Hazelnut Reflections

learning to knit, part whatever and bad car day

Why does everyone assume that a beginner wants to make furry scarves on big needles? I want to learn to knit. I want to learn the skills. I want to be able to knit well.

So I went to a LYS that shall remain nameless (and not much clue about crocheting, either) looking for some worsted weight wool in two colors to make a stripey scarf. How hard can this be? I have now had two people, at two different LYSs (and how do you punctuate that appropriately, Miss Eats Shoots and Leaves?) tell me that I don't want to change colors, that I'm better off using a self-striping yarn. Hear me out, people. I want to acquire the skills and the knowledge to knit. I don't want to be flummoxed every time I come to a pattern with some advanced skill like--the changing of colors. I'm proud of the fact that I can change and add yarn in crochet. I'm proud of my advancing skills, even if the gauge is just a TAD off and the only way I'm ever going to make a sweater is by designing one myself. I DON'T WANT TO MAKE FURRY SCARVES. I'm glad other people do, yes, the yarn is fun, but I'm into color and texture created by patterns, not already done for me.

Enough said. Thank goodness for Hearthstone, which has taken me seriously whenever I've been in there, and trusted that I might have some idea about what I'm doing.

I'm all too familiar with bad hair days, but yesterday was a bad car day.

I trundled downstairs to start my car and go to work. Key in ignition. Nada. Zip. Nothing. Ok, this is a little problem, because my car's parking spot is buried deep in the bowels of our parking garage, in a little dark corner. So back upstairs, arrange for supply for the 9:30 service, call AAA, who arrived amazingly fast and with a portable generator. Car starts right up, purring away. Drive to work, everything fine.

At 2:30, I got back in my car with intentions of lunch and hospital visits. Key in ignition. Nada. Zip. Nothing. Can I say those bad words with my collar on? Luckily, Pastor Ron jumped the car and our office administrator followed me to the mechanic and waited to make sure I didn't need a ride to Metrolink. In the end, it was just some connections that needed to be cleaned and tightened up--I have now been instructed by Pastor Ron in the use of white grease. Still and all, I was happy to be home and tucked up with some crocheting while the storms rolled through last night. I'm nearing the end of a baby afghan out of the Crochet Yearbook. My gauge is just a tad off (so what else is new--I crochet too wide and too short and I have yet to figure out how to solve that combination of problems). But it will be sweet in the white Jamie and I'm going to trim it with a sort of mint green edging.

Oh, and did I mention that when I got home I had locked myself out?

posted by Emily @ 3:49 PM