Knit Design Fails - or Patterns that Haven't Been Finished (yet?)

A lot of knitting ideas occur to me when I'm on the train commuting to work. I usually write them down or draw a little sketch to avoid forgetting them straight away ... and then I'll try them out when I feel like it.

Some of these ideas work - they become finished knitted objects and I write down the pattern for it and publish it here. But some of them don't work, or just don't get finished.

In this post I wanted to share some of the "design fails" I've had over the years - some of them were forgotten completely, others were reworked into a better version ... please note that there are lots more, because on average I have one "fail" for every one published pattern :) This means that I frog a lot which is the main reason I don't like to cut my yarn before I'm really, REALLY sure that I want something to stay the way it is. This is also the main reason I prefer sturdy materials (e.g. sock yarn from wool and poloyamide) that can be ribbed back many times.

1. Picture 1 shows the start of an idea for fingerless gloves started from the thumb (like e.g. Circle Mitts or Pieces of Eight Mitts). However, I didn't like the way the waves at the shaft merged into the circle around the thumb - so I frogged it. I have a vague idea how to fix this issue so I may pursue this idea again in future.
2. On picture 2 is a prototype for a kind of opposite version of the Starburst Mitts - with the rows pivoting around a point at the wrist. Even though it kind of worked, I didn't like the look of it - so I frogged it.
3. Number 3 shows a yoga sock design that just look plump - it fitted my foot but I really didn't like it.
4. Photo number 4 shows a try to use some beautiful Noro Kureyon yarn. I wanted to show off the color way by contrasting it with a different color way - unfortunately, I didn't like the shape. This yarn eventually became the Almendra Cowl.
5. Picture 5 shows a rather confused construction idea for fingerless gloves knitted in several directions. It did fit my hands but it look too crowded and complicated. I used the idea of a slanted thumb panel later in the Windings Mitts.
6. Finally, on picture 6 you can see the first prototype of  wrist warmers that are knitted at a 45 degree angle - the connection between the thumb and the main part looked a bit clumsy so I ribbed it back and knitted it without the angle - resulting in the Strata fingerless gloves. (A pattern with a similar construction but without a thumb will be published in a few days :)

Have you ever tried out an idea that just didn't work? It would be great to hear about it.