I wasn't kidding when I posted about frogging my shetland lace shawl. I loved it...but I think that I love the yarn more than the object it had become.
The wound ball is the yarn I used for the shawl.
I had some left over and that is what is on top of the ball.
After finishing the shawl, it hung on the wall in the crafts corner of our studio. I was not interested in wearing it (ok yes, because it was a triangle). Many months and a bit of gravity later, I took the shawl down from the wall to wear it to a knitter's get-together.
To my disbelief I found that one corner of the shawl had many broken pieces of yarn (4 strands of yarn that had been broken). At the time I simply found something else to wear and left the shawl in a heap on the bookshelf. I couldn't really bring myself to figure out a solution at the time.
The shawl is made of 100% silk yarn. Sure there are a few bugs in our apartment (what warm climate apartment doesn't have bugs?), but I have a hard time believing this was caused by any bugs eating at the corner. If that was the case, the yarn would have been broken in more places than just the corner. And there is a lot of wool within a few feet of where it hung, and the wool hasn't been compromised. Remember, I was hanging the shawl on the wall. I wonder if, over time, the weight of the shawl was too much for the yarn.
My homage to the ladies of 3191.
Fast forward a few more months. When I finally decided to deal with the shawl my thought process was like this: Did I wear it? No. Will I wear it if I fix it? Probably not. Would I like to knit with this yarn again? Most certainly. That my friends is how I made the decision to frog it.
Before recounting the story to you, I had consider writing a long philosophical post about the impermanence of knitting and therefore art, linking the frogging of this beautiful shawl to the nature of Andy Goldsworthy's art or the sand mandalas created (and destroyed) by Tibetan monks. We find it comforting knowing that things don't change. But change is good. A shake up, as simple as frogging something that was a joy to create, will give me another opportunity to create an equally as beautiful.
Thinking about this shawl as really made me wonder: do we knit simply for the production of a garment or the process? If its the process, is destruction part of the process too then?
Comments (11)
ah, i like this post a lot. great questions.. and it reminds me of a scarf i have too that i found, just months after knitting it, with a handful of breaks all in one section, clustered together. that was before i left l.a. and i haven't touched it since.
hmm, if destruction is part of the processes, which i think it has to be (i heard the other day on the radio that to really love life, you also have to love, or at least appreciate, death. hm.), then i think you should also count degradation, or in knitting-ese, 'unraveling', 'yarn breaks', etc, too. don't you think?
;)
Posted by andrea | March 29, 2007 7:41 PM
Posted on March 29, 2007 19:41
Very good points! If you like Andy Goldsworthy work, there is a documentary on him out that is incredible, if you haven't already seen it!
Posted by jillian | March 30, 2007 8:14 AM
Posted on March 30, 2007 08:14
Wow, what a wonderfully positive spin on frogging. We usually just focus on the unraveling aspect, but not on the idea that the yarn will once again produce another beautiful piece. Thanks for sharing that perspective. I will remember this the next time I need to frog something. Gorgeous yarn, BTW! I can't wait to see what comes of it next! I like Andy Goldsworthy, too. :)
Posted by Nonnahs | March 30, 2007 9:41 AM
Posted on March 30, 2007 09:41
I find that silk and cashmere are more deliscious to bugs than wool. On the other hand, I've had a cone of rayon blend get eaten while sitting next to other yarns that were untouched. And one day when I was going through all my lace shawls inspecting them for damage I shook one out and caught it on my bedpost and ripped a giant hole in it. I can still hear the sound of handknit lace ripping.
Posted by kat | March 30, 2007 10:52 AM
Posted on March 30, 2007 10:52
What a great post! The Andy Goldsworthy example is a great one- I can definitely relate. I once
frogged a sweater much to the horror of my family who had watched me knit it for months and thought I was having an attack of hysteria. The yarn looks beautiful in a ball too!
Posted by Faith | March 30, 2007 11:57 AM
Posted on March 30, 2007 11:57
I completely understand. So much of my own knitting is process... just the enjoyment of creating something. And I love the mandala analogy. Enjoy the many silk incarnations!
Posted by Karma | March 30, 2007 6:28 PM
Posted on March 30, 2007 18:28
You know what Buddha said--- It's not just the destination, it's the journey (I changed it a little) For me, it's the process as well as the finished product. The experience can be all consuming and that is such a gift. To be in the moment....To make something from nothing--To see your vision become reality--To embrace all of the problems and love the changes----WOW
Thanks for inspiring me to think about this.
Posted by Edna Hart | March 31, 2007 11:22 AM
Posted on March 31, 2007 11:22
I know I knit for the process, in fact, when I finish a garment I am not as interested in it. I also make sculptures that are meant to be temporary. People struggle with the concept of temporary art, I find it like letting out a deep breath, knowing that I have no control over its fate and it will fall apart and that's okay.
P.S.
I love your blog!
Posted by sabrina hirsch | April 2, 2007 3:35 PM
Posted on April 2, 2007 15:35
Well I am glad you told the reason for the frogging. I have thought about it every once in a while and wondered if you would ever tell! I am a new knitter, but I think if you love knitting, you love the process just as much as the final product. That's what makes it so addicting and that's why it isn't so heartbreaking to rip a piece as lovely as yours.
Posted by Sherry | April 4, 2007 10:37 PM
Posted on April 4, 2007 22:37
I guess that makes you the ultimate process knitter. I completely understand, I've definitely felt the same way about things I've made.
Posted by kelp! | April 5, 2007 8:43 PM
Posted on April 5, 2007 20:43
Frogging is part of the process too. I am a process knitter and when I give away a gift, it's gone. I have no control over what happens to it once I give it away and I happily move on to the next project.
So you can think of frogging a completed project like having given away a gift, and now you have the chance to knit again with a favorite yarn.
Posted by BryAnn | April 30, 2007 2:13 PM
Posted on April 30, 2007 14:13