I wonder if you are trying to learn this craft using dried wood.
Working with "green" wood is waaaay easier. Knots when green, pare off quite nicely. You still need to follow grain directions when paring but the fibers cut much easier. Also, I will use a Carpenters Axe to score the surface down to my line. This breaks up the fiber direction and makes paring easier. If you look at an old squared timber, you will often see a lot of Axe score marks.
And yes, I leave some score marks on my work. After all, we're not making Victorian furniture here.
