I want a do-over

I have been working on a new knitting project, and because I am a bit of a perfectionist, I want what I am working on to look "just right".  Notice, I am not saying perfect, I have given up on that.  But I do have standards.  I will be knitting along and do a look-back and realize, about six rows back, I made an error,  This error is GLARINGLY apparent to me.  Now, I don't know if an inexperienced knitter could pick it out, but I can.

When I first started knitting, I didn't even recognize the error.  I was just happy to be knitting.  But as I became more adept at my craft, and more daring in my stitchery, it became apparent to me when something new I was trying, wasn't working out.  That is when I began "ripping things out",  This isn't so difficult if you have only cast on 16 to 20 stitches, but some of these projects end up with well over 100 stitches on the needles and it's not only painstakingly slow to back track over all the correct work to get to the "error of your ways", it is fraught with danger.

Many times I have made a mess of things and created more mistakes by going backwards then I would have by just letting the "sleeping dog lie" (as it was).   These fancy stitches I am teaching myself aren't as easily "undone".

So of course it reminds me of life.  And the times when I have been too naive to realize I have even made a mistake.  I just merrily went on my way.  Looking back I am embarrassed by some of the chaos I have left in my path (my only consolation was - I was an IDIOT).

Then there are those mistakes that I chose not to correct.  Did I look back at the time and think "let me sleep on that" or did I just forge ahead?  And what about the mistakes I went back and tried to correct?  Was everybody worse for the wear or did the "do-over" save us in the end?

I used to tell people that once you knew of something (generally something wrong) it was yours to own.  Whatever happened after you owed that knowledge - you became a "person of interest", someone who had liability in the outcome.

Now, we all make mistakes.  Most of them we can live with.  Some of them we lose sleep over.  And some of them we think about often, especially if we can still make them right.

Like the damn cowl I am knitting.

Until next time.
#dontsleeponit
#callme

your pal,

Kari