Purple Princess Knits

Everything is going well or ... so I thought. Then my DH looks at what I am doing. Okay I confess I make him look because I have to stop every so often to admire my knitting, I thought he should do the same. You know, admire my knitting with this beautiful, wonderful, soft yarn. Then he says "what stitch is that?" I said, "what do you mean?; it's stockinette?" Fortunately or unfortunately, he knows what that is so he said "well why does it look like a twisted rope and a spiral cable? It looks different." Thanks baby.

Then I said, "oh, crap, I don't know." If you know me at all then you know that was a breaking point for me since I am a perfectionist or just very anal (take your pick) and you know this caused me many hours of agonizing, stressful knitting thoughts. Do I really knit wonky? Do I need to learn how to knit all over again? Since I learned to knit continental style a few years back, did I learn it right? Is my purl stitch tighter or looser than my knit stitch. Have I been knitting wrong all this time? Why is my stockinette not forming a perfect "V" shape? I have not knit many items in just stockinette stitch so maybe I just haven't noticed this terrible tragedy before. Should I confess this to my knitting comrades who may have the misconception that I knit good? Should I hide my dirty little knitting secret? Maybe, but how long will it be before I am exposed as a knitting fraud. You know how this can go on and on and on and on and on and on. (Maybe YOU don't but I DO)

I had already beaten myself up over this and actually resigned myself to the fact that I would finish Isabella as is and just hope no one noticed my wonky knitting and then I would re-learn how to knit properly so I could have perfect little "V's" every time. It was a long shot. I was thinking I could pull it off because, after all, it looks good and maybe everyone would just think I meant to knit it that way. Maybe ... just maybe. My little devious plan could work.

No, it didn't work and I couldn't pull it off. I have a big mouth and just could not keep this all inside; it was too much to bear. I had to tell. As it turns out, my big mouth (while my head screamed nooooo stick with the "plan") fessed up to a few people at Lollicup on Tuesday evening! I learned. Now all is well. Cathy saved the day and saved me from myself! She said she read an article in Knitty about how different yarns knit up differently depending on how they are plied. Check this out http://www.knitty.com/issuefall05/FEATwhyply.html

The Rialto yarn has several plies and is twisted in way that does produce this stitchHey, that looks like my knitting with the Rialto yarn. Woohoo! I knit just fine thank you very much and thank you Cathy. I might have had a total knitting meltdown if not for you. I also learned that it does help to share with your knitting friends. They don't pass judgement, they help.

Whew!!! Another knitting crisis has been averted.