Potholders

Sunday, June 1, 2014

SWOT Down!


My husband's employer has used SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) Analysis to evaluate projects, and is increasingly applying these techniques to people also. The best I can tell, this is really just a fancy way of making a pro-con list. When applied to people, it's a way of trying to become more self-aware. I like to think that I recognize most of my own strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats but I got a refresher lesson when the first clue of the TTL Mystery Shawl was released last night. I was awake Saturday night at 11:30 p.m., so when I got the pattern update, I excitedly opened it up...

Augh! Garter tab cast on! Charts! Cluster 3 sts that I need a video to do! Markers that need to be moved! 

Rather than admit defeat without even trying, I cast on and gave it a try. By 2:00 a.m. I had ripped out three times because my stitch counts were wrong and I couldn't find my errors. I finally went to bed feeling lost and overwhelmed. I gave it another try this morning, but to be honest, I don't think my heart was really in it. I was hoping this would be vacation knitting since that's where I am, but this is a little too complicated for my feeble brain on vacation. I should have listened to all my inner reasons why a mystery kal is not the thing for me, and if I had done a SWOT analysis, it would have clearly shown that I would most likely be SWOTted down. So, I'm quitting before I've really begun, very happily returning to my vacation knitting with a great feeling of relief, and will truly enjoy admiring all the lovely shawls knit by others. Lesson learned!

4 comments:

  1. In the gardening world, there is a saying . . . Right Plant, Right Place. I'd say it applies to the knitting world, too. Right Project, Right Time. Knowing that it's just Not Right (at least Not Right Now) is very wise -- and a definite Strength! Enjoy your vacation and your knitting. (Maybe a mystery some other time. . .) :-)

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  2. oh I hate that you spent any of your vacation time fretting over stupid knitting. glad you packed another fun project and hope you're enjoying it...and your time off!

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  3. :( I wish I could help you!!! I tend to shy away from mystery shawls. Unless it is a designer that I've knit numerous times and know I will be happy. I hope there's an lys for you to pick something else out!!

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  4. I also tend to steer clear of mystery knits. I learned years ago I'm not an ideal candidate for yarn clubs, because I like to pick my own stuff. Same idea, I think.

    Just remember, you knit because you love it and you shouldn't do it if it's a big pain. That yarn is meant to become something else!

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