Is it really obsessive or compulsive to correct a mistake in a swatch?

Of Two Minds

Using the Briar Rose yarn, I was doing a new swatch using a stitch pattern that I just figured out in my head, although I’m sure I could easily find it in one of my stitch dictionaries.  I also wanted to get a slightly tighter gauge thank my first attempt.

Unfortunately, toward the beginning of the swatch, I made a mistake by knitting or purling a stitch that should have been slipped, and I didn’t notice it until I had almost finished the swatch.

On the one hand, unless a swatch will eventually be incorporated into a garment or a blanket, having a mistake in it won’t make much difference.  Okay, well if it messes up the stitch count or eliminates the usefulness of some aspect of the swatch, it might require fixing it.

But I opted to fix it anyway.

Yes, I dropped the row of stitches and laddered it back up to the top of the swatch

Excessive you think?  Well here was my thinking.

I was thinking that if I’m making a sweater using this stitch, and I make a mistake, will I be able to fix it?  Turns out it was easy to fix and I’m comfortable going forward using this stitch pattern for a new pullover project.

Here’s my version of the stitch pattern:

With US5 (3.75 mm) and Worsted Weight Yarn, cast on a multiple of 5 sts plus 4:

Row 1 (RS): *P4, K1, rep from * to last 4 sts, P4
Row 2 (WS): *K4, YB, Sl1, rep from * to last 4 sts, K4

I love that the reverse side of the stitch pattern looks almost like stockinette…

…given that I really like the stitch pattern and the reverse of it, I may try to be very careful in the finishing so that I have a fully reversible sweater.  Not sure I’ll be able to get a sleeve/shoulder seam that I’ll like well enough on both sides, but I can aspire!

Current Knitting

In addition to swatching (and fixing a swatch mistake), I also made some progress on the Millard Fontenot Brethren Sock.

I’ve done the first of 3 repeats on the heel flap and continue to think about Millard and Kerry with love as I do.