You knitwit!

Crochet - hmmm - my first love. I fell into it's wonderful ways and together we were wonderfully creative. I was able to make things I had only seen others do. Now - here I was doing it too - bliss.

Knitting - hmmm. A prickly relationship. I would like to be friends with the knitting needle but it (they- forgot they come in pairs....) they see me as part of the 'great unwashed' and treat me as so. Thwarting my every step (stitch) as I attempt to learn new things.

My great plan this last holiday was to use every minute in the car, or sitting on the beach or in the evenings, to get out the needles and a ball of yarn and play around. 

During the evenings after our days out we would sit in our cosy warm caravan and this would happen.....

Look at pattern.

Feel inspired.

Cast on correct number of stitches.

Get interrupted.

Count stitches.

Add or rip back to correct number.

Look at pattern book for reassurance. 

Pause....deep breath....continue casting on (start thinking about putting the kettle on)

Get to end of foundation row - count again (Add or rip back to correct number)

Deep breath again (promising self a definite kettle-going-on-action at end of first true row)

Start pattern....K1 P3 K18 P3 K1.

Ok, can do this thing (said in a rousing self-help-sort-of-way)

Get to end - really - I did it? Woo hoo (now turn around and start again)

K4 P18 K4 (what was I worried about - I can do this !)

K1 P3 (CB3) 3 times P3 K1.

You what?

K1 P3 (CB3) 3 times P3 K1.

Umm. Kettle action sounding good.

Look at pattern...try to decipher the instructions.

Find the decoding and stare blankly at knitting needles.

Put knitting down.

Put kettle on.

Frown.

Make tea for all four of us, get biscuits/scones/cake and distribute between ravenous boys and try not to get involved in their game/discussion/painting/reading/origami as need to concentrate on my own torture.

K1 P3 (CB3) 3 times P3 K1.

Attempt my understanding of the above gobbledegook.

Rip back.

Try again.

Rip back.

Yarn looking a little frayed.

I am feeling a little frayed.

Look at husband - who takes one look at K1 P3 (CB3) 3 times P3 K1, snorts and grins and retreats behind his book/newspaper/map whilst planning tomorrows walk.

Hmmm

Try again.

Try to resist the urge to rip back.

Persist onto next row.

And next. (ok - getting on)

And next. (gently feeling a little less perplexed)

Then reach the part of the pattern that says

K1 P3 K3 (CF3) 2 times K3  P3 K1.

Throw knitting aside - reach for mug of tea (see that it is empty)

Sulk.

This sort of repeated itself for several days and I felt defeated, dejected and demoralised. So gave up the knitting and picked up the paint brush/book/map/biscuit/origami and started to enjoy my holiday instead!

Then, on the way home - it was an 8 hour drive - I tried again. And finally succeeded!

And now?

Well, I am knitting again - only this time, something a little less.....challenging :)

In-car entertainment - we went out in our 2cv this weekend - probably the last warm enough day to play out in our funny little car.

And my knitting love-hate relationship? Status quo.