Each attempt has a hidden roll (but we already knew this) and probably some kind of hidden success/failure roll attached to it up to a point until you're mastered or high enough ranks where you don't benefit from a failed attempt.

If you're just starting out or still early in learning the skill, it is very well possible to learn a rank on a failure - I've done this a handful of times.

.....think if it as how the spell 915 (Weapon Fire) works. I could run around a low level hunting area with my mage and easily ward any creature, but there's also the extra failure tacked onto the spell. Even if I ward a target, there's still a chance for the spell to fail. While I am successful at casting the spell, I somehow still suck just enough that the spell doesn't actually function.

Just like with forging/crafting - you've got some skill, but you still suck just enough that if you fail you can still learn something (that is until you at least get high enough in ranks or master).

And to answer your question, "Is there any truth to that or am I just losing my mind?" - you're just losing your mind like the rest of us that went through these artisan skills.

-Drumpel

I felt that same way about learning more often from failures with cobbling. It would make sense to me to learn from mistakes when your character can think back on what went wrong, but whether it's actually in the game or only perception... I don't know.