Knitting!

Last year I decided to learn to knit. My mother in-law taught me how to do a basic knit stitch (there were a few very humorous attempts at this before I got the hang of it!) and then my mum showed me how to follow a simple pattern. Last winter I mastered the "art" of knitting scarves and simple booties. I did not become a great knitter, but really enjoyed the repetitive nature of it, and found knitting in the evening very therapeutic (much like hand sewing.)

After much practice, I can now do a slip knot, cast on, knit, and cast off ALL BY MYSELF. Impressive, right?

My mothers got me going (thanks, ladies!), but there are still too many skills that I have been lacking to knit some if the things I'd like. So this year I intended to learn a few more skills, in particular:

Knitting purl (and therefore, being able to do a whole bunch of new stitches!)
Increasing/decreasing
Adding in different colours/new wool

For an experienced knitter, I'm sure these sound very easy, but for a novice they are quite daunting, but I am determined!

So I thought I’d share with you my secret weapon for "Operation Learn how to Knit "- a knitting book for kids! This book is unreal (and pretty darn retro!) Picked up for 10c at a local church fete last year, I hoped my kids would enjoy this book one day. Little did I know what an invaluable tool it would be for me. With very simple instructions and patterns, this is a great place for someone like me to start.



I have recently perfected (that word might be too strong!!?) my "purl stitch" (thanks you tube!) and am now working on my first knitting project for the year: a bright orange oven mitt! While I have no great hopes for how this will turn out, I'll keep you posted on how it's going. I promise I'll share my disasters as well as triumphs!

So far so good!(ish)

Mezz
xx