I was working on my shawl this morning and was just about to start the second section when I noticed I was off by a stitch. One stitch I can fudge, in a row of 167 stitches no one will notice an extra stitch. Then I counted the stitches on each side of the center. Instead of having 83 stitches on each side I had 81 on one side and 86 on the other. I then looked at the shawl to see where I made my mistake. I couldn’t find the exact spot, but I did notice that my last section of stockinette is longer than the other sections. Four whole rows longer.
I can ignore having one extra stitch. I can even ignore having the wrong number of stitches on each side – I know where the pattern goes and I know it will look fine. I just don’t know if I can live with one section slightly longer than the other section.
Is it worth tearing out a significant portion of my work for something no one else will likely notice? I’m working from two different skeins, alternating every other row, so tearing that out will be a huge pain, especially because I am pulling from the center of the cake instead of the outside.
I don’t want to frog it back. I’m not sure I’ll be happy if I don’t frog it. I fear the shawl is going to go back into hibernation. You will see it again this fall when I get the courage to look at it again. Unless, of course, you convince me that it will look even better if I keep it the way that it is.
mildlygranola 
Life’s too short! Learn to love it with all its imperfections!
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I’m going to follow your advice!
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Can you happily ignore doing some decreases at the edge of the too long section?
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The piece shifts from being symmetrical to being asymmetrical, so I think it will be OK.
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I am in the same boat as you, I’m afraid. I’m working on a lace shawl and I got to the lace border and things went all haywire. I was short by like 10 stitches and I really didn’t want to fight it so I just kind of did knits instead of k2tog but then I had too many stitches and it’s all so very wrong. (In my defense, I did have a generous pour of wine last night which might have helped me think I could just ADD 10 STITCHES in one row.) So if you are frogging, please know I will be doing the same very soon, and crying as I do so.
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I’m following your path and forging ahead….I think. I’m not going to look at it for two weeks.
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Good plan. Sometimes a timeout works wonders!
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I think you will be able to sneakily put it back to rights and it will look fine! Do a little subtle decreasing on the too long side and add a couple stitches to the too short side and it’ll be fine. It’s easy to see these things when you are close up and focusing on it. When you are wearing it, you won’t be able to find the issue at all!
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I think you are right, I’m going to live with it….probably.
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Well, setting it aside for a bit and coming back to it later will make it a bit easier to decide 🙂
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It is looking gorgeous, by the way!
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Put it aside for a few days and revisit it then. What can you live with? That’s how I decide.
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That is good advice. I’m pretty sure I can live with it, but I’m going to wait a week or two before I decide.
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awww forgive yourself. I just frogged a whole shawl. It happens. I agree with others , however, put it down for a bit!
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I think you can work it out and keep knitting. 😄
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If frogging back is too much to bear, I would live with it. Agree with others. Can you move the centre point over one stitch on each of the next few rows. Your colour scheme is very forgiving and will camouflage it.
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I agree with NothingButKnit- you just have to decide what you can live with:)
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[…] Knitting SNAFU […]
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