The Galloping Horse Test

I was sitting by the big oak table in the middle of the store when one of my favorite customers, Helen, came in. Helen was always perking with some sort of mischief… I guess that’s what made her so interesting.

“Hey there, Molly,” she said, wilting in the chair across from me, “How are you?”

I eyed her warily, “Oh, I’m just great Helen,” I said, “I’m just finishing up Ryan’s Christmas present. How are you?”  I set my needles down carefully… one can never be too careful with double pointed needles… and gave her my full attention.

“Fine,” she sighed.

“Really?” I asked, “You think I’m going to believe that? What’s going on?”

She groaned and leaned forward dropping her head onto the table with an audible clunk. I winced in sympathy. “I just finished Patrick’s hat.  And then I saw it.”

“Saw it?”

“The mistake.” She lifted her head back up and dropped it again. “The big mistake.”

“I’m sure it can’t be that bad,” I said soothingly, “you’re a great knitter. You’re probably the only one who would even notice. I bet it passes the galloping horse test just fine.”  The galloping horse test was an age-old knitters trick, which I had only learned of last week – from Helen. If someone couldn’t see your mistake from the back of a galloping horse… your knitting was fine.

She thunked her head down on the table again.

“Helen…” I encouraged… “Remember the galloping horse test you told me about last week? I think you should take your own advice and…”

She groaned again… “The horse was headed straight past me, glanced my way, reared up on its two hind legs and screamed, “What in the world is that!!!” before galloping back away as fast as he could.

“Oh,” I said, “That’s not good then.”

“No,” she agreed, “You can probably stop trying to convince me that no one will notice now.”

“Yeah, “ I said, “Let’s go get some ice cream.”