Massive knitting failure.

This was not a fun experience, but I did learn a lot from it and if there is one thing I don't want this blog to do, it is to paint a perfect picture of my life. Too many folks only post the picture perfect, to me the new movement of people being real is much more attractive, so here goes the story of my massive knitting failure:

I was on a roll with Christmas 2012 knitting and done long before the fact. All was good, I knitted socks for my man and both my parents in delicious cashmere infused sock yarn. Only the best for my loved ones.
Well, January came along and the failures appeared.

Massive knitting failure #1
When my dad washed his socks the first time they became a little snug, but they still fitted him. Then he washed them a second time. Woe is me. My dad didn't fit them, my man didn't fit them, my mum didn't fit them. And as this turns into the Goldilocks, it turned out the socks now fitted me perfectly.
So this failure had an okay result. I got a much needed soft pair of socks, but my dad is now one pair of socks further from his goal of wearing only handknitted socks.

Massive knitting failure #2
Then there is my mum's Christmas socks. They haven't shrunk yet, but... I made one sock one repeat short of the horrible, but beautiful pattern.. Now I was thinking, no biggie, right?! Just rip out the toe, add a repeat and knit the toe again. Woe is me. I had opened the toe before I remembered that I had knit them toe up. I was able to graft the toe, so instead of re-knitting the entire sock, I now only have to re-knit 2/3 of it.
Oh and the left over sock yarn? It has already been knitted into squares for my sock yarn blanket, so those have to be ripped...

Massive knitting failure #3
I had made a giant effort in order to have another pair of socks ready for my dad on his birthday (today) and he was elated when he got them. He then proceded to put them on and his ancles must have grown bigger, because they didn't fit at all. Well the entire sock fitted, but the cuff was too tight. So I began ripping out the cast off when I realized that it wasn't a cast off, it was a cast on. Woe is me.
It is still unclear if this can be fixed or if I have to re-knit both socks entirely.

What I learned from my massive knitting failures
:: Don't buy expensive cashmere sock yarn, ever. Stick to the yarn you know and love.
:: Always make sure you have the same amounts of  repeats on both socks and that the socks are long
   enough. Check it three times.
:: Always use the surprisingly stretchy bind off/cast on for socks
:: Knitting is a hobby, aka it is not the end of the world if something goes wrong and by the way,
   most failures are fixable.