One Glorious Mistake (rectified).

...Neil Gaiman writes the very best New Year's Wishes. I was delighted when he wrote one for this year - he said he wasn't going to...but then he changed his mind. And he shared it (oh my that last line - I've read it aloud a few times and have only managed it once without tearing up; it's lovely!) along with the others he's written over the last 15 (seriously? has it been 15?) years. This year's wish affirms so much of what I'm hoping for myself this year...to forgive, to make my time matter, to create, to share, to love...

But it was his wish for 2012 that spoke to me this past weekend.

And for this year, my wish for each of us is small and very simple. 

And it's this. I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. 

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something. 

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. 

Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. 

Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life. 

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it. Make your mistakes, next year and forever.

Making mistakes. New mistakes. Glorious mistakes.

400 yards of mohair. ripped. (ugh...)

Yeah, it's just yarn, but it was also ten days of my time. I ripped out all that I'd knitted on my mohair throw. It just. wasn't. right. I started the ripping thinking I'd re-knit the solid mohair double. But once I had it all off the needles and really looked at it, I realized I didn't love it. I'd sort of winged it when I started it and again when I added that second yarn and I knew it might not work out. And it didn't. Glorious mistake.

The second and third attempts didn't even merit a photo (trust me - new mistakes). But then I found something that worked. I'm pretty excited about it. Another Churchmouse pattern (no surprises there, right?), the two yarns held together on a size 11 needle. The fabric is light and airy - as mohair should be. The color(s) looks great with my chair (and as you'll see once it's fit to share - the room...especially the rug)...and it's knitting up quickly.

just a little bit more than one episode of Downton Abbey

my chair - because it sits in a corner with no clear view to the TV (and it has good light :-)

It was a glorious mistake. but now I think it's going to be a real success.

I'm not sure how this whole "mistake thing" might play out for the rest of my knitting, but I'm happy I recognized this one for what it was...and fixed it!

What was the last project you ripped out (and/or started over)?