Firsts

Firsts

Welcome to my FIRST blog entry. I have read blogs for some time now, particularly knitting blogs, and finally jumped into the fray.

I am FIRST and foremost a mother to three grown sons and one husband.

Jason, the eldest son is currently 25, a college graduate and gainfully employed. Tyler is 22, currently in college and farming with his grandfather. Cory is 20 and thoughtfully deciding what to do with his life.

I also am the surrogate mother to two pugs, Maggie and Max. They are litter mates and just turned two in March.

I FIRST tried knitting as a little girl. I don't remember who taught me, I think it was a selftaught thing from written material. I remember knowing how to do the garter stitch, I didn't know what that was at the time but I do remember I could knit one long rectangular thing.

I decided about 3 years ago to try again. Knitting is in vogue afterall and I just knew I could do it. I bought a teach yourself to knit kit and a skein of acrylic yarn at the local discount store. I brought it home and entertained my children for a few hours. They had a good laugh watching me wrestle with that yarn and those two evil knitting needles. I think I twisted the things around everywhich way except the correct way, ended the experiment and put the whole thing away. I did retrieve the needles a few time to turn some sewing inside-out.

I was on the mailing list of a wonderful local yarn store, The Stitch Niche and they offer knitting classes!

The Stitch Niche sells cross stitch, needle point and fiberarts supplies. I had purchased needlepoint and cross stitch supplies from them but never thought about knitting until two years ago. I called and signed up for the beginning knitting class. It was absolutely one of the best decisions I have ever made. Knitting fit me like a glove (hat, sweater, scarf, sock, you're getting the picture here). The ladies who teach there are wonderful and have become friends, or at least they tollerate me since I frequent their shop so much.

The beginning class lasted six glorious weeks. I so looked forward to Monday nights when I would congregate with other new knitters to learn the next technique. I knit, knit, knit everything I could manage with my limited skills in those first weeks. As soon as the class ended I was ready to begin my FIRST project. I chose a shawl from Paton's in a cable design. It has now been on the needles for two years. I pick it up between other projects and lovingly refer to it at the shawl that never ends.

I will post on the never ending shawl as it progresses.

I continue to enroll in classes at the Stitch Niche. My second class was a sock class taught by Judy. I have since knit several pair of socks, who hasen't. I even met the sock goddess herself, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee in April of this year. That's another story.

Immediately after the sock class I enrolled in a fair-isle Christmas stocking class. I fell in love for the FIRST time with fair isle during that class.

My next class was a Weekend Neck Down Sweater. I have since knit two other weekend neck down sweaters, one for me and one for a friend.

Next on the list was a Beaded Shawlette class. I LOVE LOVE knitting with beads. I made the first shawlette for my Mother-in-Law, my second for my Mother, my third for my Sister-in-Law and my fourth is on the needles for me.

Earlier this month I took a class on knitting socks with the Magic Loop method. I knit them to match my Weekend Neck Down sweater. I will be so coordinated.

Tonight I start yet another class. I will be knitting a felted entralac purse.

See Picture of the Noro yarn. I will post pictures as this project progresses.

I'm off to class. See ya later.