I've Been Bitten...

...by the knitting bug! A couple of weeks ago, wildtomato and the boy paid me a visit.

We had a great time catching up and I'm in LOVE with Vespa and Mingus! On New Year's Eve day, in a coffee shop, wildtomato taught myself, my mother, and my 11YO daughter how to knit. It was awesome!

We started off with dish rags, which are 100% cotton and very pretty, as well as functional. I have since knitted two scarves and 3 and a half dish rags on my own. I've actually knitted more, but I usually get in a good groove when I'm about halfway through an item. I then realize that I want to knit the whole thing looking pretty, so I pull it all out and start over. In fact, I have started most of my projects a good three or four times (at least!) before I get to the halfway point.

I just love that knitting allows for 'do-overs!'

So, here is a picture of my second completed scarf. I made the first one for 11YO and she has it at school with her this very moment. She loves it! I finished this scarf just yesterday and it is being modeled by the lovely 5YO.

Yes, she's still wearing her Christmas PJs...

I found this really bulky acrylic yarn at Wal Mart and have developed a love/hate relationship with it. I love it because it is so bulky and irregular that it hides my mistakes really well. I hate it because it is so bulky and irregular that I make a lot more mistakes with it.

I have now started on another scarf...and it's another novelty-type of yarn. Surprisingly, however, it's a bit easier to work with than the other stuff. I'm almost halfway done with it, but it's thin and doesn't take up much space. Here is the work in progress, in its little tub that I broke down and bought to keep my projects safe from the dreaded kitty kat that hides in the shadows and waits for me to look away, if even for just a second. He is a yarn thief, plain and simple.

I'm very drawn to blacks and browns right now, for some reason. I just bought some chenille yarn in those same colors. I cannot wait to make something out of it! I've been purchasing needle sizes as I need them, so as not to spend too much money up front. I'm a bit of a flake when it comes to hobbies and I tend to dive into something head-on and buy lots of things that I may or may not actually use.

So far, however, I love knitting. It's very relaxing and even seems to calm down my mind. It usually spins out of control with too much idle time, and this seems to help balance things out.

I wonder if this is how ritalin works.....

Anyhow, I'm having a lot of fun and it's really great to be able to actually finish something and have something to show for it. Since my only job is that of 'Mom' I don't feel like I actually finish a whole lot around here. The laundry might appear to be done, but the clothes we're all wearing--DIRTY! Dishes, toilets...none of that stuff ever feels 'done' to me!

So, I hope to have more knitting adventures to share with you, here and there. Since this hobby is all shiny and new to me, I've been preferring knitting to spending time on the computer.

Just as soon I figure out how to knit while typing, I'll be all set!