Lost in translation

Yesterday I somehow screwed up half a row on my mindless knitting project, the multidirectional shawl by switching from garter stitch to stockinette.  

I was sitting outside on the porch"knitting" while watching the cute guys working on the water main that started bubbling up like a fountain in the street almost in front of my home.  Just before Mom came out to see how things were progressing with the guys (she wanted to shower and they had turned off the water in our area), I realized that I had switched for just part of a row to stockinette.  I was in the process of frogging it when she came out.  Somehow the story looses meaning if you have to explain stockinette vs. garter stitch...