They say bad things come in 3’s, and if this is the case, my knitting troubles should be over now.

My first stumbling block was when I discovered that the sock I was knitting for the Sock Knitters Annoymous group knit along on Ravelry for March was a stitch short. It was the 6-stitch enlongated cable socks, one of the patterns from Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd, and I was really upset, and ripped them out and wound up the yarn and tossed it to the side. I planned to use the energy from the knit along to instead power me to finish the New England socks by Nancy Bush that I had going on.

But that’s where bad thing #2 comes in…I was knitting along just fine, following the pattern, all that good stuff, when I discovered that I wouldn’t be able to make all the diamonds fit on the foot before I had to do the decrease, my foot is too short. Now, some of you would say “Well, knit to 7 inches like you should, and then cut off the pattern and start the toe.” I say this: I would hate that. Cut it off in the middle of the last diamond? No way, I want that pretty point. Others may suggest continuing just the diamond in the middle while I decrease for the toe using a flat toe instead of a star like the pattern uses…but I say nay again. I love that lace that borders the diamond on either side, and I don’t want my toe “cleavage” to show through in the diamond lace on the top of the foot. It’s all about the details for me…and I can’t handle changing it. So, until I decide what to do, the New England sock and I are not on speaking terms. Our relationship is so broken, in fact, that I’ve asked it to move into a plastic bag and reside in my knitting bin until it’s ready to be good (or until I cave and make a decision).

To some of you, this may sound rather…well, rash. But let’s remember something here…knitting is supposed to be fun. My life right now? Not so fun. Divorce papers, bills, my ex being a jerk to me behind my back…my life is messy right now. I’m emotional, hung up on details that previously, I didn’t really care about. This detail with the sock was enough to make me almost pull out my hair last night…so until I’m calmer, the sock is banned from my presence.

Bad thing #3 though fixed now, almost had me in tears last night when I discovered it. It was midnight, I was mad at the New England sock, and I needed something to console me. So, I picked up Auburn Camp shirt, about 2 or 3 inches into straight pattern work after the armhole decreases, and discovered I’d moved the purl stitch on the right side over again… I put it down, tried to take a few deep breaths, and then, I lay awake fuming about it for about an hour before I finally passed out. Thankfully, my mother fixed it this morning, but I’m hoping now that my 3 bad things have happened, the fates will leave me and my knitting alone.

Good things have happened though, and I’d like to introduce you to my new blogging buddy, my model for blog and Ravelry photos….she’s splendid, very pretty, and all knitters will love her…
Everyone, I’d like you to meet Shirley the Sheep. She was purchased as a fund raiser for Children’s Hospital (which two companies I’ve worked for before supported, and of which I’ve been a patient before), but also to amuse me and the followers of this blog. The cool thing? her feet are magnetic…so she lives on the fridge when she’s not the focus of my photographic adventures….isn’t she cute???

And, to replace the hole in my heart when the New England socks and I decided to seperate, is Erica Alexander’s Cable Rib socks, from Interweave’s Favorite Socks.

Be still my heart, the cables are braided, and I only have to do them once in a 10 row-repeat, the rest is mindless K2, P1 ribbing…I think I can handle this….