The first stitch

So I've taken the leap and created a knitting blog despite my woefully poor workmanship to date. I have so much to learn but then I imagine that the most avid knitters would still say that about some intricately impossible design they would like to master.

For me though this is the honest truth. I'm more the artistic butterfly, tasting various projects and landing gently for a while here and there - whether that be writing, gardening, cooking, drawing and painting, or web design (or anything else that catches my fancy). I love learning. I don't have to be the best. So, born of the SPEW thread on Immeritus, I became interested in knitting. Of course it wasn't until I got the Tea Swap up and running that knitting became a project and not just an abstract idea. Ah yes, the tea mug cosie. TheBlackSheep's version was much prettier but I am proud of that first knit. Adding extra stitches was obviously a natural tendency chez moi and I hope it comes in handy in the future when I take on the sock.

At the moment I have two projects on the go. One, the scarf, I've been working on for months (don't laugh) and the other, Amélie's blanket, is still in the concept stage.

I've frogged the scarf (recognise the yarn? - yes I do have a lot of it) more times than I care to remember. My problem is clearly not knowing the difference between a purl and a knit stitch. Finally, at the hospital the other day, a fellow patient gave me a tip which has saved me from an immeasurable amount future frogging and has possible given me the will to keep knitting: when you finish a row and are planning on taking a break, poke the free needle through the yarn ball in the direction that you should start knitting again (needle forward versus needle backward). Experienced knitters will find this silly but believe me it has made me sane again. I still have a way to go to get the scarf finished but at least I'm progressing and not regressing each time I pick up my needles. (BTW. Frogging for me meant going all the way back to the beginning, not just back a row or two. I'm pleased to say that I have since mastered frogging and can take it back as far as I need to without having to start all over again.)

The second project is a blanket for my preemie niece, Amélie. So far I've got the yarn (100% cotton: 50% normal cotton and 50% modal). I'd like to send it over to the States by Christmas though we're planning on visiting (with the doc's ok) in February at which point I could just take it with me. I like the second idea because it gives me more time to learn how to change colours but then sending it for Christmas.... It's a tough call but something tells me that my ability will dictate when it gets sent or taken. (I can see myself now furiously knitting away on the flight over.)

All this is difficult - knitting, typing, touching anything. I can't even sculpt at the moment. My fingers are a complete peeling mess. The joy of side-effects. I managed to knit a bit yesterday but today it's worse. No matter what creams I coat my fingers in nothing sees to work. The ends are even starting to crack. *sighs* I've got some jojoba oil which I think I'll end up resorting to this afternoon. Unfortunately it means that I'll be a true couch potato as I won't be able to touch anything with my greasy l'il paws.