I got home Thursday night, tired, but determined to finish the toe of my sock.
After dinner, I got myself settled with my favorite knitting podcast and my project bag. I knew I was close to working on the toe. Once I got the toe started the sock would be finished in an hour. After knitting for a while, I measured and tried it on. I was close, so I knit two rounds and began the toe.
As I had predicted it took less than an hour to knit the toe. I sewed the toe closed and wove in my ends before doing my favorite thing: putting the finished sock on for the first time.
It fit, but it felt a little short. It was nearing bedtime and I weighed my options. I could live with it, or I could rip out the toe and revise my work. It was like I was one of my 6th graders. Tearing it out would mean I wasted a whole evening of knitting. If I just lived with it, I could be finished, and start the second sock – but would I be really happy with the finished product?
I grabbed my scissors.
Friday evening found me back where I started.
Friday night found me happy.
booksandbassets 
I never thought about revision within my crafts – I think it’s a positive mindset instead of a negative. I’ve been wanting to try socks, I’m good with dishcloths and a scarf typically. I do wonder what your favorite knitting podcast is.
.My #1 favorite is The Knitting Expat. The others I like are The Grocery Girls, The Fat Squirrel Speaks, Suburban Stitcher,and Legacy Knitz . Strictly speaking, they are all video podcasts and can be found on YouTube.
I certainly don’t have the patience to be a knitter-I am amazed at my friends who do. I felt your frustration as you described your dilemma. Certainly is a metaphor for writing, but also for so much in life.
Revision is so hard! I love that you were able to find the connection to your teaching and empathize with your students! Good for you for grabbing the scissors (and now you have a great connection for your revision minilessons)!
Your slice nails that pivotal decision to revise: often a reluctant feeling at first that’s eventually rewarded. I wonder: an observation you’ll be sharing with students, or have already shared?
Just like my wife with quilting. Sometimes she just has to frog it – rip it…rip it…rip it.
I was wondering what your favorite knitting podcast is, too. I’ll have to check them out. Your Slice makes me think about the other writing revision analogies students could come up with.
The metaphor of comparing writing to knitting is glorious. I suspect that too short sock would have bugged you endlessly. So happy you ripped out the toe and are revising.
This is a great story to share with your writers. Revision is hard, and sometimes we are tempted to “just live with it.” But do we really want to? That’s the question.
Oh, the agony of revision, in yarn and words! Great metaphor; hope you save this example for classroom use.
UGH! I have a quilt that needs me to do this before I can finish it. It has been sitting on a shelf for 5 years because I can’t bring myself to do all of that revising. At some point (I’ve promised myself I will deal with this over the summer…THIS summer!) I am going to have to suck it up and either finish it as is, or revise it. Revision is hard.
Yea for you, for putting in the work!! The sock is phenomenal. What a great example of revision and its power – and your title for this post is TOO clever. 🙂
AWESOME! Sounds weird but it is on my bucket list to learn how to knit! Way to go!
I never thought about comparing my crafts to my writing, but you so made that connection for me. I think I would have done exactly what you did. Maybe that’s why I find sharing my writing so difficult. It’s my best draft so far, but needs more revision.
I love the pun – toe jam! Good enough is never good enough! Happy knitting.