I. Love. You. Baby.

Another reason I had been avoiding my knitting is I thought it would take FOREVER to figure out where I left off.  In this particular case, I had a 50/50 chance of getting it right.  For one row, I do k1, *s1 wyf, k3, repeat from *, k1  and the other row I do k3, *s1 wyf, k3, repeat from *.  

I looked at my stitches, figured out which row to do and started clinking.  I checked about 10 stitches in, things didn't look all that right, but they didn't necessarily look wrong, so I kept going....179 stitches total, about 20 minutes later.  By the end, I can tell something really doesn't look right.  I did the wrong row....  I didn't curse, I didn't get mad, I kind of had this "You knew this was going to happen, this is why you avoided it" attitude and literally set it down and went to bed.  It sat for one week. I had no idea how to fix it. I learned about lifelines while researching, which would have been helpful to stick in before I started knitting after such a long break, but looked almost impossible for me to do once I screwed up a row.  The other option was a to backtrack 179 stitches or to just yank it out and hope the stitches stayed so I could pick them back up again.  They all seemed like a no win situation.  

I picked up the project again.  I decided to try backtracking and I got about 5 stitches in before I realized it was going to be too hard, then I just started knitting.  I knew there was a big mistake in it, but I just pretended it wasn't there. I got one row done, then 2, then 3. The blanket still looked bad, I think I picked up a stitch at the end and about half of one of the rows was off.  Insert break from knitting #2. 

Just pretending it wasn't there was not going to work.  I was either going to have to frog it (yank it all out) OR I thought, I guess I could try just yanking it out until I get to good stitches and just see how it does.  I gently pulled out the circular needles and started pulling the stitches out. Hey, this might just work!! I took out my Christmas present from Mom and Dad and picked out some smaller circular needles and ever so carefully put the stitches back on the needle.  I got them all put back on and counted 179 stitches. YES! I didn't lose any stitches.  

I took my fixed knitting and sat in the chair where I knitted when I was pregnant with Arya.  I started knitting (the right way) and I started my mantra I. Love. You. Baby.  over and over again, which matched up with the k3 and s1.  I started to tear up.  It's what I did when I was pregnant with Arya so I wouldn't lose my place.  My row turned out perfect and the next.