My First Knitted Project

I took a class at Joann's back in October, Knitting 101.  I  have always wanted to learn how to knit and since I was procrastinating on doing my Dear Jane blocks I figured this would be a great opportunity.  I went to class which was on a simple scarf.  I received some baby poop green yarn and off I went.  I knitted, I purled, I goofed, I started over, I knitted, purled, goofed, started over...well you can see how this was going.  After about 3 weeks I had maybe 5 inches and was getting frustrated.

I had a coupon for half off of another class so back I went for knitting 102. This time I received spinach green yarn and a pattern for fingerless gloves.  I had forgotten how to cast on, relearned that and then realized I was purling wrong..go figure..maybe that is why my scarf wouldn't come out right, now mind you the scarf was just a purl a row, knit a row, but half the time I couldn't remember what I did the row before so I was getting this really nice unintentional pattern forming.

After class I came home and fiddled around with my baby poop green yarn some more and finally decided that I had shredded this yarn enough and frankly I was really sick of green at the moment.

So I find some other yarn and a different beginner pattern and off I go. I finally finished the scarf this week, although I still need to block it.  This project also tested my patience but I think I finally have the hang of it.  I had to tear a ton of rows out more times than I can count. I have learned to pick up a stitch and to decrease a stitch but for better or worse it is done. My very own scarf that I slaved months over.

My Visual Guide to Knitting book now automatically opens up to Chapter 4, conveniently named the Mistakes chapter, but I have accomplished something and to me that is all that counts.

I find I really enjoy knitting and it doesn't hurt my hands the way crochet, applique, and embroidery do and I can knit for hours without a problem.

I know what a knit stitch and a purl stitch look like but for the life of me I still can't figure out rows and a few other things but I now with practice it will get better. 

My mother now goes to all the craft stores and pulls off all of the free knitting patterns and hands them to me with a small smile and says " I really like this and especially the ones with all of these gorgeous cables on them" or "these socks are just adorable".  I just smile...what else can I do. I can barely get through the simple knit and purl...please don't add anything else just yet.

So now I am off to find another simple knitting project...who knows maybe by this time next year I will have made a pair of socks.

Michelle