FSS?

Today, I couldn't take it anymore. I've heard it's possible to cut into and tear back knitting from the cast-on edge, so I gave it a shot. As you can see in the photo, my first Pretty Petals sock only had four repeats in the pattern, making it at least an inch shorter than the second. I had already torn out the kitchener toe and toe decreases on this first sock and redone them so they looked perfect and beautiful.

But I couldn't take it! Why spend that much time on something and then not like it? So, I went with tearing the ribbing from the cast-on edge, planning to redo the ribbing as well as a single repeat of the pattern, and then kitchenering it to the formerly finished sock - maybe not a perfect join, but better than being a full inch shorter than the other sock.

Then this happened :



Ok, not so bad. Scary, but not bad.

Then, the stitches wouldn't rip out. Then I couldn't get a circ through a row properly...

Then this happened :



And finally, this:



I did however surprise myself with the resolution to finish these socks if it kills me. I have enough yarn (surprisingly, after all the tearing back and re-doing business).

Off to cast-on. Again. Is this a mutant, highly resistant form of SSS? Oh the humanity!