. 

I may 'upcycle' this into a cute bag

One more skein would probably have been enough to complete the project, but a thorough scout online revealed I'd lost the opportunity to do so - it's just not onsale anywhere, even through eBay or overseas. There's nothing to be done but to lick my wounds and accept that I can't take this knit any further. My saving grace may be to turn the existing work into a small bag and salvage something from the work I've put in so far - upcycling by necessity, if you will.