The Ecstasy and the Irony . . .

Looky what I bought!! Isn't it BeaUtiFul? It's my first purchase of :REAL: yarn - Alpaca/Wool blend and it is delightful. One and a half pairs of socks into knitting - and I am trying a real, honest-to-God sweater. Ecstasy . . .

Because beginning next Monday (the 5th of October), I am going to have a bit of time on my hands. See the unsightly bulge on the side of my foot? Can I just say, owwww! So, there will be one full week of me sitting on the sofa with my poor surgically repaired foot elevated and then a couple of weeks of very little activity. How better to spend my time, than finishing the aforementioned half a pair of socks, and beginning a sweater?

So, the ecstasy part of this post is the knitting and how much I really enjoy it. The irony follows: I have been crocheting for a very long time (20+ years) and I can't tell you how many people have commented on my "knitting." I have spent years trying to describe the difference between crocheting and knitting and explaining to people that I didn't really know how to knit. So, forward to two weeks ago - my total knitting experience was approaching 4 weeks when Cheerleader brought a new boyfriend home. He saw me on the sofa working on the first pair of socks and said, "Oh, you crochet?" WHAT?! Most of the universe doesn't know that there is such a thing as crochet, they figure any project involving yarn is knitting, but a 17-year old boy sees me knitting and assumes I'm crocheting? Is that weird?

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever . . .

And I'm not talking about the dog, this time! I just finished my first knitting project - woooot! A nice, woolly pair of socks for Sunshine.

Speaking of things of beauty - look at these hibiscus blooms from the back yard! I took these photos last week and I think they're mag!

Knitting is the new crochet!

I've been gone awhile, I know. I've heard some complaints, and yet. . . I've been BUSY!!!! Remember several posts back when I said I thought I'd learn to knit since I had such a wealth of yarn (though most of it is crap)? Well. That's what I've done. I learned to knit! And, I looooove it.

Here is a photo of my first sock - which is still in progress, but I expect to finish by the end of the week.

If you ever think about taking up knitting - first read Knitting Rules! by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. If she doesn't convince you how totally cool knitting is, no-one will.