Experiential Learning

Experience 1.

Barbara Walker's closed ring cables require an odd number of stitches between cables. Had I been paying closer attention when I knit the first blue bit, I might have noticed this. As it was I didn't, so I charted mine out with an even number, 4 to be precise. This brought actual knitting to a screeching halt when I tried to knit the first row of stitches in the cable. Let me introduce chart 2.

Lesson learned: No battle plan survives the first encounter with the enemy.

Experience 2.

Just because the small closed ring cable (that's the one made with a 2-stitch cable from the Third Treasury) calls for 13 stitches, that doesn't mean you can start the cable once you've got 13 working stitches. If your triangle is going to travel across your knitting at a rate of roughly 3 stitches per row, and your knitting is only increasing 1 stitch per row, you're going to run out of stitches.

Lesson learned: It may not survive the second encounter, either. Note that I did not, however, need to be told a second time to swatch in wool.

Are you sure none of you have done this already? I'm perfectly willing to indulge in a more didactic learning experience.