I have come to the opinion that there is nothing worse than a sick husband. Not just a sick husband, but the kind of sick that has dragged on for a week; the kind of sick that has almost driven me to share the pain medication just to maintain my sanity. What started out as a simple kidney stone has morphed into something else. Hubby did go to see Dr. Urology - the name given the urologist by the ER physician who has lost his will to live. Now Hubby is going for several thousand dollars more in tests to find out if he has, in deed, passed the kidney stone that started off this merry little trip down conjugal pothole lane, or if the kidney stone has decided to set up housekeeping wherever it remains lodged.
I say all of this because knitting does not occur in a vacuum. Between Hubby and new job, knitting has gone down the priority list a bit. Of course sitting down to knit is not a solo activity right now. Both Hubby and dog want attention and not the kind that becomes hazardous when the person they are seeking attention from has two or more pointy sticks in their hands. I have managed to finish a pair of socks for myself. Unfortunately, I will have to redo the toe as I forgot from one sock to the second exactly how I had done the toe.
This is not an unusual occurrence. As a matter of fact I have been known to forget the following from one sock to its mate: 1. What size needles I used; 2. How many stitches I picked up along the heel flap; 3. How many rounds of ribbing at the top; 4. How long I knit the leg; and 5. How long I knit the foot. These are the things that just suck the joy out of sock knitting. What beginning sock knitters don't know that any seasoned sock knitter will tell them, we all un-knit. Yes, it's true.
There seems to be a myth in the knitting world that those of us who have knit enough socks to free every house elf in Harry Potter six times over, never, ever have to un-knit, rip or re-think our sock knitting. Au contraire mon ami! Perhaps we just hide it better because when we do knit a horribly malformed sock, we can quietly un-do what ever bad mojo has infected the sock knitting. 'Tis true. The key to seeming like you have it all together is recognizing the mess you have knit yourself in and fixing it without mentioning it to anyone else. Beginners do not have that luxury and must point out their newbie sock knitting status by being forced to point out their mistakes and seeking assistance in making a sock fit for a human foot.
I say all this because at times I have seen the look on a beginner's face when they show their latest triumph in turning a heel, tongue still bearing the teeth marks from the amount of concentration to accomplish said feat, while one of the crusty knitters turns their heel effortlessly and finishes their sock before the newbie finishes their gusset. I have caught myself, at times, showing less than the needed sympathy to a beginner with a project gone wrong. Because I have knit for so very, very long, it is so easy for me to forget what it is like to have fingers fumbling with yarn and needles to make something wearable, much less beautiful in the beginning. Because I have knit for so very, very long, I have made many, many mistakes and have learned to correct them. While I know it isn't easy for the new knitter to hear, it is all about craft plus practice plus time equalling mistake fixing experience.
What should be good news for our newbie knitter friends, however, is what us more experienced knitters really think when you have duffed it up enough to need our help - flattered. That's correct. We are flattered to be asked to sort out your mistake, because it tells us that you think so highly of our knitting that you are willing to trust us to fix your project and teach you how to do it. I can only think of one time when I thought any thing but "Wow! She must think I am an expert. If she only knew the truth she would know to ask one of the other people around the table." and that thought will be the subject of another blog.
What I will say I have been focusing on lately is being more encouraging to new knitters. This is an ancient craft they are tangling themselves up in. The knitting circle is a powerful force. It is easy to be overtaken by the power of the knitting mojo and feel out knitted by other more experienced knitters. So, if you are new, take heart. In a few projects you will feel more confident and some newer knitter will think you are an expert. If you are a knitter who doesn't remember a time before knitting, take time when you are in the knitting circle to encourage the new knitters who have joined the circle. It is an intimidating place to be and trust me, you need the knitting karma.
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