-:- in the mitts of failure

This weekend, from a craft perspective, was bittersweet for me.

I thought I would bang out a quick shirt with some remnant fabric I recently purchased.

Nothing fancy, just a little shirt based off of an existing shirt that I love. Two pieces, easy peasy. No big deal, right?

That's what I thought too. My shirt was horrendous. And it got worse when I sewed in a couple of panels to try and fix, um, the huge ripped seam that appeared when I tried it on the first time. Not pretty.

And at first I was really upset about it. I mean, I had such a vision for this shirt. I loved the fabric, the project wasn't at all difficult - I should have been able to make something wearable with no problem. And to make matters worse, it was my second attempt at the exact same thing.

So, with a heavy heart, I picked up my trusty knitting needles and rather successfully finished my official Minnesota mittens. It made me feel a little better.

Picture by Mr.

And it gave me a chance to meditate on the process of learning a new craft. I will learn how to sew, just like I learned how to knit: with practice.

I won't be in the, ahem, mitts of failure forever.

Picture by Mr.

Just a note on this pattern - these are called Newfie Mittens, worn by fishermen in Newfoundland. I love that about them and I loved making them. Pattern here. Pin here.

xox