Disastrous Experience with Faceted Rib Knit Technique

It is all better now. After close to three weeks of sporadically knitting a pair of socks from an easy pattern found in The Little Box of Socks, I finally understand the pattern directions{ (love this box of patterns)... available at Amazon through the sidebar}

The directions were easy enough, if you know how to just hold the darn yarn. I had to go to my Knitting for Dummies (KFD) book to see why I kept repeating my knitting mistake. I remembered the Weight Watchers' slogan: "If you keep on doing the same thing, you will keep on getting the same results." Often, I need to be hit on the head to keep that truth in mind.

The KFD book helped me to literally "see" my mistake. Once I looked at the reference book, and saw how the diagram pictured holding the yarn, the written directions became clear.

I also incorporated some beads into the cuff of the sock, using another reference book which is an excellent guide. That book is Easy Beaded Knits by Jeanette Trotman. This book is not only a handy reference for beading, but also has lovely patterns.

While ripping out many inches of incorrect stitches on the beginning of this sock, I reflected on Chaucer's quote:

The lyf so shorte, the crafte so long to lerne...

Susan Lyden, in her book The Knitting Sutra-Craft as Spiritual Practice, says it well:

I thought ... that the aim of craft was to become proficient and to spend a lifetime creating beautiful things. It seemed like something was wrong with a plan whereby you took a lifetime to achieve mastery over difficult techniques then died just when you had become really good. I learned ... that the purpose of the craft is not so much to make beautiful things as it is to become beautiful inside while you are making those things.

Isn't that true? Just the act of knitting is a Zen experience for me. I have just lately found that it really does not matter so much when I have to rip out stitches for correction: the act of knitting in itself is the process of acquiring stillness in one's heart and mind.

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Knitting Notes: 100% Superwashed merino ShiBuiknits from Webs online store ($9.30/skein; 2 skeins) 191 yd/ball; machine wash on gentle cycle; dry flat; hand dyed; made in Peru; item #4103 Sock Shibui (Roggongi); size 1 needles (5 double point)