I’ve been ripping a lot lately. I even did some knitting knowing I would be ripping later, but it allowed me to get through a very long afternoon of car purchasing. I admit it started to trouble me that I was moving forward, knowing I would end up ripping it out, but each time I weighed my options it came out that I should press on and then do the ripping.
Ripping: When I Do and When I Don’t
I think you need to rip if something about your knitting isn’t making you happy. That’s my bottom line. It needs to be working for me. It can be “correct” and if I don’t like it, then I rip. If it is okay–even if I know there is a tiny mistake–then I don’t rip. My actual test, is will I feel compelled to tell everyone about it. If I will, then out it comes either by ripping or tinking. I’m fine with little errors, but if it is going to be something I think about again, then it needs to come out.
Ripping: Taking the Needles Out
These are some useful guidelines for when ripping is the way to go:
- Don’t rip when you are tired;
- Don’t rip when you are upset;
- Don’t rip late at night, then go to bed;*
- Don’t rip until you have documented anything that might be useful going forward;
*I do this all the time, but I’m pretty confident that I won’t regret it. If I have any doubt, I leave it. The main thing is to not regret it!
These are guidelines for when ripping is the way:
- Do rip if you aren’t happy with how things look;
- Do rip if you know that you made a mistake that is going to weigh on you psychically;
- Do rip if you realize that you can make a change that will make you happier;
- Do rip if you realize you made a mistake and there are too many rows to easily tink back;
- Do rip if you realize your gauge is wrong;
- Do rip if you started with the wrong stitch count;
- Do rip if there is any fatal error.
Tinking vs. Ripping vs. Repair
Tinking (or unknitting) is done stitch by stitch, and is sometimes a better option. In lace, unless you have a lifeline that you can rip back to, tinking is probably the only sane choice. If you are in a complex pattern, sometimes tinking makes sense because it will be difficult to see where you are unless you carefully work backwards. Sometimes, it isn’t too far back so it is fairly quick to undo each stitch. Then, tink away.
Ripping requires returning stitches to a needle, making sure stitches are oriented correctly when worked again, fixing any accidentally undone stitches, and replacing markers. Often also dealing with an unruly pile of yarn. Tinking can be a more controlled action.
Repair is when you take out a stitch or two, down to an error, and only work those stitches back up to the row/round you are on. That is often a good solution to an errant knit or purl, but if the pattern is complex, it can be as time-consuming as ripping or tinking.
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