Mistakes

I hate making them.  I'm not a perfectionist, but I hate it when I think I'm getting along pretty well, and then I realize I've forgotten something or made a mistake WAAAY back at the beginning.  Sometimes the mistake is fixable.  In which case, still irksome, but not as problematic.  I don't dwell on it as long because once it's fixed, problem solved!  Well, such was not my luck last night.

Tuesday night I was so proud of myself.  I had finished the dress for Team Pink for the Sisters toy.  I was glad to have successfully worked something in the round, and to my own credit, I thought it looked pretty good.  I was happy with the color choice and the shape, most everything. 

Then last night as I'm knitting dress number 2 for Team Blue, it hits me.  Dress 1 for Team Pink is wrong.  Very very wrong.  So wrong I can't easily fix it.  I have to make the entire thing over again!  Darn.  And darn.  Now, the dress isn't really that big, but for a beginner, somewhat slow knitter, even this small knit piece took some time.  I'm anxious to be faster.  And to make such a big mistake really bothers me. The pattern calls for 2 knit rounds and a purled round, and then to knit again for 2 inches from the purled round.  Then the pattern starts into the decrease rounds.  I forgot to add the 2 inches of knit rounds.  Instead, I had started decreased immediately from the round 3 - the purled round.  No wonder the dress looked so small!!!

This wouldn't be nearly so upsetting if I were able to frog the piece and add in those 2 inches (although that would be going backwards almost as far as just starting over) - but then I could have fixed the original item.  Now I have to make the entire dress over again.  :\

On the plus side, my son really enjoys playing with dress attempt #1 - and now he can put it in his mouth and chew on it to his heart's content.  :)   Before, he wanted to gum all over it, but I wouldn't let him because it's a gift.  Noone wants to be gifted a slobbery toy.  Plus #2 - now I can try my hand at blocking. :)  I've heard the term thrown around a bit, but it wasn't until last night that I truly understood the wonderful magic of blocking.  I'm not sure how to block something round, like a hat or toy piece.  But I'll learn.  Plus #3, I've worked in the round and know I can do it.  And now I can only improve.  My first attempt had some minor imperfections I was happy to let alone, and now, I can improve on that, live and learn I guess! :)

By the way - got a package of yarn yesterday from KnitPicks.com.  I LOVE the colors that I ordered and I think they'll work great for my projects.  I had been looking for just the right yarn for my Christmas projects and now I can start them.  I will be casting on in the very near future - either a hat or scarf.  I can't decide which!