The Hazards of Knitting Tired

So, I finally got back to the tank top I had started last summer, but had to frog the first attempt, in Kroy, because of a mistake I'd made early on but didn't catch until it was 16 inches behind me. Then, I cast on the same pattern in the yarn originally called for, Microspun, but put it aside after a short while, because I went back to work and it was just too incredibly hot at the time.

Now I am retired, and getting into knitting a lot more since I have the time. So, I restarted the Microspun top, finished the back, cast on for the front, got to about 8 rows above the armhole bind off, and discovered I'd dropped a stitch. (Actually, I kept dropping stitches off the ends of my needles, since Microspun is quite slippery and also easily splits, but rescued those as I went along.) Anyway, last night I decided I'd go back and catch that dropped stitch. And proved why you should never knit, or try to repair the knitting when you're too tired. Because in trying to pick up that dropped stitch, I made a mess of it. I think, but I'm not sure, that I actually created a couple of stitches while trying to pick up just one. And made an unholy mess of the whole thing.

Today, I tinked all the rows above the bind off for the arms. And discovered that where I thought I'd picked up the stitch, I had apparently knotted the yarn around one stitch. I had to cut the yarn to untangle it. And then tink back all those rows. Ouch.

So, now it's Monday, and I'm back to the beginning of the armhole decreases. It's not a huge loss, but it was really frustrating, and I'm still trying to figure out how I managed to pick up an extra stitch and knot the yarn at the same time.  Note to self: When you find yourself nodding off is not the time to repair your knitting. Just don't.

In other news, I picked up some Simplicity by HiKoo, in a sky blue, and I'm going to use it to make Falling Leaves, a tank top by Rosemary Drysdale.

 

It's only patterned on the front, which I normally don't like, but in this case, I think it's going to be fine.

 

Once I finish the ribbed tank I'm (still) working on, I'll do this one, then go back and do the ribbed tank in the Kroy socks yarn, which I used double, and loved.

 

I'm hoping to win my bid on Ebay for 15 skeins of Classic Elite's Sand. I ran across a pattern years ago that called for that yarn and I really, really wanted to knit it, but couldn't find the yarn anywhere. So, now I have to go find that pattern, which I'm sure I saved, but where??

 

I may sneak in a cowl or two before I get back to the Kroy version of the ribbed top, though. I picked up a bunch of 1-2 skeins of some rather expensive yarns a while back, and haven't done anything with them yet, so I've been cruising Ravelry for patterns for them. I especially love Annabella's Cowl by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas.

 

It uses two Alchemy yarns, Silk Purse and Haiku, and those are both hard to find, and expensive. It takes two of the Silk Purse, and it runs between $27 and $34 a skein. Makes this a very expensive cowl, but the raves for it on Ravelry make me want to knit it in those yarns. And, of course, it doesn't use up any of the yarns I already have in my stash. Which I have got to start knitting from, or move to a bigger place!

Between Ebay and online yarn shops, I have collected way, way too much yarn. I don't actually need to buy anymore yarn, ever. I just need to find patterns I really want to make with what I have in my stash. Which is more yarn, I think, than one of my LYS has in stock. Yikes.