What's new...

Well, if you're any kind of Internet stalker you probably know the answer to this. But for those of you with higher scruples, less free time, fewer search skills or a real life outside of "what's BeeBee up to these days?", here's the big reveal. Big being a relative term.

In search of a more portable hobby than sewing, I've attempted to take up knitting. Yep, knitting. Honestly, I'm not totally sure this is going to stick but I'm giving it the old college try. Complete with lurking around JoAnn's (just around the corner) and taking lessons at the LYS (Skeins on Main).

So grab a cup of coffee or a bottle of wine (better choice, falling asleep during this may be preferable to getting all hyped up on caffeine) and follow along the - so far - short journey.

I actually used to know how to knit. By that, I mean do the stitches - knit and purl. Cast on. Maybe bind off. It's been around 40 years, give me a break. Mom gave me some tiny plastic needles and some Pepto Pink yarn, showed me the basics and sent me away to knit a big, itchy, ugly square. Somehow that didn't get me hooked on the craft (which reminds me of my crocheting attempts - a story for another rainy day). So I promptly dumped the pink mess and went back outside to play pirates.

Fast forward 40 years and find a middle aged woman, on her middle aged birthday stuck miles and months away from her beloved Viking sewing machine with only a Kindle and Comcast for entertainment. Well, and a JoAnn's within walking distance, should I be so inclined to exercise. What do you get when you toss all that together? Yep, knitting.

DROVE to JA's and bought 2 books, one that came in a kit with a couple pairs of metal needles, a cabling needle, ruler, and other needful odds and ends; a giant wad of boucle yarn that looked like either a fungus, a Rastafarian hat or a brain in odd colors. I can't decide. Opened up my "I taught myself knitting book" and stared at it for about 2 hours. Moved to the Internet and YouTubed until I went blind and the living room looked like a kitten had gotten into the cat-nip box. Still couldn't get the hang of what they called casting on. Had a(nother) glass of wine and voila, it all came back to me. Knitting IS just like riding a bike. I cast on like dear old mom showed me and knitted away. With the rasta-yarn splitting and sliding off the heavy cheap needles. Pah! No wonder I left this in favor of swash-buckling. Back to JA's for some larger, less slippery needles and more traditional yarn. Next project became this hideous, but successful, scarf: Made from good old boring Red Heart yarn in an ocean colored variegated. I really need to get over my love of variegated yarns. Seriously.

Had a couple of trying days trying to remember how to purl. Again, not sure YouTube really helped, but I did finally get it. Realized I needed professional help. JA's (yes, again) was offering a class and if I signed up on Saturday it was 1/2 price, only $17.50. Well, as luck would have it, I was the only knitting wanna-BeeBee in the area and the class was canceled.

Next attempt was the LYS mentioned above. THEY offered 6 weeks, 2hours/week for $50. Group classes. Deal. Now, not to offend anyone, but I'm also struggling with the knitting culture. I went in 3 times. First time I got a news flyer tossed at me, "The classes are listed in here" before the woman ran off like I had cooties. Next time I wasn't even acknowledged. They had a mirror, I could see my reflection, but apparently no one else could see me. One last chance, I went in and actually talked to someone. She explained the classes, helped me pick out the one I wanted and signed me up. On a roll here, eh?

First class, drama queen-owner flits in (no small feat for a no small woman) and spends 2 hours talking about her bad back, what made her back bad, what she's doing to make it better, why she can't bend over to help me, why she has dietary issues and brought her new puppy for us to "ooh and ahh" over. (by the way, avoid the yarns in the lower bins unless you like puppy spit). But I did learn that I was doing my stitches correctly and how to increase and decrease and pick up dropped stitches. No one else in the group said a word to me. But hell, I'd paid my 50 bucks, I'm going back for episode 2. Which was about how her back still hurt, her lost grandmother's ring (realized later she just didn't wear it that day) and more on dietary issues - she doesn't like sugar if you're interested (I wasn't). But I did learn how to "unknit" - a MOST useful skill, and how to tell whether I need to knit or purl by sight so I don't have to count, and how to use circular needles. So, again, not a complete waste of time. I missed episode 3, as I was out of town and she doesn't allow class substitutions - go to the one you signed up for. BTW, still haven't been spoken to voluntarily by any other class member. I will have to miss Episode 4, as well, as it is the Wednesday before T-giving. And yes, I do realized I drifted into a less than favorable review of a LYS. So be it, she should be nicer to newbies. Or people that wander into her store to buy stuff.

But I have made things other than the fug scarf: This was a better use of the boucle yarn, mixed with Lion Worsted in a blue. Very masculine and notice I got the variegation's in the boucle to start and stop in the same place.

A "spice" or rust colored vest. I'm going to cut apart the front and edge it better to wear it open. Another Lion yarn, chunky and fast or something. I enjoyed this and did well with it, though I don't like the closed look and will fix that. I'm currently working on this sparkly scarf. The picture really doesn't do the novelty yarn justice. It's a mohair mix that, while itchy, is pretty. I started this after realizing Fug #2 was a sweater that's starting to look very camo and well, fug. Remember what I said about the variegated stuff? Please stop me! I'm taking back the rest of the twisty yarn so it won't be going into my tiny (one ball) stash. Bleck.

To show you that I mean business, here's my needle collection, so far. The metal ones on the right came in my kit. I don't use or like them. They're heavy, slippery and the ends rattle. I much prefer he bambbo. Not too shabby, I think. And much cheaper than a Viking Topaz 30.

And, to combine with a previous post, remember I won the tote bag from Laura . Here's a much better photo of the very cool bag that I'm currently using for my knitting. Again, thank you Laura. I love this thing!

And thank you all who read this whole thing and further thanks to those of you who didn't "unsubscribe" to my blog after reading this. Or block me from yours. Well, off to JA's, I have some icky yarn to return and a new project to find and start.