Sarah Jane Humke

So, I teased you several posts ago about the super secret thing that I am working on.  Well, here it is:

Yep.  I learned how to knit.  (Gasp!  Shock!  Oh the humanity!!!)  I heard a good review of a book that taught how to knit continental style.  I’ve always thought that continental style made more sense to me than English style since you “pick” the yarn rather than “throw” it.  Also, you hold the yarn in your left hand like you do with crochet.  So, I ordered this book 

on Amazon to be delivered to my US address (while I still had one to deliver to) and it was there waiting when I got home.  I read a little of the book, enough to know that they suggested Lambs Pride Bulky yarn for learning as well as Clover bamboo needles to work with.  So while I was home in the States I went out and purchased all the required bits and pieces to, well, knit.

So far I have made a scarf (pretty standard starting point) and a garter stitch washcloth that was made to practice increases and decreases.  The reason that I want to learn to knit is simply this sweater.  It has, well, caught my fancy ever since it came out.  I just love everything about it.  However, I know that I need, well, a lot of practice before I get to this level.  So, I am going to give myself 2 scarves (other than the one that I just made which is, honestly, too short for anyone but one of the pets) and 2 sweaters before I attempt it.  No, not attempt it, make it!  Just because it looks, well, big and complex doesn’t mean that I can’t do it.  I’ve done fairly complex mathematics dealing with the atomic structure and nature of soil for God’s sake!  I can make a bloody sweater!!!!

I haven’t given up crocheting.  Quite the opposite in fact.  Yesterday I went to a knitting group quite by accident (don’t ask.  It involves me asking if there is a knitting group somewhere to a couple of ladies sitting and knitting and them replying “yes, right now, here,”) and I think that I am going to end-up being the de facto crochet instructor.  This should be interesting if it comes to be.  However, I was working on a baby blanket.  Just a normal run of the mill shell pattern and the ladies knitting kept stopping their knitting to stare at my work.  Now, mind you, I wasn’t going all that fast (if they had seen my friend Birgitt crocheting on a normal day they would have had their mouths hanging open!) and it wasn’t all that fancy.  Just Cottontots yarn but it was going much faster than it normally does for knitters I guess so they were, impressed.

I’m not used to impressing anyone with crochet unless it is for the sheer size of the object that I am making.  That, well, that I’m pretty used to at this point.