1 step forward, 2 steps back...

that is the only way to describe my knitting progress over the past week. First there is the razor lace cami that I started last week at the baseball game. I was well into my second skein, I was loving this mindless knitting and had completed almost 6 inches. It was at that time I noticed that I was losing stitches on either side of the sl,k2tog, psso on some of my pattern repeats...that was no good...then I decided to try it on and realized it was a bit too big. So I frogged the entire thing. I am finally starting to realize that it is not a race to finish projects (although I really want this finished by my family reunion in August) and that I am indeed human and make mistakes. This is a big pill for me to swallow as I tend to hold myself to a high standard. I am a bit of a perfectionist and prefer to have thing done right the first time. However, through knitting I am realizing that mistakes do not mean failure, they simply give me room to grow and learn. Ultimately, my mistakes are making me a better knitter and a more patient person.

My other learning experience is the Lovely Lace Shawl (LLS). I had the weekend to myself-no children, no husband just me and my knitting. I decided since it was an unusually comfortable summer day here in NC that I would pour myself a glass of ice tea and head outside with my lace knitting in hand. I learned two things that day. 1-lace knitting on size 2 needles with this loosely spun yarn is so much easier with the naturally bright light the sun provides. 2- I cannot hear the siren song of the computer and TV when I am outside and I can actually stay focused on my knitting. I love the TV- I am not proud of this fact- but I do...I will leave it on all day when I am home alone even if there is nothing of value to watch. Knitting enables my TV habit, as I do not feel like such a slug when I at least have a lovely knit to show for my hours spent in front of the boob tube. Although this sometimes drives my husband crazy-if only I had a quarter for every time I heard "Sweetie, are you going to watch this with me or are you going to knit?" I would have a much bigger yarn stash! *ahem* sorry for the tangent...back to the LLS...I actually managed to complete the second section of the LLS. I was so proud of myself, that is until I got online to check my progress. Ada Barneveld of Dutch Knitting has completed the LLS and has fantastic pictures that I have been using as a reference point for my own. hmmmm I thought to myself...I have made quite a few mistakes. Shit...back to my lifeline at the end of the first panel. Let me tell y'all, whoever thought of lifelines for knitting should be made a saint! Haha the Patron Saint of Knitting! I wonder if there is such a person? Anyway, back to the lifeline I frogged and this fuzzy delicate yarn is becoming fuzzier and more delicate with each tug. I picked up the live stitches and tried again. However, after 9 rows I realized that I have made yet another error. Instead of frogging these rows for fear of what might happen to my delicate yarn this post by Yarn Harlot came to mind and and I figured What the hell do I have to lose? (I have no pictures to prove this as it was 11pm last night and the lighting sucks for picture taking- Y'all will just have to believe me!) Here is a mental picture for ya though. Me sitting on the floor facing the sofa, unraveled knitting daintily spread out on the cushion in front of me, notecards with the pattern repeat written out inches away from my needles, DPN's poked into the sofa for easy access, my nose mere inches away from my work, breathing as softly as humanly possible for fear of blowing the stitches off the needles. I carefully dropped the twenty stitch pattern repeat back to my lifeline and with size 1 dpn's I carefully reknit the 9 offensive rows. Yay for me! I was victorious! I almost break my arm patting myself on the back. I even did it with no swearing, alcohol, throwing things, pouting or other childish behavior. I then realized with dismay that the fucked up section was actually between two of the pattern repeats and I would have to do it all again only this time I have to drop down 40 stitches. I think I may have uttered a few profanities at this point...seeing as it was 2 am at this point, I admitted woefully that I had lost that battle- but I am determined to win the WAR!
Somehow, my friends, after a week of knitting I actually have less to show than when I started, but I have gained confidence and a new skill to boot!