Unsticking The Stuck

Though I've been knitting for years now, I inevitably always make errors as I'm knitting a new project. I have to go through the tedious process of ripping out row upon perfect row to get to the glaring eyesore two inches down. Do you feel my pain? It happens to all of us...usually more than once on any given project. Well, I have a problem that has been stuck for nearly three years now. "What's the hold up, girlfriend?" you ask so sweetly. My simple and unabashed reply is, "I'm scared."

This isn't your ordinary problem. This is the "I'm a new knitter and I've completed my very first sweater project, seamed it all together, slipped it over my head and it's too short" problem. Last year I took a class at Stitches called "The Long and Short of Knitted Garments" specifically to learn how to fix this problem. So, why am I still stuck? Like I said above - I'm scared.

I'm scared that I'm going to fix the problem and still hate the sweater. I know we all have projects that we finish and don't like. I'm battling my perfectionism in this case. I'm scared that I'll cut my sweater in half and then not be able to fix it. This is completely unreasonable because I know how to fix it and I've practiced. I'm scared, I guess, that I'll try and fall flat.

On that note, I think it's time to face our fears. I was talking with a girlfriend a while ago and we discussed how fear can really paralyze us from moving on, growing, succeeding and doing what we never believed possible. It's time to take a dose of my own medicine. If I fail, so what. It's a knitted sweater. I've knit it once, I can knit it again...and probably do a much better job! If I never try to tackle the problem, I'm always going to see it, folded and stored high up in my closet and wonder, "Ooh, what if...?" As I venture forward and begin to unstick the stuck, I'll keep you updated on my victories, big and small.

I'm sure you have some knitted project that has been stowed out of sight. I encourage you to embark upon this journey with me. Take the challenge. Let's take the big girl medicine together, take that problem by the horns and kick some knitted butt! Pardon the messy mix of idioms, I get a little excited sometimes and tend to go a tad overboard. Anyway, don't let your fear keep you down. Share your trials and your successes below to help encourage others who may be stuck to rise up, go forth and conquer that yarn.