When Knitting Attacks

I don't have too many major problems with my knitting.  Don't think I'm trying to be arrogant in my knitting with that statement.  I'm far from being professional. I just usually I just "make do" with mistakes if I know they won't bother me.  I'm not a perfectionist.  I know the people that rip several times a project just to get it perfect.  It's just not me.  I do my share of ripping but its usually because I didn't like the pattern, or the pattern yarn combo, or the item just didn't look good on me.

Well that wasn't the case with the Low Tide Cardigan I'm making for Annabelle.  First I'll start with probably one of the things I hate most in knitting.  Picking stitches up.  I had to pick up 120 stitches along the lace panel to start the body and it can be such a pain to get just the right number of stitches evenly.  And this is the smallest size....oh how many stitches it will be when I make one for me!  I have started measuring and putting markers at halfway points to help.  It just takes so much time and concentration for such a small step.

I got that step done anyhow, and started the body.  When I put the markers in for the decreases on the back I really thought something was off.  They just didn't look right, but I swore I was following that step in the pattern exactly right.  After some knitting I just couldn't take it.  The back was uneven and it was just going to keep annoying me.  So I ripped.  Had to pick up all those stitches again and this time I made sure my center marker for picking them up was exactly in the center of the lace panel.  Something I'm sure I did not do last time and that had to be the problem right?  Nope.  I got to the same step and could not fathom why it was off.  I did the math for the stitches and verified that there were no problems with the pattern so it had to be me.  Then I reread everything.  I missed a step.  I didn't cast on 4 stitches between the front and back of the sweater in the armpit areas.  Which put off everything.  Well I was NOT picking up all those stitches again so I made due with what seemed like a decent amount of slack between the front and back anyhow and put 4 stitches in those spots.  I really hope it's not noticeable and it works out.  I think it will.  Otherwise I'll be complaining again next week!  All at my own fault.

Now onto the reading front.  I finished Starting Now by Debbie Macomber and I think it might be one of the best of the Blossom Street Yarn series.    I just really liked the main character and all the different relationships she had throughout the book.    The first one in the series will always be my favorite though.   This means I downloaded a new book from Audible.  I have had the first 6 books or so of the Women's Murder Club Series by James Patterson for close to 3 years and I have yet to touch them.  I then leant the first book out, never got it back and decided my next audio book would be 1st To Die.  I've started.  I don't often listen to "thrillers" or "mystery".  Not even really sure what genre it's considered yet so that tells you how much I've listened to.  But so far so good.  I usually listen on my iphone, but just d/l it to iTunes so I can listen in the car on my drive next week.  I think I need to load up with podcasts too! Any suggestions for new ones?

Check in over at Tami's and Yarn Along.  We'd love to have you join!