A week or so ago I got out my magic wand (hook) and was fiddling with a new stitch idea. I stumbled across a mixture of stitches, that I really liked and felt quite puffed up with myself for producing it. I wanted to make a hat from this wonderful mix of stitches. I wanted something different and new. I spent a few hours working towards that. Every time I looked at this incredible mix of stitches it sang to me, how wonderful it was. I sent pictures of it to a friend crowing how wonderful it was and how fantastic I was for producing it. But then I started to notice that it was trying to leave the room without me. It had a distinctive lean towards the door on one side. It was slowly creeping that way as though trying to escape. Nah, I must be imagining it, I thought. So, I kept going, as I was sure that if I ignored the issue, it would just go away. A few rows later and it was obvious this was no good, no good at all. My wonderful mix of stitches was mocking me, and the shine had gone off it. So, it got placed into the naughty corner. To be honest, it went via air express (my pitching arm has been honed by years of crochet).
There it stayed for a few days while I pondered a work around, to stop the creeping, or leaning. I knew what the issue was. The Puff stitch was always going to one side, so it was inevitable that it would lean. Perhaps I should have thought of that, if I had not been in a haze of wonder about my stitch pattern.
I had an idea for a fix for the issue. The hat was retrieved from the naughty corner where it had been sitting in shame and I frogged what I could and began again. Yes, this would work, this will be brilliant. But as I got further into the rows, I found I was slowing down. I wasn’t feeling it. Something was not right! I stared at that hat for what seemed forever and slowly it dawned on me. This is way too busy! It is just not right! It will not do! So again, it landed quite heavily in the naughty corner. I could almost hear it laughing at me!
I did think about giving up. But to let a hat beat me seemed wrong. I also really liked that stitch pattern (it did sing to me). There had to be something I could do to fix the issue. I thought about it till my brain hurt (which probably doesn’t take much) and finally it happened, I found an answer. A Split Puff would do it. Everything would line up and be neat. No Leaning Tower of Pisa, this would work.
I thought about frogging what I had, but I was now going to work in rounds and there were way too many cut bits of yarn in the hat as it was. So, the failure remains in the naughty corner (sulking) and I began again.Everything was turning out just wonderful. My only issue was the fact that I had wasted quite a bit of the beautiful Bendigo Mill Luxury yarn that I had, initially had. You know that feeling when you know full well that you don’t have enough yarn to finish something, but you are optimistic and figure if you crochet faster, it will make the yarn go further, or the problem just go away. By the time I got to only metres left I was working like I was in the speed crocheting competition of all time.
So now I wait for my yarn order to arrive. The hat sits staring at me, mocking me. The pattern looks great and is singing to me, but in a mocking tone as it knows I can’t finish it till the yarn arrives. I am an adult and I will not throw a tantrum due to this incredible disaster. I will not dial for emergency services to rush me a ball of yarn. STAT! I will wait with patience, maybe!!!! Hopefully it will come soon as I so want to get this ready to test!