Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Bleh.

I'm pooped! I had a class in Lee's Summit to teach, Knit a Scarf, and it was a more than packed house. The limit is 15, there were at least 18. Not bad if everyone knows a little something, terribly taxing if no one knows how to cast on. Helping new knitters is a bit of a personal thing for me. I want them to have fun, learn a new skill, and find themselves a part of a large, yarn-addicted community. The funnest students are the perfectionists who wonder why their stitches aren't even. They think they're awful when their first few stitches aren't great.

I laugh at them, not in a bad way, but because I recognize myself in them. Hubs and I were talking on the way home from Home Depot last night. I told him, I've never really ever done anything difficult more than once. Usually, I'll hack at something, and it may be tough to do, but I'll do it if I don't have to practice. If it can't be done close to right the first time, forget it. On to the next thing to try.

For my students who share my oddity, I give lots of encouragement and tell them they're better than they think. Which is completely true.

Can't wait until this weekend! It's the great Studio Knitting Retreat at the Elms in Excelsior Springs. All knits, all the time. Carol is meeting me there early to hang out and knit. Spa, yarn, and cash bar. Does it get any better? Add cabana boys and maybe so. Still, even without the boys, it's pretty sweet. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Fry and Hubs are going to Science City at Union Station. What will be cool is they're taking the bus Hubs takes to work. Oooo, cool, huh? It is if you're eleven.

I'll have to take photos of the current works in progress, wool-wise, tomorrow when there's sunlight. Such is the joy of a $20 digital camera. In the meantime, I'm still doing my Jane Thornley knit a long, cranking out scrumbles for this weekend's freeform class at the Elms, working on my Cascade Fixation stained glass sock, and re-doing the grey sweater yoke. I've signed on for the Shut Up and Knit Your Cabin Cove, which is a knit-a-long of knitting yarn dyed by Dave. I have a couple of skeins, both different, and I'm not sure what pattern to do just yet. We'll see...

Something I've learned this week. If a gal eats nearly an entire ice cream cake AND watches tv while knitting and playing computer games, she gains weight! Gosh! Who knew? Obviously, not me. Today was a turnaround. Back on the healthy stuff, jumped rope for nearly 5 minutes, drank more water than diet soda, and have left the potato chips alone so fat. Uh, far. If I keep this up for five more months, I'll have lost a pound.

2 comments:

Camie Vog said...

Have you looked at the Norah Gaughan book "Knitting Nature"? I just got it from the library, and have decided it needs to be owned. Her patterns are mind blowing, both in style and in knitting instruction. After doing those little lace scarfs, I have noticed that I am now looking for much more difficult patterns to try. And now that money is coming in, the yarn quality will return to luxury mode...hopefully. If I lived near you, I would stop in for one of your classes. I bet you are a great teacher...

Laura said...

I have looked at Knitting Nature! That, and the Victorian Lace book are both I'm waffling on buying. I want them, but I have quite a few projects on the queue already. :D

Luxury yarns are wonderful of course, but there's nothing wrong with a machine washable acrylic. Especially when all the ice in your glass falls and splashes liquid down the front of your sweater.

I don't know about great, per se. (blush) One of the library's librarians refers to me as a 'professional knitter' which is always fun. First time she said that, I was like, "What? No no no, this is FUN, not a profession."

Slow and Steady Wins the Race