It rained in Texas?

For months and months (at least it seems that long) we've had no rain. Of course with the rain comes the accidents. Drivers in SA just don't know how to drive in the rain. Because we don't get much rain, when we do the oils on the road rise up causing the roads to be slick. My poor little Miata got wet. I was a little worried about driving on the "slick" roads. Didn't need to worry, it drove great. Even in cold wet weather, the Miata's a fun car.

Now on to some knitting content. I've been working along on my sweater. I call it the Left Over Yarn Sweater or LOYS for short. So far LOYS has been an easy knit. I can watch TV and knit the pattern as it's only a two row pattern. It's knitted in the round until under the arms, then you split it for the front and the back. I've finished the back and have started working on the top front. Next will be the sleeves, and for some reason I always hate doing sleeves. Maybe I should have knitted them first?

Today at lunch I gave a new student a beginning lesson on knitting. She caught on fast and even held her needles with ease. Tomorrow is the next "real" class. We have a total of 6 new knitters and 2 co-workers I taught last year. We'll have a full house. Should be interesting as our office has moved and we really don't have a lot of room. Not to mention that we are no longer in a private area. But at least they all seem to be getting the knitting bug. We'll see who shows up for tomorrow's class.

My first sweater 1980

Today at work we had another “mini” knitting class. It was great fun to see how far along each student’s project has advanced. I felt like a real teacher with the students bringing me their homework to check. They are all doing great. Some are still knitting very tight but they are still working and that’s the important think. I’m really impressed with the abilities my co-workers have shown. It almost makes going to work each morning enjoyable (I hate mornings).

During today’s get together, I was asked who taught me to knit. That was a walk down memory lane. So here’s the story:

In the early 80’s my husband was transferred to Brawdy, Wales with the US Navy. We moved into Royal Air Force housing. Every morning I walked the kids to the bus stop to wait for the double Decker bus to take them to school. After the “kiddies” got on the bus, a few of the British mothers would get together for a cuppa tea and some knitting. Every morning they would ask me to join them, but I thought they were just being nice and really didn’t want a “Yank” to join.

I was wrong. One morning, one of the mothers, Dawn W, just about dragged me to her house with the other women. There I drank tea and watched them knit. They’d been knitting for years, so you can imagine the beautiful things they were working on. I mentioned that I was envious of their talent. The next thing I knew I had knitting needles and yarn in my hands. Dawn was the most patient person I’ve ever met. She taught me a lot of things, but the most important was that knitting was fun and a way to express creativity.

When we left Wales to return to the USA, I was a knitter and I owed it all to Dawn. She shared her knowledge with me and because of her I’m able to share my knowledge with my co-workers. So the circle goes on and on. Everything I’ve ever knitted I owe to Dawn.
The first sweater I ever knitted Dawn said was a great job. She lied and I’ve got the proof. Here’s a photo of my first attempt to knit a sweater. Missy’s face says it all.

So no matter what my students think, my first knitting projects were not perfect. Not perfect? The sweater is embarrassing but everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Let's start knitting

Last year (was it a year already?), I taught two co-workers how to knit. They’ve done very well and they’re still knitting.

Last week another co-worker asked me to teach her to knit and she knew there were others in the office that wanted to learn.

So I sent out an email to the office and ended up with 5 new students. This week we had a “mini” class on Monday with 2 students and 5 today (Wednesday). They learned to cast on and knit. We’re starting with a simple garter stitch dishcloth. They learned quickly and seemed to enjoy the lessons. I know I enjoyed the class.

Each of the “girls” had a different way of holding the needles and the yarn, some knitted very tight and other’s stitches were loose. As I told them, there’s no wrong way to knit, just knit and have fun. And we did have fun.

The hour went by so quickly and then we had to go back to work. Darn, work interferes with my knitting, but without work I couldn’t afford to buy yarn.

I’m sure I’ll have more to share on this adventure.

Now for a little knitting...

As many of my family and friends know, I seldom knit for myself. In Oct I started a “lacy” sweater out of cotton for myself. I found the pattern on the Internet and it looked good and an easy lace project. I hated it when I finished it. It’s now sitting in a plastic bin in my knitting room. No, you will not see a photo of it.

I had 500 grams of the cotton left over. So in order to try to accomplish one of my New Years resolutions, I’ve started another sweater. This time I picked a pattern from one of my many books, Saturday Sweaters, East to knit, Easy to wear by Doreen L. Marquart (photo at left).

So far it’s going well and I actually like the pattern. Maybe this is one sweater I’ll keep and wear, then again maybe not.

As for other knitting...A co-worker found out that she’s going to be a grandmother for the first time, but she’s getting 2 at once. Her daughter is having twins, a boy and a girl. I knitted booties for her as a surprise. Since I didn’t have any pink yarn in my favorite baby yarn, I knitted one pair in light lavender and white and the other in blue and white. I used an Internet pattern done on double pointed needles. Double pointed needles are not easy for me. If I ever decide to knit that pattern, I’ll make changes so I can knit it on straight needles, or maybe I’ll just find another pattern.

By the way, I still love driving the Miata. It makes me smile and my friend Cathy S even likes to ride in it. Can’t wait till I can get her to go for a ride with the top down. After all what’s a convertible for if not to have the wind blow through your hair and the sun on your face. I guess that will have to wait for a few more weeks as it is still winter, even in San Antonio.

Happy New Year

Here I sit on New Years Eve. I could say it’s because of the danger of drunk drivers, but we haven’t gone out on 31 December in years and years. We’d rather stay home and watch the fireworks on the TV. Tom did start a fire in the fireplace. It was 78 today but according to the weatherman a “front” moved in and the temp dropped fast.

I haven’t made New Year’s resolutions in years but it seems appropriate this year. So here’s my list of resolutions (that may or may not make it through 2008):

1. Share my knitting knowledge with others. This should be easy, as I’ve already been asked to teach a group of co-workers to knit. I’ve even started to work on a lesson plan and schedule.
2. Knit myself a cardigan. I haven’t seen the right pattern yet, but I know I want one that I can wear to work, but isn’t too heavy.

3. Drive the Miata with the top down every chance I get. Again this should be easy. Here in San Antonio we only get a short winter. With my luck, it will be the worst winter in history, with snow and ice expected daily.
4. Learn to knit with wire. Tom gave me a great book for Christmas.
5. Go somewhere that I can put my great camera to good use.
6. Take lots and lots of photos. Another easy one (I hope).
7. Make a scrapbook of old photos for Mom.
8. Organize my “Knitting” room. It’s really the extra bedroom. I have my knitting machines set up so I guess that makes it a Knitting Room, right? I have piles and piles of books, yarn and baskets everywhere in the room. This isn’t going to be easy because I’ve cleaned the room before and it just doesn’t seem to stay that way long.
9. Stop worrying so much about things I can’t control. In the past I’ve fretted over how the kids are living their lives and how the grandkids are growing up so far away. I have to learn to let go and accept the kids have grown up and living their own lives. This will be a hard one.
10. Spend less time being “mean” to Tom.

So that’s my list, what’s yours?