knitting fool

So I wanted to get shorter needles, so I wouldn't blind my seatmates on the bus. I thought going to a yarn store would be too dangerous, pocketbookwise, so opted for the closer Michael's in Southcenter. I figured I would dodge some bullets, literally and figuratively; because being the materials snob I am, I figured they would not have yarn good enough to tempt me. This was only partially right, in that it was wrong. They did not have much in the way of good yarn, but what they did have was really tempting. So, Fifty bucks later I left with my new needles and some lovely new yarn.

I also bought some circular needles, which I do not "get". The loopy thing just gets in my way. I think I bought a pair with too long a loopy thing. Perhaps all will come clear in this week's Sn'B. One can only hope.

Reporting from SnB

So the Stitch n' Bitch was great fun, but perhaps Debbie the bossy Sn'B originator was correct when she extorted Under No Circumstances to Drink Wine While Knitting.

Exhibit 1:












Have you ever seen a sadder, lumpier piece of wool in your life?


But wait it gets better:


Oh yes boys and girl, there is a new knitter in town, so watch out!

New Adventure

So I finally made the jump. I bought yarn.

I know! I am so excited! I bought some pretty enough green wool -- I couldn't bring myself to by the acrylic Red Heart I knew would be good enough to learn on. Besides I wanted something I could make felted beads out of. I yearn for these felted beads.

My first attempt is a sad, lumpy affair, that I fully intend to rip out as soon as I am "done" when ever that is.

Problems I have encountered so far:

• Casting on so tight I cannot possibly get the right needle in between the yarn and the left needle.
• accidentally splitting the yarn when I insert the right needle to pick up the stitch.
• having my last stitch be so loose, my edges have a weird, loopy quality
• dropping stitches
• and here is the worst one, because I can't for the life of me figure out how I am doing this: Mysteriously Increasing!! I cast on 20 stitches initially, and now I mysteriously have between 25 and 27 stitches. I have been just picking up two loops to try to decrease, of course I can't be bothered to find how to do it for real, and the result is quite lumpy.
  

I only know how to "knit" no "perl" yet. I owe it all to YouTube!

Tonight is my first Stitch n' Bitch at the Rowanoake. I'll keep you posted.