Lisa: Problems in Ribby Cardi Land

I'm having a little trouble getting started on my sweater. I had the first three inches done of the back piece, but then there was an error in the pattern. If I had been using common sense, I would have caught the error right away--in fact, while I was knitting, I kept thinking something must be wrong. Three stitches are missing from the first row of the stockinette panel section of the back piece. Thanks to Amped for helping me figure out what I had done and why. Anyway, I had knitted a few rows after the mistake, so I just had to rip out the whole thing. I haven't yet figured out a way to back up in knitting--once it's off my needles, I can't salvage it. I was bummed, but actually a little glad because I had made a small mistake towards the beginning that now I could fix. The pattern calls for the piece to be started on smaller needles, and then you switch to the regular needle size after a few rows (which I think is a genius idea). The problem is that I didn't order the smaller needles from elann, so I just went to the JoAnn's near my house and grabbed the pair they had in stock that was the right size. They are 14 inches long, which is really too long for me. I keep bumping stitches off the end of the needle and screwing up. I started the first few rows three times before it was acceptable enough to go on the first time, and now I have started the first few rows another two times. Plus the yarn is all icky to work with now that it has been knit and then unknit. Argh. I am afraid to just cut that section off and start with fresh yarn, in case there isn't enough left to finish the sweater.

Update: I found a little yarn shop around the corner from my house called The Wool Cabin, and bought a new pair of 10-inch #6 needles. I have started the back piece again, and things seem to be going much better with the shorter needles.

For the next entry in the Ribby Cardi saga, click here.