Tink again

"Why is important to fix mistakes?"

"Can I give this as a gift if a few stitches are dropped?"

"Do errors really 'add character'?"

These are the thoughts I have as I knit, tink, and reknit the stitches that will someday work together to create a shawl for my Mom. This shawl has taken some time, which comes as a surprise, for I have knitted this pattern before. The difference this time is that this shawl is not for me; it is a gift.

When I knit a garment for myself, it seems acceptable - and maybe even charming - to leave errors in the piece. Instead of fixing each mistake, I often keep small, less-noticeable mistakes in the textile. These errors can be meaningful, as if I am in on a secret that no one else knows about. I know where the small hole in the hat is and no, I will not go back to darn it. Yet these subtle flaws seem to carry a different weight when present in knitted pieces intended for gifts.

What is the role of an error in a piece made for someone other than self?

It seems that these errors do not have a place in garments for gifts. To tink is to knit backwards. "Tink" is quite literally "knit" spelled backward. So, I will tink and knit and tink again until the shawl for my Mom is complete.