I Can't Think When I'm Sleepy

OK, maybe I just can't think about numbers and stitch counts when I'm sleepy. Late last evening I began the OXO pattern on my Mara vest, got to the first side seam stitch, looked at my chart, and was convinced that I had really messed things up. The patterns just weren't going to work out right. I recounted, looked at my charts, re-recounted. It wasn't going to work and I couldn't figure out why. Since I had early appointments in the big city today (2 hours of driving each way), I had to go to bed and leave the problem.

During the drive home, I started thinking about my problem. I had a "duh" moment. I'm just supposed to hit the side seam stitch and head back across the chart in the opposite direction. I knew that all along. Why wasn't it evident to me last night? I couldn't wait to get home and check my chart to make certain. Sure 'nuff, no problem! Sleepy induced hallucinations last night, maybe?

As I was knitting across my first pattern round this afternoon, I tripped myself up again with thinking about the numbers - surely I would be one stitch off again. I had forgotten to consider that the front has one stitch fewer than the back! But when I got to the end, everything was fine, so maybe I considered it after all. I can't wait to get all three patterns knitted once and see that they really do look as I planned them on paper. I'll rest easy then. But I won't try to fix perceived mistakes at 11:00 pm, and that might help me rest easy, too.

Today in my mailbox I found this! It's a "simple" gansey kit from Flamborough Marine. I'm excited about it. There are 10 skeins of the lovely blue gansey yarn, and the pattern is simple but elegant (Staithes).

But I'm going to stay focused. My first gansey gets finished before I start this one. The book wasn't part of the kit, but I enjoyed designing the first one, and I've learned some things in the process. So I will use the book as a reference for future designs. I WILL stay focused - first gansey and Mara done before this one begun!

Tomorrow I have to pack for my weekend out of town. I'll be visiting a friend in North Carolina. I taught her to knit over the Christmas holiday, and on Saturday she wants to go on a yarn shop hop. Then she wants to learn seed stitch and get comfortable seeing the difference between knits and purls. I don't think I'll have to worry about charts and stitch counts any more complicated than "use an odd number of stitches for seed stitch."