Even if it’s the 1986 World Series and you know the outcome of the game you’re watching…

I am working on a sock. Or I would be if I didn’t keep having to frog it back. The first time was the other night. Somewhere along the line when I had first started the sock, I had screwed up the ribbing. Knowing that I’d have to pull it apart, I thought I’d just knit a little longer to make sure the guage was right. Instead, I managed to skip a needle and leave a four inch yarn loop dangling. Okay, clearly I was distracted. I put the knitting away.

Fast forward to today. I went to the yarn store to buy the US3 circular I need. (Turns out that when I broke a US3 circular on the first pair of socks I knit and subbed in a spare needle Rudi’s mom had sent me that I used a 3mm needle — which is a US2 — instead of the correct needle. Not a problem on that pair, but I figured I ought to correct it before going ahead with this one.) I cast on 34 stitches on each needle, knit for a couple rounds, and then looked at what I’d knit. It was huge. Grrr… I looked at the sock, then at the pattern, then at the sock, and then back at the pattern. 34+34=68, which does not equal 64, the number of stitches called for in the pattern. I sighed and ripped the yarn out again. I might try to cast on once more tonight; otherwise, it’ll have to wait for tomorrow.

The good news is that I got to see Game 7 of the ’86 Mets-Red Sox World Series, which I hadn’t seen in … 20 years.

The other good news is that I bought yarn for the sweater I’m going to knit a friend’s baby-to-be. It’s a very pretty Rowan handknit cotton in Slippery, which I’m going to use to make the Yarn Harlot‘s Daisy cardigan. And because I went to the yarn shop during at the end of the season, their cotton yarns were on clearance, as was the needle I bought. A very pleasant surprise.

Now I just need to pay attention. I’d hate to knit the baby’s sweater with three arms or my sock that I forget to close the toes of…

(Confidential to my friends and loved ones who read the blog: I have joined Knittin’ Mom’s Sock-A-Month 2 knit-along, which suggests I believe I am capable of finishing a pair of socks every month. (Clearly this was before this week…) While I’m more than happy to knit them all for me, I thought I’d offer to share the wealth. If you’d like a pair of handmade socks (and you live in a place where you’ll actually wear them), please leave me a comment. I make no promises, but we’ll see how it goes…)