And I realized I had made a mistake - the pattern is normally a repeat of (k3, p1, k1, p1) that shifts back and forth. And at one point I had
k3, p1, k3, p1, k1, p1.
So I thought, there are three choices here:
1. Invoke the "galloping horse" rule (that is: if the mistake can't be seen from a galloping horse, no need to correct it)
2. Rip back the nine or so rows to the point where I made the mistake
3. Just drop those stitches, ladder them down, and correct the problem (pick them back up).
Well, #1 was right out because even if no one else knew, I would, and I hate things being done sloppily.
And I decided against #2, because....losing nine whole rows! And #3 presented a challenge. I had dropped back single stitches before but only single stitches and not for very many rows.
So I dropped the stitches:
(At this point - when the photo was taken - I was at home again). Note that I've "captured" the stitches that were dropped back on an extra needle - they are several rows below the rest of the knitting.
Then I began picking them back up, row by row:
A crochet hook can be helpful here but I found it quicker just to use an extra double-pointed needle to "reknit" or "repurl" the stitches.
(Actually, to "repurl" I turned the work around and knitted the stitch; it was easier to do that until I remembered the knack of what loop to pick up where to make a purl.
Picking up the stitches isn't hard but it can get a little tight at times:
I went row by row until the very last two rows, and then finished both rows for each stitch as I came to it.
And it worked!
If I look closely on the sock now, I can see a tiny bit of looser gauge where I had to do the fix, but it's really not noticeable and I suspect that once I wear and wash the socks, it will work itself out.
In the long run, it MIGHT have been faster just to rip back the rows and reknit them because I had to do a lot of fiddling, especially to re-make the purls.
2 comments:
I did something similar with some colorwork the other night. I had to make one tiny modification to get the colors to come out evenly (it's much easier if you start and end with the same number of stitches of each color), but it's no longer something I'd notice from a foot away, much less a galloping horse.
It probably would have been faster and less annoying to rip out, but like you said, losing rows! Can't do it!
Nice repair.
The sock is really pretty,
Post a Comment