The good, the bad, and the "meh," part 2

Part 1 of this series was about a sweater I made that didn't turn out as planned. But in this post, I'm focusing on a piece of knitwear that I'm very happy with, wear often, and am even a little proud of. My last post was about having a pity party and complaining when things don't work. This one I think is more fun: it's a chance to brag about something you created and love.

I like to think I take time making decisions. But once in a while I make up my mind to do something with very little forethought and no idea of what I'm getting into. Sometimes it's really big decisions, like "hey, I think I'll go to grad school." Other times it's more forgiving decisions, like "hey, I'm going to knit this lace top," even though I had never knit lace, read a pattern chart, or made anything more complicated than pair of socks. Those socks don't fit well either, FYI. So when I came across Quince & Co.'s "Helene," I decided I had enough of messing around, I was making this. I chose to blithely ignore the fact that this top was way beyond my skill level.

In part 1 of this post, I started out pretty full of myself. But in making this piece I was a little intimidated. I've never been good at arts/crafts. As a kid, my macaroni art was always sub-par, and I still can't color in the lines. I didn't think I had any more potential as a knitter than I do at turning pasta into pictures. I was so new to knitting I didn't even know how to wind a skein of yarn into a ball. Actually I didn't know what a skien was, and I was confused as to why my yarn arrived in this odd, braided shape. So when I found the ends, I turned the first skein into a fantastical knot that took days to undo. I'm not exaggerating: days. Then I Googled what a "skein" was. What a great start! Once I actually got knitting, I didn't realize the pre-blocked shirt would be so tiny. I was terrified I had made some mistake and would end up with a baby-sized shirt! There was much confusion, many YouTube tutorials, and profuse swearing. But two months later, out of the haze of nail-biting and worrying, my Helene emerged. And it was really cute! It fit me well! I, who didn't know the difference between a skein and a ball of yarn, transformed linen yarn into a lacy, fashionable shirt! It was like magic, except super slow!

"You jealous of my shirt bro?"

I love my Helene because it helped me realize why I love knitting. And even though I had no idea what I was doing, I was patient and learned and it worked out! It taught me a lot about drape, fit, and shaping. It's with Helene that I learned I can make something exactly for my body. Plus there are so many ways to dress this top! Maybe you didn't want to display your least loved projects, but what about your favorites? Share something you've made that you absolutely love! Tell me why you're proud of it. After all, you made it, you love it, and it's probably awesome, so don't be modest.