Friday, March 14, 2014

Evading Excellence

I made a fatal flaw in my Spring Doily yesterday.


I could not figure out why I could not finish the last repeat... Took me forever to find what was amiss. The count was off somewhere... Good grief!

It was a devastating moment, but passed once I realized, it's my fault for once again rushing along, not paying attention and forgetting that I had promised myself to pay heed to each and every stitch. 

When I get into that rushing mode, I see I lose the enjoyment of being satisfied as I go, because I am tatting the very best that I am able. Then the whole challenge of a piece is gone. Why tat then?


So, here I am, leaving this piece behind, as I have begun it again! The silver lining is that I find the colour set-up way too dark, so am revising it a bit in the next piece.

To think, I had even ordered two balls of thread so as not to run out and then had to begin again anyway.... Ironic.
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28 comments:

  1. UnknownFriday, March 14, 2014 at 4:15:00 PM EDT

    I'm sorry you have to start over. I love that color scheme and wanted to see the finished piece. You know you can cut off the last round and call it done. I can't wait to see what colors you choose for the next one.

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  2. God's KidFriday, March 14, 2014 at 5:43:00 PM EDT

    Oh man!!! It's so beautiful!!!! :)
    Just finish that last repeat, add a little something to kind of finish that round, and it would be beautiful for something!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FoxFriday, March 14, 2014 at 6:09:00 PM EDT

      I can't! That's the problem! The count was screwed up a few rows back

      Delete
    2. God's KidTuesday, February 17, 2015 at 12:23:00 PM EST

      Hi Fox, This is not a comment for actual posting, just asking a question.
      I am just wondering if you still have this unfinished piece somewhere, and if you have any use for it. I know it was from last year so I might have waited too long to ask, but I was just wondering if you would be willing to allow me to buy it from you if you aren't using it(I know...sounds crazy, but some of us are). :)

      Delete
    3. FoxTuesday, February 17, 2015 at 6:34:00 PM EST

      Sue! I woukd gave gladly given you this piece, but I just - four hours ago - gave it with a few others to a good friend, a tatting supporter who is actually a professional knitter herself, who was delighted to give it a home. She loves it and will frame it, but had I known, I woukd have mailed it to you.., I'm so sorry! xxooxx Fox

      Delete
    4. God's KidThursday, February 19, 2015 at 9:42:00 PM EST

      No problem!!! I just knew it was so beautiful and it deserved to be used even not perfect!!! :)
      Thanks so much for letting me know! :)

      Delete
    5. FoxThursday, February 19, 2015 at 10:06:00 PM EST

      Thank you for your e interest. Makes me feel special for your words are very sweet! : )

      Delete
  3. LadytatsFriday, March 14, 2014 at 6:12:00 PM EDT

    I am confused, it looks good to me. Sorry, it doesn't look good to you. Since you are starting this over, any way you can remove the last row and finish it off as it is, then you would have another doily.

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  4. erinFriday, March 14, 2014 at 6:42:00 PM EDT

    Just redo the last three rounds. It's lovely!

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  5. tattrldyFriday, March 14, 2014 at 7:25:00 PM EDT

    Oh, man! How disappointing! Do you happen to have a shelf in need of a little decoration? Hide that messed up side in the back under something and drape the pretty side over the edge. I can think of several ways to use it that no-one would suspect there was any problem with it. :-)

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  6. Tat-a-RendaFriday, March 14, 2014 at 8:22:00 PM EDT

    Oh no! I do admire your persistence, though.

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  7. MirandaFriday, March 14, 2014 at 8:54:00 PM EDT

    I can't see where the mistake is, but I trust you when you say it's there. I think if you cut back to the previous scalloped round (Yikes! I think that would mean cutting off five rounds!) you would be left with something that would look finished. Seems a shame to cut off so much work, but it also seems better than leaving it as is, with a clearly unusable piece.

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  8. ValerieFriday, March 14, 2014 at 9:04:00 PM EDT

    Oh my gosh, so sorry this happened. Well, knowing you, it'll come out way better eventually. "Gambate!"

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  9. JBFriday, March 14, 2014 at 10:40:00 PM EDT

    Oh no, I feel sick for you. It is so amazing. Is there no way that you could modify the last bit to make it work?

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  10. Jane McLellanSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 2:51:00 AM EDT

    Oh my goodness. It's amazing how such a small mistake compounds itself until it becomes an impossible mistake. What a shame.

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  11. Sally KersonSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 3:40:00 AM EDT

    Exactly the same has happened on one of mine Fox, like you reached the end and couldn't understand why the last repeat did not join like the previous doily I had worked on. It is so so upsetting and the whole piece has been abandoned out of anger and also lack of time and will to cut all the offending row away. Have such sympathy with you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FoxSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 8:06:00 AM EDT

      Yes, Sally, that is EXACTLY what happened! Thanks for your tat of woe story!
      Fox ; )

      Delete
  12. SusieSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 7:54:00 AM EDT

    I would totally use the good part with a pot, lamp, or something else on the "bad" section...or decorate the back of a shirt (where you need a cut out section for a collar anyway) or a central part of a window hanging (bad part over the top edge) or something! That is WAY too much work not to do something with what IS there.

    ReplyDelete
  13. FoxSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 8:07:00 AM EDT

    Thanks for all the empathy, sympathy and responses to my little tatting event! I'm over it now and happily at work on the replacement piece. : )

    ReplyDelete
  14. Reading In The VioletsSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 9:47:00 AM EDT

    Oooo..I did the same thing! Although I do not have your good attitude as I just kinda gave up on it..maybe I will begin again too! It is so pretty and every time I look at yours I just love it!

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnonymousSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 12:28:00 PM EDT

    I did that same thing on the last two large doilies I tatted - had to cut off the last 3 rounds of EACH of them and do them over because of a small mistake WAY back. It makes you feel sick when that happens! Eventually I calmed down enough to cut the 'offending' rows off and finished both of them, but it certainly was hard to get myself to cut all of that work off...on one of them I had to cut the same thing off TWICE before I got it right. :-(

    I am hoping you can go back to this one later and either somehow 'repair' the mistake or cut the 'offending' rows off and do it over. I love the colors. ;-) It's only that last row - the 'flowers' - that is the most 'work;' the other rounds are a bit faster to do (re-do?).

    Still....sometimes after finding a devastating mistake, it's really hard to keep going on the same one - disheartening, almost. Better 'therapy' to start a different one....in another color....and let the old one sit a while....until you're ready to tackle it again. Even with a mistake, it's still SO pretty!

    Regards to Mr. G!
    StephanieW

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  16. Batty TatterSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 12:47:00 PM EDT

    It's such a pretty pattern, Fox. Can you tell me when I can get it?

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  17. Laceladie SonjaSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 4:17:00 PM EDT

    The same happened to me when I finished the renulek-doily before this one. I could not finish because I made a mistake also 4 rows back. I know what you feel.

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  18. Tally TattySaturday, March 15, 2014 at 10:07:00 PM EDT

    Damn!!

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  19. GraceTSaturday, March 15, 2014 at 11:17:00 PM EDT

    Oh, goodness. But I do think the last row is worth finishing; it's still a lovely doily...

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  20. SusanneSunday, March 16, 2014 at 3:56:00 AM EDT

    The same thing just happened to me on the last round of a doily I have tatted this past week. Still so disapointed that I do not know if I will cut of 2-3 rounds off or just discard it.
    I am sure you will be more observant doing the doily for a second time.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Margarets designer cardsSunday, March 16, 2014 at 4:42:00 AM EDT

    Hi Fox

    Oh no not again, if all the other rows worked out ok from the fault to now, then you might be able to finish this row. It's such a sad bummer. I do feel for you and their was I thinking your mat looked so beautiful in the dark colour.
    You will have learnt by all the mistakes you did last time this new one will be a breeze.
    Love to Gian
    Margaret

    ReplyDelete

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