This Is Getting Hard

coming up with original, catchy titles.  Dang, I just realized that next month it will be 5 years that I have been blogging.  That's amazing.  I don't usually stick with things that long.  Except for knitting.  That is the only thing I've done for longer than just a few years.  But then, I'd wanted to learn to knit for as long as I remember.  As a child--I was about 5 or 6, I once asked my mother if she could teach me to knit, but she didn't know how.  She said it was too hard, and that I should just learn to crochet.  My grandma knew how to knit, but she'd had a massive stroke when I was three, and it affected her speech center.  It was difficult for her to communicate.  Still, I suggested to my mother that maybe Grandma could teach me, and she freaked out. 

"No, no, no!" she said.  "You can't ask Grandma!  It might make her sad that she can't knit any more."

In retrospect, I wish I had asked.  I think Grandma would have found a way to teach me, once she saw that I was interested.  But at the time, I was too young (and too afraid) to defy my mother like that.  So, dutifully I learned to crochet, but I didn't really enjoy it all that much. 

After I was grown, when I'd already gotten out of the Navy, I was at my dad's house.  I was in the back yard, talking to my dad's next door neighbor over the fence.  Somehow, during the course of the conversation, I mentioned to her that I'd always wanted to learn to knit.  She said, "I've got a learn to knit kit that I'll give you, but knitting is too hard.  You're better off sticking with crochet." 

In retrospect, I wish I'd taken her up on the offer, but at the time, I didn't really feel comfortable taking things from people.

Finally, when I was 30, I was in Wal-Mart and saw a Boye I Taught Myself Knitting kit.  I said to myself, "Self, You've always wanted to learn to knit.  This time, we're going to do it."  I bought the kit.  And took it home.  And tried to learn to knit.

It was hard.  My fingers wouldn't work right.  I couldn't make that yarn pull through the loop.  Discouraged, I stuffed the needles and yarn into the bottom of the craft drawer. 

Two years later, I was cleaning out my craft stuff and found that kit again.  I started to put it into the garage sale box, but I said to myself, "Self, you've wanted to do this your whole life.  You need to give it one more try before you give up on your dream."

So I gave it one more shot.  This time, it just clicked.  My fingers worked right.  The yarn pulled through.  My tension was spot on from the beginning.  It was a miracle!  OK, maybe not a miracle, but I was knitting.  My dream was realized, and I haven't looked back.

Thus, we come to this:  

The charity scarf after one hank of yarn.   It measures 14", so I'm thinking three hanks will make a nice length of scarf.  I'm still working on the Fun Fur scarf, too, but it pretty much looks the same.  Just a wee bit longer.

Rylea sure knows how to spend a Sunday afternoon.