Knitting..........

So, I'm knitting a test knit for a pattern made with our DK weight yarn. The pattern is great - thus far my knitting has sucked. Here's how it has gone so far:

- Start the cabled band - screw up the first few cables but don't realize it until several repeats later of course

- Decide to keep going and just rip out from the bottom up at the end since the band is started with a provisional cast on (I'm sure you can see where THAT went)

- Spend about 2 hours trying to fix my ridiculous plan to rip out from the bottom up (just in case you were wondering - doing this does NOT WORK which I knew but figured I could conquer it anyway - the knitting won)

- There were scissors involved so I'm sure you can see just how bad this was

- Seriously, I think I was sweating after all the work on fixing that band

- Fixed the band - kitchenered it together - no problem (ironically - kitchener stitch is the only thing I had NO problems with - go figure)

- Pick up stitches around the band

- Realize that I didn't pick up enough stitches so I decide to just do increases on the next row

- Finish that and then read the next line in the pattern which calls for more increases (dudes, this is totally why you should read your whole pattern before you start)

- Fumble around about what to do and then decide to just add increases in on the next row

- Knit for about 4 hours before realizing that my knitting looks like total crap and ponder what to do

- Knit another row and decide that it still looks like crap

- Decide that if it looks like crap at 1" then it is going to look like crap at 3.5" so..............

- Rip out all work down to the cable band

- Pick up stitches again this time working all increases into the first knitted row - woooo hoooo - right number of stitches!!!

- Realize that I picked up stitches with the WRONG SIDE FACING! FPS!!!!!!

- Rip out again down to cable band

- Pick up stitches AGAIN and make increases on the next row (dudes - this is like 200 stitches per round we are talking about!!)

- Realize that I f*&$ed up picking up the stitches AGAIN but pretend that I don't notice that part (seriously - no one will notice a small indiscretion on the back, right?)

- Decide that I don't really care who sees what I'm not ripping back to the dang cable band again

- Pour glass of wine

- Realize I probably should have started with the above step and things probably would have gone better

- Write to pattern designer and tell her that her pattern is great but I just can't seem to follow it correctly for some reason - seriously - I KNOW how to pick up stitches!!!!!!!

- Also tell designer that just because I offer to do a test knit does not mean that she has to actually take me up on the offer - she has probably learned her lesson I am guessing

- Decide that I need to make a video on picking up stitches so that I can watch it myself when I have to pick up stitches along the bottom of the cable band - jeeeez louise!!!!

- Continue knitting merrily along until the next challenge (even though picking up stitches should really NOT be a challenge at all)

- Realize that there is a big difference between K3,P1 (which is what the pattern says) and P1,K3 (which is what I'm doing)

- Tink back 100 stitches

- Put knitting in time out for the night and pour another glass of wine

- Hopefully it will go better today

Have a great weekend!!!!! I'll be working on the test knit and then celebrating my birthday all weekend!!! My mom is coming tomorrow - sheesh - I better get this house cleaned up!!