Knitting Makes Me Say Bad Words

Knit one, pearl two.  Knit one, pearl two. Knit one, "#@!! "

I don't usually have a problem saying bad words....but this
knitting thing....well, it's testing my resolve.

I've been taking a knitting class with a nice group of  women
and an incredibly patient knitting instructor.

That's Amy on the left end, back row.  She has been knitting for years and is
very talented.  You can check out some of the classes she teaches here.  She's
also working on her own blog spot (more info. on that later). Next week, she
starts another class at BRCC on knitting socks.  She may have room left,
if your interested.

This "New to Knitting" class was supposed to teach us basic knit stitches,
how to purl, yarn and fabric characteristics, needle selection, project
troubleshooting and pattern reading, all while completing the sampler scarf
that Amy designed.  And, all in four two hour sessions.   Too good to be
true?   Well, with my skills (or lack of), it was a little too good to be true.
I think I needed eight classes.  But I did learn some of those items on the
class syllabus.

* First of all - I can "cast on"  like nobody's business!  This is because I kept
   starting over, every time I would mess up.

*I can also do the garter stitch (which I already kinda knew how to do, so
   maybe that doesn't count?).  I've had lots of practice with this and feel
   comfortable with it now.

* I learned there are two methods to do the garter stitch - the English
   method (which is how I learned) and the Continental method.(which
   is what I want to learn- it's a lot faster!)

* I learned how to purl!  That's exciting.  Now I know what it means
   to knit one, purl two, etc.

* I know the difference in needles and why you use certain needles for
   certain yarns.  That was all revelation to me.  I also learned the cute
   little bamboo needles I bought are a hundred times better than the metal
   Walmart variety.  I learned you could spend an awful lot of money on
   pretty yarn and knitting tools.

* I learned about yarn types.  Natural, synthetic and blends and the different
   weights.  I learned how to read a yarn label.Before this class,  I thought you
   just picked a color you liked and something that felt good....

* I leaned knitting vocabulary and how to read a basic pattern.

* I learned about gauge. This is the number of stitches and rows
   per inch. Different yarns knit to different gauges and the same
   yarn knits to different gauges depending on your size of needles.
   Also, different knitters knit the same yarn on the same needles
   at different gauges, depending on their individual stitches.

Amy used these cute socks she's knitting to demonstrate gauge and 

the difference the size of needles makes on your project.

(Doesn't she have pretty hands?)

I'm dying to make some of these socks, but I must stick with this

scarf until it's completed!  That's my goal.

*I learned the stockinette stitch.

*I learned how to "bind off", using a swatch that I had knitted for this purpose.

So you can see, I learned a lot of things.  The only thing I didn't learn
well enough was the section on "project troubleshooting".  This is where
the bad words come in.  When I'm moving right along and having a great
time knitting and then I mess up.  "#@!!"  Because I don't know how to
fix it. And then I'm paralyzed.

Each week, I've been taking my project to Amy and saying, "help!"
In her sweet,calm voice she comforts me by saying, "oh, you just
dropped a stitch and split your yarn."  And then she fixes it for me!
But now the classes are over and I don't have Amy to fix my mess ups.
So I get a little panicked, which seems to bring on those bad words.
But I've noticed this isn't a problem specific to me.  I heard a few little
words slip out of my knitting buddy's mouth too. :)

Isn't she cute?  We had fun learning together. I liked knitting with
Deborah, because we were both true beginners.

Dee, on the other hand, was not a beginner and completed her scarf
in record time. Why she was in this class was beyond me, but it
was nice that someone completed a project.  It gives hope to the
rest of us.  Our little class is considering getting together from time to time
and knitting and it will be nice to have Dee there to answer our questions.

I'm looking forward to finishing my scarf, so I can take another one
of Amy's classes.  I don't know how long it's going to take because
I've got to learn how to fix my mistakes!  Amy said I should knit a
swatch and just keep messing up and fixing it, over and over until
I feel comfortable with it.  The messing up part isn't a problem, it's
the fixing itt, that's got me puzzled.  Thank goodness for U tube
and my Knitting book from class.  I'll hang in there and hopefully
I'll figure it out.

I really want to, 'cause there are all kinds of things I want to make
( first I want to finish this scarf while it's cold weather and I can
wear it) and because I think knitters are some of the nicest people
I've ever met.  They are calm and gentle and, like I said, really nice.
And they don't usually say bad words.   I want to be like that. :)

*MYOF Goals - #7  Meet twelve new people.
                                 #21 Knit a scarf.