A Hot Mess

So, it has not been a good knitting week.  I have been f#@&ing up all over the place.

Let's start with my Cecily Twinset.  This is what it looked like last week:

And here it is now:

That green and blue yarn in the photo?  That would be the lifeline that had to be installed because I messed up the lace insert so badly.  It's a mess.  I have had to rip back several rows.  The stitches are so tiny (8sts per inch) and there are so many of them (271 - well 267 actually but there should be 271) that I did not have the eyesight or mental fortitude to rip back two entire rows of lace, so I ripped back to before the lace chart.

A combination of trying to knit lace amid distractions kids and a failure to admit that stitch-markers are not a sign of weakness but actually a really helpful knitting tool that would have saved me time and tears is what led to this nightmare.  To top it off, it looks like I will have to cut the yarn that I ripped back and join a new skein.

Like any insane Knitter, I yelled at it and tossed it into the time-out bag to make sure it knows what it has done.  It has been in the time-out bag since Sunday.  I hope to be ready to look at it again today or tomorrow.

I have to finish ripping out the stitches and put the sweater back on the needles.  This time I will make full use of my knitting notions - stitch markers and wine.  Stitch-markers are important, people!

my favourite knitting tool

I was expecting to release the pattern for Gitter today, however since my math skills have declined to the point of non-existence, they are on hold.  I graded the pattern for 3 sizes.  I really messed up the math on the third size.  The numbers are so far off my tech editor has developed an eye twitch that I can sense from here (and she is in Boston).  Hopefully it will be available next week.

I did manage to get a sock off the needles this week:

It's lovely.  It was made for the husbeast.  By special request.  He really wants cotton socks.  I started them for him, then for reasons unknown made it to fit me.  Like a glove.  I don't know what I was thinking, but now I have a lovely cotton sock.  This is just a simple, cuff-down, heel flap, rounded-Kitchener-stitched toe.  The yarn is Patons Stretch in "Fruit Slices".  My husband would have loved them.  The second sock is in progress.  At this point I am just hoping to make them both the same size.

If you ever have a bad knitting day, knitting week or feel like tossing your needles out a window, you are not alone and I hope this post makes you feel better.