Coin Blocks and Failures

I'm going to start this post of with the good news, which will hopefully cheer me up as I write this out.

Yesterday I started on making the squares for the Mario Coin Block piggy bank that I want to make. Now, here is the reason I didn't end up post about it last night. On top of having a rather busy day, I decided I wanted to try difference plastic canvas stitches - not that I know too many, but I'll be learning more soon! - which took up a fair amount of my free time yesterday. Mostly doing it hole by hole.

Here is the comparison photo between the two:

 

I really like how the one on the left turned out. A lot.

I made the first one by following this pattern:

 
I can't remember where I found it, or how designed the pattern. But, I can say it's not mine. At all. However, for the second one, I decided it would be easier to draw out the pattern that I wanted to use - basically just a longer stitch version of this one that I copied on to graph paper. See:

So, I'm not entirely sure if I can claim that pattern as my own, seeing as I just modified a pattern.

Anyway, I'm thinking that my piggy bank will be done in the style of longer stitches - it's faster and it looks much better, it makes the question mark pop out a lot more. However, now I just have to figure out how I'm going to make the slit in the top for coins to go in to. Also, I have to figure out if I want to have a trap bottom opening, or just make the top so it can open and close. Decisions, decisions. Any suggestions on this one?

And now, I shall move on to what has irritated me - though, it has diminished quite a bit. So, I was working on that scarf for my friend, when something went horribly wrong. I'm not even sure how, but one of the knitting needles slipped and I lost a couple of stitches. I mean, I tried to fix it the best I could, but I still ended up with these unsightly holes and I have no idea what to do about it. It's slightly upsetting.

So, I decided to just finish my row and put it aside for now - I know better than to work on something when I'm feeling agitated and upset. I may or may not attempt to work on it some more later in the day. However, I did message my friend and show her this picture, she said she liked it, and that made me feel a bit better. But, I still feel bad for messing it up in the first place. So, if anyone has any tips on how to rectify this mistake, please, please let me know. :)