Why does this happen?

It's unconscious competence daphne. When you're so good at something you can do it without thinking about it.
As opposed to conscious competence, when you can do something but have to keep on checking that you're doing it right.
Then there's conscious incompetence, when you know you can't do something.
And unconscious incompetence, when you don't know you can't do something.
Sorry, just having a Bernard Woolley moment
MrA and I are rather stuck at the conscious incompetence level with our ballroom dancing

I am saving your post JaneA as I never knew this and it has been the story of my life.

I think we are all affected like this to some extent. When I try to bake anything for a special occasion it goes awry, but when I just feel like something, and throw it together it's fabulous. Really though, I'm a very indifferent baker and I would never manage a signature bake on Bake Off!

stansgran
Me too. It does help when you can recognise which level you are on!

In my experience those quickly thrown together hairdos or recipes only work the once. If you try it again, it's never the same!

What a silly question Daphne, it's Sod's law. If it really matters, it goes wrong, if it doesn't matter it will be perfect.

I had to smile at this because yesterday I very carefully followed a new recipe for biscuits so that I could take them with me to our church meeting - then just as they were due out of the oven I had a caller whose birthday it was and so I offered him some with his tea and gave him the rest to take home. As soon as he left I dashed into the kitchen and literally threw ingredients - weighed/measured by eye - into a bowl and, with no finesse whatsoever, turned out a much better looking batch in no time at all. (They were on the cooling rack in the boot of the car as we drove to our meeting.)

I'm still not eating sugar so I can't attest personally as to how they tasted, but they went pretty quickly so I assume they were okay!

DaphneBroon
Janea and kitty

Next time I will remember to say that I am having a consciously incompetent moment!