Another Name For it: The Ten-Second Rule

Ah, the Do-Over. The Mulligan, the good-ol' Re-do. The ever-loving Return or Backspace key. If only all things in life offered a do-over, a Mulligan, a re-do, a return or backspace key. If only.

I mean, imagine all the things you might do that could use a do-over. You could be a chef or a cook or even a random person in a kitchen and screw up the banana bread. There aren't any do-overs, Mulligan's, re-dos or reverses in cooking. Once it's cooked, it's done, dear. It is done, done, done (unless you're lucky enough to under cook the thing and slip it back into the oven before it's too late.) Same for dropping freshly barbecued steaks onto the cement like HWWV did a couple years ago during a dinner party. Good thing no one saw it. Talk about the ninja moves he rocked to get those suckers onto the serving dish without anyone spotting him.

Oh, and there definitely aren't any do-overs when you cut your own bangs over the sink! This, I know for sure.

But the blessed hand-work. There are do-overs. Plenty of them. And you can pretty much have as many as you like unless you're working with, say, unplied silk or something of that nature--it'll pill like crazy--or maybe mohair (but pity for you if you are). In general, though, you can rip back, or tink, or if you're sewing, you can get out a seam ripper. There are probably limits to how many times you rip, but in general, if you realize what you're doing isn't working, and take a step back and look at the project with an unemotional eye, you'll be able to decide how much to rip, if it is worth it, or if you should bag the project altogether, roll up the yarn, and give it to an unsuspecting stranger.

In my latest case of frogging, I bought some sale yarn without making a gauge swatch and ended up with a Spring Spiral Hat that could fit Ronald McDonald on an extra-good and fluffy hair day. After taking a deep breath, I ripped back and abandoned the instructions after round 9 and held steady at 80 sts on the main color rounds until round 28.

Pattern: Spring Spiral Hat - Interweave Crochet Spring 2008

Yarn: Gedifra California (on sale, 40% off) in colors 3167 and 3178, one ball each

Gauge: Who Knows? I didn't do a gauge swatch and my crochet skillz aren't all that.

Needles: Crochet hook size F (3.75mm)

Mods: Worked as instructed to round 9, then continued working with CC for 40 stitches and MC rounds for 80 stitches. Worked my way until round 28 and then followed the printed ones to the to end, not paying attention to the stitch counts, which is liberating to be sure.

Difficulty: Simple; appropriate for someone who has worked single and double crochet.

Time to complete: Pre-rip, about two hours. Ripping took 30 hot seconds. Re-crocheting took about 1.5 hours. It was so fast, I didn't even bother to weave in the ends. I just stuffed them inside the cap and plopped it on my head.

Comments

[(formerly) no-blog-rachel]

Good lord am I first?

Cute hat!

[KM]

Cute hat. You know...I can crochet, but I never thought I could make anything other than a blanket because I couldn't figure out how to get gauge. You've convinced me to try again.

[Debbie]

This is a comfort to me, as I'm contemplating whether or not to rip an entire four inches of rib on a child's shrug (from Knitty, Spring, 2008). If you don't do it, you just think about it constantly, until you do.

[Anne-Marie Porter]

Love it.

[Joan]

Have you been reading the Humphrey the hamster books to Girlfriend? I detected a pattern in your last two posts that indicates you might be familiar with Humphrey. If not, you should do so. They are fun, fun, fun reads.

[NancyMcK]

There really is nothing like finding out first-hand why things should not be done. Cakes, hair, hats -- put it all together and you've got a great story and a great hat! Just don't take up bomb-making, kay?

[Laura]

Supercute!

[Gina]

Excellent timing on the do-over discussion. Somthing is in the air at my house because whether I am knitting, sewing or painting (not artsy, I am talking walls here ladies), there is always something that isnt quite right, and then I obsess over it until after working on it even more, I finally decide to give in and "do-over". I am sure you can imagine how much time I have wasted the past couple of weeks. I think my husband believes I have lost my mind!

[Megan]

Thank you for not calling it a fluffy McHair day! It would have been too easy!

[MonkeyGurrl]

I *love* the do-over-ness of crafting in general, knitting in particular. It was hard, the first five or six (HUNDRED) times, but now, if I'm doing something, I don't like how it's looking, RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIPPIT! It's really quite liberating. (I was raised by nuns @ school and a marine @ home - I'm not used to being able to f-up and still be okay). Close friends find it horrifying (YOU SPENT HOW MANY HOURS ON THAT AND YOU'RE JUST GOING TO RIP IT OUT?!?!!), but I *like* going for the shock value.

Needless to say, I also tend toward the cheaper yarns. :)

[tunde]

I never liked crochet until I have found Ana Voog. What an artist with an edge! and her hats are beyond words........

[Lizbon]

I do like the look of crochet for hats. Not that that is going to make me learn it, or anything. But I can admire from afar.

That HWWV is a fine photographer, lady. Or else it's his subject matter.

[Wendy]

Yeah, he is good. You can always tell the difference between the pics he takes and the ones I take. (Although I will say I have a cheapy-do camera.)

[Melissa]

As a wise crafter once said, "As you sew, so shall you rip."

[Susan]

I love crochet. The garments that seem to be "hot" right now are crochet. I'm getting tired of the "stigma" attached to being a crocheter......fiber discrimination?

[Wendy]

Nah, not fiber discrimination. I just think that people associate it with the 70's crochet culture. I honestly think crochet will come around. I'm really enjoying the new Interweave Crochet right now.

[Melanie]

I love that colourway!

[stella]

I wish I could have had a Mulligan when I SHAVED off my widows peak. not such a good idea.

I wore lots of VISORS that year.

that would have been...1988.

[Wendy]

hah! About that same year I shaved my WHOLE head.