I admit I have been wrong. I eschewed cable needles, stitch markers, needle tips and life lines when I began knitting. The projects almost always worked without these tools ... And many lessons were learned. It's a great skill to knit a two stitch right crossing cable without using a third needle or cable tool. But great skills aren't useful for every single project. Sometimes a cable needle is highly useful.
I am a more humble knitter in many respects. I am also wiser. A 4 stitch cable doesn't always require a cable needle. But a 6 stitch cable is far easier with that needle. Needle tips aren't necessary for the beginnings of a shawl on 32" circulars. But it is vital when there are 300+ stitches on those circulars for an intricate lacework shawl. That lesson was learned the very very hard way many times.
I also respect life lines. The technique of inserting a length of scrap yarn through live stitches once a row has been finished ... This was lost on me. Until I started designing. Until I lived through Flores Gloria and had to restart 4 times. It felt like 12. This lesson hurt. I would make a mistake and only discover the mistake 4 rows later. 4 rows later after completing lace stitches on the RS and WS. This means k2tog, ssk, P2TOG and SSP ... With YO2!!! If I messed up the whole flower thing turned into a rendition of compost and I had to rip back. But ripping back was hard. There were lace stitches on both sides. No purl row existed for the first 32-40 rows of this pattern. Sigh. 12 rows ripped to ensure that all stitches were saved. I'm a better knitter now. But not that much better. The lesson was learned.
Now when I design, and I'm not exactly sure of my numbers or if the motif will stay in the pattern ... Now I use a life line. And stitch markers. I love my tools.
That blue line in the yellow knitting ... that is my lifeline. I now have extra lives for this project. And today, I'm proud of what I've learned.
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