Felicia of The Craft Sessions recently wrote a post about ripping out a (beautiful) cardigan she had knitted years before simply because she recognised the inherent waste of that yarn in a form she never wore. This rang a (loud!) bell with me and my Tea Leaves cardigan. I love that yarn. I loved it enough to finish a project I had started two years before…only to discover that the pattern does not suit me at all. I am not a buttoned-up cardigan wearer on the best of days, and this one had the added dysfunctionality of a boat neck. The edges of the cardigan sat close to my shoulders, and it simply wasn't my style. I loved the yarn. I loved the buttons. The knitting was beautiful. The finished project was lovely. But none of that changed the fact that it was sitting unloved in my drawer. I couldn't face ripping it out, no matter how much I loved the yarn. That cardigan was an excellent "monument to learning." I did learn a lot about what I should be knitting for myself as a result of that project. It deserved my respect; however, it doesn't really deserve a spot in my drawer. Every time I looked at it, I thought of a dear friend whom both the colour and the style would suit, but I didn't want to give her a "reject" sweater. Felicia's "Let It Go" challenge spurred me to action. I would take the sweater to my friend, fess up about the fit issues, and see what she thought.
She swooned over the colour and the style! She loves it! She loves that it is handmade. She loves that I gave it to her. I love that it has a good home. So…I didn't rip as per the challenge, but I did "let it go!" and give that cardigan new life, which feels great. Thanks, Felicia!
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