I used up at least half that new skein getting the seed stitch edge done: it took a lot of yarn and a whole lot of time.

But at long long last a few minutes ago (while I was telling myself I knew better and to plan better next time so I don’t end up having to cast off an afghan while purling. Again.) I was down to the last, I counted a moment later, 62 stitches.

After exclaiming out loud, It’s a five?!!?

The writing way down the side of the circular needle that had been so jammed with stitches for so long was finally showing: 3.75 mm. That’s a US 5, not the US 6/4mm I’d thought I’d been using all this time.

And I can tell you exactly where it happened: when I split the row into two needles just above the moose so I could lay the whole thing out flat to see. I switched then from the ebony I’d started with to the long-treasured old Holz and Stein rosewood, because its longer cable could handle those 268 stitches more easily. All this time I’d thought the two had been the same size.

I’d actually tried to check a few times to see if any writing was still extant but you just couldn’t see it for the smushing. I thought from its age. In retrospect, my subconscious knew those tips seemed narrow.

So the moose hangs loose and the beginning edge is more relaxed than the finished one. At a quarter millimeter difference, not by so much that you’d see if it you weren’t told.

Well, I *had* wanted it as dense and cat-proofed as possible.

I am sitting here still gobsmacked.

Okay, so: now that I finally finally don’t have to worry about dropping a ton of compressed stitches off the edges I can finish fixing that barn door (doing it right this time.)

Tomorrow. I’ve run out of today.