Odds and ends

If the comments are any indication, I'm not breaking any unwritten knitting laws in weaving in the ends as I go. Frankly, I'm surprised that such action is considered a good idea. Maybe it's because lingering in the recesses of my brain is an expectation that eventually I'll need to fix something I've messed up. If I'm in the clear with the experts, that's cool.

Of course, this begs the question of why I hold onto the belief that I will discover a disastrous mistake far from the point where I am in a project and need to perform major repairs. Contrary to the proof exhibited by this sock, it's uncommon for me to make catastrophic errors. I am attentive to detail and the bigger picture, so I usually spot slip-ups early on.

It's obvious to me that this goes back to old issues of self-perception and doubt. While I know I'm no longer the fumbling newbie needing to have mistakes corrected covertly in parking garages after movie screenings, I suppose I still cling to that all-thumbs image. For Pete's sake, posts tagged with "mistakes" on this blog almost outnumber those with any other label.

In a weird, roundabout way, self-doubt has allowed me to advance beyond capabilities I never could have foreseen obtaining, at least when it comes to knitting. If I don't succeed at something new with needles and yarn, what's the harm? The pleasant surprise is that I have had plenty successes and the rare outright failure.

I guess what I'm saying is I need the reminder to judge myself less harshly. It's not an altogether bad quality, as it can push me to do better and work harder, but it shouldn't be the default perspective either.