A Matter of Expectation

One of the most interesting things about knitting is how no matter how long you have been doing it, there is still so much to learn.  I cannot think of anything in my life that demonstrates so clearly how you can read the words and have them right, you can do each process of a thing and understand it and still be so wrong.  Context is everything.

The black hole of my never ending sweater knitting magically resolved itself one morning. It wasn't just long enough, it was one row past what I was looking for.  No matter, one row extra was perfect.  I started working on the interesting hem of the sweater.  

And stopped.  No matter what I did, it didn't make sense.  I followed the directions exactly but it really made no sense.  Right from the bit where you cast on stitches to the way you attached them to bind off the body of the sweater, it made no sense.  I read it and knit it over and over again.  After try number 4, I put it down and worked on the blanket and played in stash.  Knitting gods 1, Me 0.  

I searched answers on Ravelry and Reddit.  There wasn't any mention of trouble with what I was having trouble with.  I read over the pattern again.  I had obviously missed some small but critical instruction.  I looked at every picture I could find.  Zip, nada.  I left it alone all of Saturday. I ignored it.

And Sunday, I picked up the pdf of the pattern and was looking at my favourite little detail of the design when it hit me.  I was thinking in the wrong direction.   I know.  It makes no sense when you write it out, but suddenly, I knew the problem I was having and I knew what to do, to do it right.

When you knit in the round, you are pretty much working in the same direction all the time.  I was trying to do this part, expecting it to keep the knitting flowing in that same direction.  It doesn't.  It works back in the other direction.  

It was such an aha moment, understanding the one thing I had wrong.  I had forgotten to leave my expectation at the door and was trying to make it be something it could not be. 

With the newfound clarity, I made quick work of getting it set up and making progress.   

I cast on 4 extra stitches than the pattern calls for.  I didn't really plan for this but it feels right.  Instead of being 4 inches, my hem finish will be about 4 3/4 inches.  I dearly hope that the yarn will  holds out.  

If it doesn't, I will just have to order another skein of yarn or change the sleeve hem finish.  Wish me l luck.

With each thing I knit, I learn something.  Sometimes it is about the yarn or fibre. sometimes, it is about a little trick of the stitches.  Sometimes I gain a small understanding of things about myself, and sometimes, oh those notable times, I learn something big about the nature of the world and life itself.  Leave your expectations at the door.  Things often work better that way.