Three Strikes

The only difference between new knitters and experienced ones is how soon we notice mistakes after making them. Not, I repeat, NOT, how often we make mistakes. That's a constant.

Isn't that reassuring? Case in point, this lace panel thingy:

Strike 1:  I totally know better than this, but I forgot. Or more likely, was trying to get to the interesting part sooner. Whichever it was, I made a very narrow band of 1 x 1 rib at the bottom. So narrow is it, in this superwash sock yarn, that it curls like mad. And by "curls", I mean "total roller-shade, up from the bottom". Not flattering. And even though I told myself blocking would help, I know that to be a huge lie. Superwash yarn can only ever do whatever it's doing right now. You can't poke, prod, fold, spindle or mutilate it into any other state.

Strike 2:  Arsed up the last decrease of the pattern. Would it show? Let's see: Um, is it in the very front and center of the piece? Yes. Do other people have eyes? Yes. Then yes, it will show.

Strike 3:  Jacked up the vertical repeat by failing to move the sticky note that was supposed to tell me which row of the pattern I'm knitting.  Turns out that moving the sticky note is a manual process. Will it be noticeable? See Strike 2.

But the best thing of all about this photo is what you can clearly see. I went on knitting for a further three inches after taking note of all these errors, telling myself it would all be okay. It wasn't until I fully got the hang of the pattern that I could see (admit) how much trouble I had been in at the beginning. And every row I knit properly made the earlier ones look that much worse. Until I remembered the words of a very wise knitter, who said to me: "I've never regretted the decision to rip out a mistake, but there have been plenty of times I regretted the decision not to."

So there it is. Would these mistakes haunt and torture me for the life of the garment? Yes. Three strikes; you're out. I frogged the wee beastie. And this photo is the only proof it ever happened. 

Isn't it grand how knitting is the only place where your mistakes don't go on your permanent record?