"Row 6", I mutter as the warm breeze blends my voice with the dust blowing down mainstreet. "So we meet again." I squint in the blazing sun and look up at the clock tower as sweat drips into my eyes. Almost noon. I have been dreading this for days. Row 6, the bane of my existence, has foiled my attempts to conquer it not once, but twice. The "Beginner" skill level written on the pattern mocks me as I once again look over the instructions. Not one to back down from a challenge, the time has come to face my archnemesis. The clock tower hand moves. One tick left. As the confrontation draws near, I think back to our previous encounters. Both resulted in complete frogging, Row 6 having gotten the better of me. Not this time. I glance at the clock again, and my hand moves to the holster on my hip...
Yesterday, in a little unassuming cafe in south King county, I completed the dreaded Row 6 without making a mistake. I even moved on to row 7. I did it! It really was treacharous territory, because I got to stitch #185 (out of 202) the second time and had to frog the whole thing. And my first attempt went just as badly. While I know that the only way to improve as a knitter is to get past these exact types of situations, I don't think I could have handled a 3rd complete frogging. My soul wouldn't be able to bear the weight of that kind of failure. Would it speak of too few problem solving skills as a knitter? Inability to use resources (Yeah, I should've just taken the mess to my LYS to see if they could help me find the dropped stitches. My knitting will not advance if I don't learn how to fix mistakes and I just keep on ripping shit out and doing it over from scratch. It's not good for time management, advancement of my skills, etc. And do I really think that I'll be able to knit entire garments (when I get to that level) without knowing how to fix my mistakes? There is no way I can get through 3/4 of a sweater and then frog the whole thing because of one little fuck up that any yarn store employee could assist me with.)? Inattention to detail? I shudder at the thought. Anywho, if I do make a mistake from here on out I will definitely seek out assistance. I've come way too far. The next step will be to change colors. As soon as I find some batteries for my camera I'll post some pics. The pattern really is beautiful.
Here's a math problem for all you statisticians out there: What are the odds that after leaving the car service center, having had your front right blinker replaced (yes, I went to the service center for that. I could totally do it myself, but its still under warranty. I might as well get my money's worth and spend the time knitting row 7 and grinning from ear to ear) and by the time you get to the gas station (7 minutes) the front LEFT blinker goes out? I am not kidding. Tuesday night, right blinker. Wednesday morning right blinker replaced, 7 minutes after leaving dealership left blinker goes out.
The car is only a year old, and the '86 Volkswagen (R.I.P. We adored that car. *sniff, sniff* *sign of the cross*) we traded in for this car NEVER lost a blinker. 300,000 miles on it and we drove it from Washington to California to Texas to Georgia and never replaced a blinker. We had to replace a bunch of other stuff (like the alternator in the auto parts store parking lot. We were on a road trip across the country and had just checked into the hotel in Biloxi MS when I decided to go get dinner. I went down to the car and she wouldn't start. Thank god for manual transmission, 'cause we popped the clutch and drove to the auto parts store where my husband replaced the alternator. Right there in the parking lot! He is such The Man. We could've been stranded there for days waiting for a mechanic to fix it, in addition to blowing a huge chunk of our travelin' money. My husband rocks.) Anyway, I just thought the blinker thing was BS. Pretty bad timing, but the whole thing made me laugh. Really, what are the odds?
Yesterday, in a little unassuming cafe in south King county, I completed the dreaded Row 6 without making a mistake. I even moved on to row 7. I did it! It really was treacharous territory, because I got to stitch #185 (out of 202) the second time and had to frog the whole thing. And my first attempt went just as badly. While I know that the only way to improve as a knitter is to get past these exact types of situations, I don't think I could have handled a 3rd complete frogging. My soul wouldn't be able to bear the weight of that kind of failure. Would it speak of too few problem solving skills as a knitter? Inability to use resources (Yeah, I should've just taken the mess to my LYS to see if they could help me find the dropped stitches. My knitting will not advance if I don't learn how to fix mistakes and I just keep on ripping shit out and doing it over from scratch. It's not good for time management, advancement of my skills, etc. And do I really think that I'll be able to knit entire garments (when I get to that level) without knowing how to fix my mistakes? There is no way I can get through 3/4 of a sweater and then frog the whole thing because of one little fuck up that any yarn store employee could assist me with.)? Inattention to detail? I shudder at the thought. Anywho, if I do make a mistake from here on out I will definitely seek out assistance. I've come way too far. The next step will be to change colors. As soon as I find some batteries for my camera I'll post some pics. The pattern really is beautiful.
Here's a math problem for all you statisticians out there: What are the odds that after leaving the car service center, having had your front right blinker replaced (yes, I went to the service center for that. I could totally do it myself, but its still under warranty. I might as well get my money's worth and spend the time knitting row 7 and grinning from ear to ear) and by the time you get to the gas station (7 minutes) the front LEFT blinker goes out? I am not kidding. Tuesday night, right blinker. Wednesday morning right blinker replaced, 7 minutes after leaving dealership left blinker goes out.
The car is only a year old, and the '86 Volkswagen (R.I.P. We adored that car. *sniff, sniff* *sign of the cross*) we traded in for this car NEVER lost a blinker. 300,000 miles on it and we drove it from Washington to California to Texas to Georgia and never replaced a blinker. We had to replace a bunch of other stuff (like the alternator in the auto parts store parking lot. We were on a road trip across the country and had just checked into the hotel in Biloxi MS when I decided to go get dinner. I went down to the car and she wouldn't start. Thank god for manual transmission, 'cause we popped the clutch and drove to the auto parts store where my husband replaced the alternator. Right there in the parking lot! He is such The Man. We could've been stranded there for days waiting for a mechanic to fix it, in addition to blowing a huge chunk of our travelin' money. My husband rocks.) Anyway, I just thought the blinker thing was BS. Pretty bad timing, but the whole thing made me laugh. Really, what are the odds?
posted by Brenna at 1:45 PM
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