Revelations - A Rebel Stitch

The other day I was knitting on this scarf ... its quite long at this point, a little over two feet long. The pattern is composed of an 8 row repeat with knits and purls. For example (this is totally made up for illustration purposes, so please don't comment that it doesn't make sense, it probably doesn't) K2, *K3, P5 to last 2 stitches, K2 and then something like K3, P5, K3 to last 3 stitches, K3 ... etc.

For the most part I was always on for the end of the row and had the correct number of stitches, if I didn't I could look back and see somewhere I had knit or purled too many and rip back and fix.

The other day I am short a stitch at the end of a row, then the next, I stop and look at the pattern and I have the right knits and purls ... hhmmm. So the little voice in my head says, its fine, just keep going, that missing stitch will show up eventually. Now its not odd for this little voice to say things like that while I am knitting ... but I LISTENED to it! I just kept going.

I took a break to get a cup of tea and when I came back, there he was, glaring at me, from several rows below! That missing stitch had jumped ship and was hanging out there in the middle of the ocean, treading water.

So I grabbed a life preserver (i.e. crochet hook) and pulled him in from the water before he was devoured by sharks, and plopped him back on the ship. Meanwhile, his two closest buddies decided to join in on the fun and jump ship too. One of them did an outright belly flop!

Then I thought to myself, are you daft?? If this pattern worked out for 2 feet and all of a sudden you are short a stitch, you don't stop and think something may be wrong? If you were at a busy amusement park with a few children and all of a sudden you turn and little Timmy is missing, do you go about your day, think, "Hey, that kid was annoying me anyway, he was eating all the cotton candy. I'm sure he'll show up before we leave and drive home 3 hours. OOhhh, the Neckbreaker, that sounds like a good ride, let's get in line!"

No, you would not, or at least I hope not, thinking that way would lead to investigation by a state agency and possible jail time, one would think!

Good Grief!