Tuesday, November 08, 2005

knitting lessons and a second chance

I finished the scarf that will soon be shipped to my friend Angie in Colorado! I want one, too! But let me tell you something: knitting scarves is BO-RING!! I can easily see where people who learn to knit and then are shoved a ball of yarn and told to make a scarf would become thoroughly discouraged. It's not difficult by any means, but it sure is tiresome and not very exciting or daring. I am quite glad that my first project was NOT a scarf, because I probably would not have liked knitting so much.

However, even if I would have made a scarf at the get-go, I would probably have given knitting a second chance. I gave a yarn store a second chance. Remember when I had that bad experience where I felt extremely pressured to purchase yarn that was way out of my budget? Well, I considered staying away from that shop forever, but when I found out that the owner was a friend of a friend, I realized I should trudge back on in. So I set out - with the intention of really buying something - accompanied with birthday money and a desire to purchase yarn for friends for Christmas presents (some scarves, even, knowing that I don't need to make them in totally yawn-inducing garter stitch). I walked out with two types of sock yarn, some multi-colored natural-ish hued yarn for a poncho for a friend, more furry yarn for presents, and some fun tweedy pink for a sweater for me.

I am forcing myself to bury away the tweed until I've finished Christmas presents and the Starry Night sweater (which got zero work done on it this week) and I've given a bit more attention to the Aran pullover. I'm also saying adios for a while to the Brown Sheep Wildfoote purple sock yarn - will eventually become a pair for me! - and am instead going to focus on the Fortissima Colori Socka self-patterning yarn to make a pair of multi-colored socks for someone special for Christmas. I started a swatch with it yesterday and can tell I'm going to enjoy this yarn! I might have to go and buy some for me... (Note, this would give me a pair of many-colored socks that indeed WOULD go with many things and would thus expand my outfit options when I am down to the bottom of my sock drawer!) But not until after I've also finished the poncho, which will take some doing since I need to figure out what sort of stitch pattern I like for it. In the meantime, I also intend to squish out a couple scarves for gal friends from some furry and metallic something-or-other yarn I bought plus some Disco that I got for free in the mail and forgot I had until yesterday. I actually have a gigantic spreadsheet of what I'd like to knit for many different friends, relatives, and co-workers...but I think I won't be able to finish even half of them, so I'm not making any actual gift goals. If I get that poncho and even one sock (not the whole pair...) done, I'll be happy.

Do you know anyone who takes a day or two off work each holiday season to spend the day baking? I'm thinking I might need to do that for this gift-knitting.

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