The Post After THE Post But Before:

I have a big 'ole Talky Talky already written up, but I'm still in edit mode - probably tomorrow I'll post it.

This one here is just a little update from my break from socks.

I thought (and there's my first mistake) that I'd take a break from The Making of Socks to whip up a little something easy in my stashed Alpaca & Silk from Blue Sky Alpaca. This yarn is absolutely divine to knit with. Soft? Ohhh yeah. So very soft.

Since the yarn is so dreamy to touch and the ply has a great stitch definition, I had a particular idea in mind. Something mostly knitted on the right side with a bit of a border around.

I went through my ravelry queue with a fine-tooth comb (and lemme just give you a good tip - from me to you . . . TAG YOUR SHIT. The queue area is hard to navigate by "what" if you don't put your own tags on your stuff. I stuck with basics: *sweater* *scarf* *lace* *house* *baby* *socks* and spent about two hours getting every single item I have queued tagged. Seriously. When that box pops up after you "queue" something, put a tag in!)

So anywho, I found exactly what I was looking for, pattern-wise. It couldn't be easier. The wrong side is nothing more than a border and purls in between and the most difficult stitch is an ssk. Goodness I've knitted some WAY more involved patterns successfully and was way greener when I did.

Now, at 10:30pm of day 2? I've casted on two times unsuccessfully now. WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH ME?

There were two things that conspired to make me an incompetent knitter.

#1 - x7+4 I took this to mean that the pattern repeat is seven stitches and the border is 2(on each side) to equal 4.

And then I knitted it up. SO didn't work. I had too few stitches left at the end of the row to complete the repeat and the border.

#2 - Row 2: B2,k3,*ssk,k5,yo,* end k1,B2. I never did see that first asterisk. Not the first cast-on and not the second one either. I added up these stitches six ways to Sunday and never ever took note of that first asterisk. The second star was clear as day. My pea-brain just assumed the pattern started out after the two stitch border - at the knit three mark.

FAIL.

EPIC FAIL.

Face. Desk. Repeat.

I'm beginning to think that knitting is passively trying to break up with me before I break up with it first, lol! At the very least, I'm wondering if knitting wants me to find a different hobby to pursue.

'Scept I already did! I've invested in the products it takes to sew some green produce and grocery bags up, went to get to started tonight after work and . . . realized I have ZERO bobbins for my sewing machine. Not a one.

Maybe this is all a sign that The Reading Of Books misses me terribly.