“I am an idiot.”
That was me last night at about 10:00 when I realized that I had knit 2 1/2 inches of the back top of my Western Slope Tee in stockinette instead of garter.
Okay, I know we are not supposed to use that word, idiot. I mean, that word: idiot. Not even for I-cord — which was originally coined as Idiot Cord by none other than the mother of us all, Elizabeth Zimmermann. Now we just all pretend that the “I” stands for some other word. And that is all very much more civilized, but I was not feeling all that civilized last night once I realized that I had to rip back several hours of knitting on a piece that I had become pretty optimistic about finishing before we go to The Beach on Friday.
Of course, I tried to talk myself into just finishing the back in stockinette. But how can you get around the fact that stockinette and garter are two different creatures? It would be possible to finish the top in stockinette, but it wouldn’t look right, wouldn’t hang right, wouldn’t be right. So, off the needles came the 90+ stitches and I ripped back to where the directions say to “Beg working in garter st.” And then I did.
In other news — where, in stark contrast, I have acted with canniness and wisdom — I made a substantial swatch for the lace for my substantially altered Boxed Lilac Top AND I BLOCKED IT! So, it is quite likely I will come up with an accurate gauge! (Okay, Sarah made me do it, but at least I know sage advice when I hear it.). The photos below show the swatch – the photo on the white cloth background shows the pattern clearly, but the photo with the wood deck background gives the yarn it’s true color.