f1bercat's SlowKnitter: Advent Calendar Scarf Day 19, December 19, 2011

9:45 am - I got up a bit late today because I stayed up late last night to start today's pattern. I got as far as row 3 and had to stop. It is an 8 line pattern with only 2 repeats, and I thought maybe I could get one of those repeats finished, but I was starting to not be able to count anymore, and I thought, "go to bed before you make some horrible mistake." When I got up (at 7:30 instead of 6), and checked the scarf, I was relieved to see it looked mostly ok, but that I had forgotten to put in a life line. So now I am on row 7 with no life line and scared to death.

This pattern is difficult in only that the stitch markers have to be constantly shifted. It is really no big deal, the numbers always go back to 12 stitches between the markers, but for a noob (as we say in gaming - a term for people new to the game), not having the numbers line up perfectly makes me very nervous. The other members of the Advent Calendar Scarf 2011 KAL group on Ravelry are super helpful though for this kind of nervousness. Giraffe81840 posted right away in the Day 19 thread that the markers were going to have to be shifted back and forth, so to not get worried that you had made a mistake and just keep counting to make sure you ended up with the right number. Also, she said something really great which was to work at "reading" the knitting to make sure you were always lined up. Reading knitting is such a cool thing. You can tell where you are by looking for the Knits Purls YO's and so on from the last row you knitted. Of course, everything will be backwards, but you can double check your knitting this way as you knit back across a row.

The pattern today has a stitch marked as : ≤

On today's pattern that means Slip one stitch, Knit the next 2 together, Pass the slipped stitch back over the 2

when you slip a stitch, you can do that 2 ways, slipping like a Purl, which is just straight slip from left to right needle, or slip as a Knit, which you go into the stitch like you were going to knit it, so the stitch is twisted. I was slipping as if to Purl. If directions don't specify, I always do that. But, I started to wonder... So I looked it up on Bing. I just typed "sl1 k1 psso" on my Bing search window, and the first result gave some great photos. Of course, I was wrong. I should have been slipping as if to Knit. I don't think it will matter too much (which means I am not going to tink), though I will do it correctly for the rest of today's pattern.

10:27 am and I have finished the first repeat. I haven't eaten breakfast yet, though! So I will run upstairs (I am in what we in the Pacific Northwest call a "daylight basement"), and eat some of that soup I made yesterday. I am going to Utah to watch James dance in the Nutcracker with the Utah Regional Ballet, then drive back here with him, and I am worried about missing a day of knitting on this scarf. I hope to get a full day ahead today. Also, I need to do LAUNDRY LAUNDRY LAUNDRY. I have folded 1 of the 3 loads that are already in my TV room, but I am doing a bunch more before I go on this trip, so I need to get to work!

11:30 I am going to knit really hard and see if I can finish the 2nd repeat in an hour. Ready, Set, GO!

12.55 and I finished the 8 row repeat. Ok, I actually read the directions again, and I need 3 repeats total. So, I'm going to change the laundry load and fold it, then note my time and do the 3rd repeat. BRB (be right back). -first pausing Dr. Gemma of CogKnitIve Podcast, don't want to miss any of her wonderful wisdom!

I discovered Dr. Gemma's podcast just this month and am busy listening obsessively (probably compulsively, also). She is upbeat, she talks about knitting, crocheting, and spinning, she gives the most useful therapy advice, and she talks about working as a prison psychologist in California. I am LOVING her. But because I am obsessive, I have started back at the beginning and am in the summer of 2009 right now. It's a bit like being in a time warp. I get to listen to her discussing all of the California State budget woes, and the Governator. I know how the election came out (Jerry Brown is now Governor), and I was born and raised in So. California, as well as having a lot of family still there. This is all so fascinating to me. Any way, ready to do the last repeat?

It is now 1:12. Ready, Set, GO! It's 2:49! Finished with today's pattern. See how long it takes me? I am the queen of the slow knitters thread. Or I should be. I just have more time to devote. Today the pattern was relatively easy. Just the shifting back and forth of the stitch counters... that is the only thing that could be confusing.

Here is the photo: