No. 51: Learn to knit or crochet.

No. 51: Learn to knit or crochet...Ha! 

I'm a fairly handy person. Great fine motor skills. I can draw. I can sew. I've needlepointed and cross stitched in my day. This challenge seemed like a no-brainer.

Somehow the yarn arts seem to be eluding me though.

I really thought knitting would be a lovely way to pass the cold and snowy evenings that are headed my way.
Visiting friend Cherrilla said crocheting was even easier than knitting, so she could teach me that fine art.
But I had signed us up for a knitting class at the fabulous and fun fabric store, Fringe, so that was where we started.

Fringe. Great selection. Great classes.

Our fearless teacher, Vickie Altstaetter-Morgan, was a knitting saint. VERY patient.
We had a rocky start with me having to skip out to run Bunny back to the cabin. She had a last minute make-up test at the school. It was cold and windy out so my suggestion of "just hang out for a few  hours" did not appeal to her.
Cherrilla held down the fort and then helped me get caught up once I returned. 

Cherrilla and Vicky casting on.

With knitting you start with two needles, some yarn and a lot of patience. 

Vicky taught me to "cast on" using images of mountain peaks, bird beaks and bunny holes. I got that down and figured this was going to be a piece of cake. 

Cherrilla, meanwhile, had mastered casting on and the simple knit stitch and was headed straight into a pattern that would result in a baby wash cloth. 

I knitted.

                                     

Feeling positive here.

I unravelled.

                                     

O sh*t! What did I do wrong? 

I knitted again.

       

One more time....

I finally got the hang of it and started a scarf pattern. It required counting stitches and I unwisely decided to try and make it larger. 

Not smart. 

By the time class was over I had started four (five?) times and unravelled just as many. 

I left class with a ball of yarn and two needles-pretty much what I started with.

At home, I practiced. I tried again.  

Here is what I successfully knitted.   I included the quarter to give you an idea of the magnitude of my project. 

I wisely abandoned the idea of the difficult scarf and thought maybe something more basic would be easier. Back to Fringe where Vicky valiantly tried to teach me to "purl", another knitting stitch. 

More practice at home.  Cherrilla had finished her washcloth and even added a crocheted edge to it. 

I was still casting on, knitting a bit and then unravelling.

Cherrilla had moved on to crocheting a winter scarf. 

Brave and fearless friend that she is, she even tried to teach me to crochet. 

The concept is easy. I totally got it. 

I just couldn't get my fingers to go along. 

At all. 

So now I have a lovely collection of crocheting needles, a crocheting book ("I Taught Myself to Crochet"! Not.)  and two sizes of knitting needles and two sizes of yarn.

Lots of equipment. No results. Yet.

I'm no closer to being able to knit or crochet than I was last week. 

If you are on my Christmas list, rest assured that I will not be gifting home made/home knitted scarves and gloves this year. 

But I am not giving up. 

Snow is in the forecast. Certainly it will be the perfect time to practice.