It's a mystery to me

I swatched

I did clue 1

You can guess what's next I'm sure.

I did a single row of Clue 2, completely wrong number of stitches now on needle. I pressed on, maybe it would fix itself? I did another row. Didn't fix itself. Did another row. Even worse.

tink. tink. tink. tink. tink. tink.

back one row. At last, I have the right number of stitches on the needle. Knit one row. Go me. Breathe a huge sigh of releif - go to bed (after all it's 1:00 am).

Just as I am putting it into the little basket it sleeps in - oh the horror, the horror. A little loop, about ten rows back. What is that? I wonder and examine more closely. Oh no. A dropped stitch.

I got a crochet hook and looped it back to where it is supposed to get slipped over the next stitch (I think). But since that is about three rows back I don't know what to do - except rip the whole thing out. The whole thing.

Oh why oh why didn't I put the lifeline in after clue 1 was finished?

I am inconsolable.