Get a Hobby 2: Knitting

Even though there are plenty of things left to do around the house (finish the scrapbooks; host the Empty Nest Yard Sale; rearrange the two 'empty' bedrooms; paint the two 'empty' bedrooms; prepare for the holidays; finish cutting down the trees- wait, that's Hubs' job; finish putting up the gutters in the back--wait, that's his again; remodel the bathroom BEFORE we fall through the floor---wait, guess who's job that is; and I won't even go into the privacy fence, timing belt on my car, the front and back doors, the front porch...) I like to have something to do at night when I'm not working on household chores and projects.  Thus, the birth of another hobby---knitting or, as I like to call it, the most frustrating thing I've ever attempted.

I have taken up knitting before when the girls were still at home because someone said that when she took up knitting, she lost weight.  I knitted scarves (some of them are in the photo above).  I chose scarves because they were easy (certainly NOT because we need scarves down here in the lowcountry) and I just knitted them using what I called knitting (apparently the actual name of the stitch is 'garter stitch'.  Who knew?) and I enjoyed it.  Unfortunately, the weight loss part did not work for me.  I simply learned how to stop knitting, put something in my mouth, and start the knitting again--sort of like knitknitknit, pop something in mouth, knitknitknit, etc.  Due to the time constraints of having four daughters who were all very involved in different activities coupled with the fact that I was not very good at it, the kitting hobby did not last very long (the popping something in my mouth hobby is still going strong--one doesn't need much time for that one.).  Now, however, I have AMPLE time.  Unfortunately, the level of my ability with this particular hobby has, basically, remained the same.  In other words, I'M STILL NOT VERY GOOD AT KNITTING!  I have a hard time choosing the correct yarn (this includes color, yarn weight, and worsted...WTH???), needle size, types of needles (and PLEASE do NOT talk to me about those needles that are connected by that thin plastic thingy), and even deciding what to knit.  Then there are the patterns (and, do NOT fall for the ones that are marked EASY because they ARE JUST NOT THAT EASY), and the plethora of STITCHES.  It's like a Knitting Hell!  Let me just add right here that any of you out there who knit and are good at it--You are amazing and I covet your creativity and ability!  If you are at all wondering why I have not quit, my answer is this: I have no idea.  I should, yet I persist (maybe it's because, with a competitive nature such as mine, I compete with myself...and inanimate objects.).   

I actually did find a pattern for a baby blanket that I really liked (I'm still hoping for those grands) and thought I could handle.  It is the cutest thing!  It has 6 inch rows and each row has 4 hearts across it.  So I started.  I was able to pull up online tutorials for stitches that were unfamiliar to me.  The pattern repeated itself after 24 rows so I made 24 note cards that had the row number at the top and the pattern of stitches underneath (because I can't remember which row I'm on or keep count of the stitches without the cards) and I got all the way through half of the FOURTH heart row (that's about 20 inches long) before I messed up or, before I realized I had messed up.  Somewhere.  And I didn't know where because another thing I can't do is tell where a mistake is, take the knitting out to that point and begin from there.  Heart shaped baby blanket, therefore, was NOT completed.

FINALLY, I found a relatively easy pattern for a baby blanket (and this time I was doing it for Hubs' cousin and his wife who were expecting) that I thought I would be able to handle (maybe I was just too ambitious with the heart one.).  I made some mistakes with this one too, but it's the kind of pattern where it doesn't show up too bad...or else I was simply NOT going to look hard enough to see the mistakes.  Cousin L and wife L loved it!  AND I knitted a little cap to match (it's right there on the left.).  A project completed!

Feeling pretty darn good about myself from the baby blanket, I decided to make each daughter and the most wonderful son-in-law EVER an afghan for Christmas.  How's it going?  I'm not even a third of the way finished with the first one.

Do people appreciate good intentions as Christmas gifts?

Oh, and I AM going to start that darn heart shaped blanket again one day, and I WILL finish it!  I'm almost sure of it!