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Day Six: What I Aspire To (In Knitting, Of Course!)

I am so sad today.

(Knitting-wise that is, for as bad as I’m feeling at the moment, in the big picture, I’ve been assured that the sky is most definitely NOT falling, so let’s have at least a little perspective. But, I digress…)

Today was knit group. I brought my shawl along. Everybody says never to bring a shawl to knit group. But, there are shawls, and then there are shawls. Mine, in the grand scheme of things, is a cake walk to the true shawl knitter. I was knitting away on a pattern row in my shawl and I get to the end of the pattern section, and my count is off. Somewhere, it’s just off. And remember how, just the other day, I was saying how the lace pattern in this thing is easy to read?

closeup of shawl in progress with knitting needles
closeup of shawl in progress with knitting needles

The thing that makes it easy, supposedly, is that in the 7-stitch pattern repeat, on every row, there is this single, prominent column that runs right down the center of the repeat, on stitch 4. It is easy to see this, so easy to tell what’s happening around it. Except now, for some reason, I can’t. I’ve lost my way. And my numbers are off. Way off. I don’t see where or how I could have dropped stitches or miscounted.

And no, it’s not because I was in knit group, that I can tell. I was going along counting along the way, and everything was fine. I was finding my stitch 4 on every repeat with no problem. Now, all of a sudden, I’m at the end of the section and something, somewhere is just wrong. And I don’t see it. And I’m mad.

So, if I were to say what I aspire to in knitting, it would be to be able to find and fix ANYTHING. No mistake should be daunting or rattling. It’s sad, of course, when one has to rip out several days’ worth of work to fix a mistake 20 rows down, and that kind of thing is frustrating for anybody. But what I don’t get here is why I don’t see the problem. I see that there is one, but I don’t see what it is. And this is what I want to know most in my knitting. How to see what I’ve done wrong, and fix it. And be confident about it. And move on.

I know, I know. Back away from the knitting. What is driving me crazy tonight will be painfully obvious tomorrow, right? Except I don’t think so this time. I just can’t see it.

So I want to know how to see a mistake and fix it, not fudge it. And, I want to knit a sweater. Or ANYTHING. I think I’m the only person at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival every year who goes there with nothing to show for the results of her knitting. I never have anything to wear. So that is something else I aspire to, I guess… to go to the festival next year and not be the only one with nothing to wear.

Ok, I’ll end this bloggy pity party and go knit something simple. Like a dishcloth. Or a scarf. Baby steps…

2 responses to “Day Six: What I Aspire To (In Knitting, Of Course!)”

  1. Lynne Avatar
    Lynne

    Trish, I always love to see what you have on your needles at knit group – it’s always something soft and pretty. I’m so sorry you’re having trouble with your shawl. I’m sure though, that the next time you pick it up, you’ll see what went wrong.

  2. Lorna's Laces Avatar

    Hooray for you. Go to MSW with nothing to wear. Who cares!? You don’t need to wear your love of knitting on the outside. It’s in your fingers and in your soul. Put on your t-shirt from the Gap and just enjoy the time there!

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