To Frog or Not To Frog?

Today I am contemplating frogging two projects. Both of which I knit last year, both of which I am incredibly proud of, but...

First up is Miscrossed Cables, my very first garment and my first attempt at cables. For both those reasons I was really pleased with it - it fitted well, I loved the colour and I had really enjoyed the process.

However... I haven't had much wear out of it. It's a tad itchy for next to the skin wear and, although I wanted a fitted jumper, it's not really my style. Why I decided I wanted a form fitting jumper is beyond me. I've been editing my wardrobe this month and the things I've kept are all comfortable. I like fitted, but I like it with a little ease. A super fitted knitted jumper is not something that is going to get a lot of wear for me. So it's up for frogging consideration.

Next up is the Red Leaves hat that I was incredibly proud of - mainly because it was one of the most complex patterns I'd ever tried and also because I had ripped it out and restarted it maybe a dozen times, so determined was I to get it right.

However, I haven't really worn said hat very much. It's beautiful, make no mistake, but it's just not quite working for me. I love to wear hats, but I have very straight and very soft hair, so while this luscious cashmere merino blend is incredibly soft and beautiful to wear, it just doesn't  work for me. Every time I've worn it, it has slid across my hair and off. I'm never going to wear it if there's a breath

of wind.

So what have I learned from these two projects?

They were both definitely process projects and I feel like I got a lot out of them for that. But as products they're a fail.

In future, when knitting myself hats, I need to remember that I prefer a toothier yarn that's soft enough to wear a lot. So maybe a merino or BFL is the way forward for my hats. I need to squish some and see.

Jumper wise, I am happier with slightly softer yarns and also with pieces that can be easily layered (my Lucky 61 gets a lot of wear for this reason). I'm also not a particularly structured or fitted person. I like a certain amount of fit, but I'm not into things that are super figure hugging. I end up feeling uncomfortable in them.

So on the plus side, I got an awful lot out of these projects, even if it wasn't an awful lot of wear!

But what to do with them now? I have two options: gift them or frog them.

Given that I frogged that hat about a dozen times, I'm not sure I could bear to frog it again. It would make a lovely little cowl, but could I actually do it? I'm not so sure. I think I'll give it to my Nan to try first, as the colour would look fantastic on her. If it doesn't suit her either, then yes, I'll frog and make a cowl.

I don't know anyone that the jumper would fit/suit. I could give it to a charity shop, but as we're still saving hard, it would be nice to have some yarn to knit with once my current projects are finished with. Given the slight itch factor with this yarn, I think a cardigan would make a good use for it. And I have been wanting to knit the Fold & Turn by Suvi Simola for a while...

That's where I stand at the moment - Miscrossed Cables is definitely heading to the frog pond. But Red Leaves may find a new life elsewhere. I'll keep you posted.

What do you do with knits you simply do not wear? Do you gift or do you frog?