I'll Buy That Tinking Machine!

How did Wendy know I was posting about STOOOOPID tinking today. She's talking about how someone needs to invent a tinking machine... among other wonderful things that would make our knitting lives easier.

The tinking machine - I'd be all over that if it could tink lace..... Errrrr. Nothing will put the brakes on my lace knitting faster than finding a mistake and having to tink back.

I can hardly knit lace forward, as much as I love knitting lace for some insane reason, but tinking it backwards takes every brain cell I can scrounge. Like I've got a lot of those to spare. Not to mention, it would help if I had magnifying eyes.... even with the granny glasses - argh!

So, see the piece to the left... where up at the top I lost my mind for a second and didn't finish that middle medallion before going ahead with the next two on the sides? Well, it sat there for about a week-and-a-half, waiting for me to get the guts to tink back four rows of lace. Four stinkin' rows. That's it. We're not talking half a scarf or anything, just four stupid rows. And this is SIMPLE lace! But for days, I just couldn't muster the brain cells. After that, all I had was about 10 minutes more of knitting and I was done. DONE, finished, fini...., but did that make me pick it up and tink away.... nah.

The lesson learned.... NEVER get so cocky as to assume I can forego the lifeline. ALWAYS keep moving up that lifeline. The minute I don't, that's when I forget to do a yarn-over, or my personal nemesis, pass that darned slipped stitch over.... I sing it in my head, "slip one, knit two, pass the slipped stitch over." That PSSO - it gets me every time.

But, I'm nothing, if not stubborn -

So, last night I unknit, then reknit, and finished the Sister Scarf for my MIL. I had to. Her birthday is next week and I have to mail it to Texas.

Another lesson learned.... the pattern is probably written that way for a reason. The body of the scarf between the little motifs was supposed to be done in garter stitch. Me, I think it'd be prettier in stockinette, so that's what I do. So, of course, what do I find out too late (anything that would cause me to start over is what I consider too late!) - duh, stockinette curls!

yeah, I know, we all know that... even I know that....

So, I blocked it like crazy, and it doesn't curl too bad while you're wearing it. I considered doing an edging, maybe crochet around the whole thing, but I don't think it would have helped. So, it is what it is.

I do like it. I think I'll do another one with just the horseshoe lace pattern from the bottom edges of the scarf. And follow the directions. And remember my lifeline.

So, with another lace project under my belt, and cocky knitter that I am, I'm picking up the Snowdrop Shawl again. It's still the size of a Barbie shawl. I need to work on it a little. So I have visions of grandeur.... what are you trying to say? I'll finish it - some day. I'm in no hurry. This is laceweight though... not to fuzzy, but WAY too small for my eyes to see to tink back... so I'd better not wait too long, the eyes aren't getting any younger. I'm just making sure I move up that lifeline before I even knit a stitch.

This old dog can still learn trick or two, it just takes longer!