Knitting Perserverence

What is the role of perseverance in knitting?

Last weekend, we drove to Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  It's a nine hour drive, one way, so I planned a knitting project to take with me.  I'm using the yarn I purchased in Seattle that was dyed in Sitka, Alaska.  I talk about it in this post.

My plan was to use size 7 needles, and to try the cartridge belt knit pattern.  But I wanted stripes so that I could use both colors of the yarn I bought in one scarf.  The cartridge belt stitch pattern involves some slipped stitches, which would have made the stripes uneven in the scarf - I would be carrying stitches (and their colors) up from the last row of a stripe into the first row of the next stripe.  I didn't realize that until I had knitted a few rows.  Rip.

So I switched to a farrow rib pattern:  Cast on stitches in a multiple of 3 + 1.  *Row 1 is Knit 2, Purl 1* Repeat until there is one stitch left in the row. Knit the final stitch.  Row 2 is a Purl 1 *Knit 2, Purl 1* to end of row.

Great.  Did that.  Knit several rows and realized the scarf was too narrow.  Rip.

Tried again, adding more cast on stiches so that the scarf would be wider.  Knitted several rows.  Looked at the knitting and decided the fabric was too loose and that it looked funny.  Rip.  

Switched to a size 6 needle.  Tried again. A few rows in, and I realized that the reason the previous attempt (and this one) had looked funny was because I was knitting 3 and purling 1 (instead of knitting 2 and purling 1).  Rip. (See the top picture - odd knitting)

Finally, after five tries, I had a pattern I liked with needles I liked.  And I was actually following the pattern correctly.  Perseverance.