All Things Beautiful

photo by husband.

I haven't really knit in earnest since I was about 8 years old and I was taught how on a set of pencils by my step-nanny.


I've always enjoyed the rhythm and feel of crocheting instead and I've dabbled in a bunch of those projects over the last year and put off knitting because ...well it's hard and intimidating and I had no one to really show me how.


 I took my needles and yarn with me last week to the local library and spent a humbled but blissful hour being shown the ropes by some very talented and lovely ladies.

I have discovered in only the two weeks that I have taken up the craft there are two secrets to learning to knit. Holding the yarn properly and having other people around you who knit and know what they're doing.

They are honestly the nicest, most enthusiastic and a little quirky ladies I've met in a long time and I am so pleased to know them and have them teach me.

Tuesday is fast becoming one of my favorite days of the week and I am finding it none too difficult to practice at least one hour a day. I'm working on getting my tension right and not dropping or adding stitches and so far so good. But also a little boring so tonight at the library I asked Paula (the lovely group facilitator who teaches textile arts for special needs kids at the local high school, is working on getting her ham radio license and wears fabulous hats) to help me get started with this pattern.

Isn't that gorgeous?It's from"Instant Expert Knitting" by Ros Badger and I picked up this book a couple years ago second hand the last time I thought I'd give knitting a try and didn't.

It claims to be a beginner pattern and I think I might be able to figure it out with all the help I can get. Nancy (another expert knitter in the group who cards, spins and dyes her own wool) offered to help me any time if I stop by her yarn and fabric shop (she also teaches classes on spinning wool...oh my, wouldn't that be exciting!). Anyway I'm now 10 rows in and loving it, although I took this picture earlier today when I was still working on boring dishcloths because that's when the light was in my living room.

I'm working on a basic garter stitch on size 4 bamboo needles with this yummy blue yarn I picked up at the thrift store. It's so soft and stretchy it puzzles me that someone would part with it, but their loss is my gain.

Anyway, I'm thrilled to be back here with Ginny from Small Things for Yarn Along (a place for readers and knitters to share what they're up to). I'm with a new blog and it's been a long time but it feels good and my hands are getting the hang of both needles faster than I thought they might, so hopefully next week, I'll have more to show.

Oh and for books, it was a ton of fun earlier today to quiet my kids squabbling at each other with this book that I also loved at their age, "The Sweater" retold by Jim Ayelsworth.  I clearly remember my kindergarten class reading it and doing projects based on it (though an older version). I think there was even a flannel board involved( be still my five-year-old heart).