Failing is such good practice, but we resist it with every fiber.

I've been paying attention to the "whoopsies" lately and reflecting on what I learn when I make them. Here is a way I learned to look at them differently.

I Made A Mistake In A Calculation.

I was just scratching it out on paper and my logic was excellent, except for the fact that my formula already accounted for needing to only consider RS rows. Last night I knit to my desired number of stitches on Patio Bandana*, only to realize that I had worked over too few rows. Instead of regret, this is where I am on it:

Plus:

• I can weigh my knitting and I will know approximately how much yarn I knit in an evening.

• I got a post out of it!

• I love the yarn, so I am not at all upset about having to spend more time with it.

Minus:

• I have to rip that back to the beginning of the increases and rework them at the correct rate.

• It will take at least twice as much yarn so it will take longer.

• One night of knitting, not lost or wasted, but . . . needing redoing.

This is my purple haze Coastal yarn sitting on the kitchen scale. I am right that I knit about 20g of yarn in an evening of knitting. There were a couple of redos as I went, so probably got that extra 2 grams in. I am using DK/sport.

Next:

1. I will weigh my knitting before I rip it out.

2. I will pay attention to the time it takes me to reknit (it will likely be faster!).

3. I will redo my calculations.

4. I can measure a length of yarn used in 2 rows of pattern to see how much yarn I need.

How Did I Find This New Perspective?

In March I purchased Tiny Experiments by Anne-Laure Le Cunff on Libro. It seemed like a really interesting topic and yay, it was a 6 hour listen. Perfect for during my Sunday ironing. It probably took me 5 weeks to get through it since I didn’t listen at any other time. It is read by the author.

Not only was the author’s story quite compelling, and based on her research, but it was such a logical way to get information. I decided to join her paid community so I could run my own Tiny Experiments, but have some external accountability (really not, but committing in public is always good!

I love the Plus. Minus. Next. part. It is probably the piece I have been missing: what did you learn (Plus & Minus) and what are your Next steps. It is recommended that your Tiny Experiments have a time limitation (doesn’t matter what). Even with something as simple as recommitting to my exercise schedule for the balance of July will give me feedback I can use.

By putting my mis-calculation into the format of Plus. Minus. Next. it was reframed into learning and opportunity, not lost time or stupidity.

I love doing Tiny Experiments. I did an ad hoc experiment running OKDC (Open Knit Design Camp). I’ll tell you my Plus. Minus. Next. on that on another day.

* This is the last 24 hours to get Sizzlin’ Stitches at $5. At 9 am tomorrow it will go up to $8 for the collection when the second design, my Porto Headscarf, releases.