been reading: Yarn Harlot by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

So I'm giving knitting another go. I started a scarf back in 2004 only to get frustrated and declare myself a complete knitwit. I became, if you will, a bit unraveled. But lately I've had an itching for wool, been needled with an urge to pick knitting back up. Because seriously, the puns alone make it worth it.

Last time around, I was given a five-minute lesson by a coworker. I only learned knit stitch, and had no clue about needle sizes, yarn weights, or any of that. The yarn I chose wasn't a good match for my needles, and although I finished about one-third of the scarf, it was not fun or relaxing and so I stopped.

This time, I got a proper lesson at my local yarn shop. On the way to the shop, I drove behind a truck hauling sheep. Woolly yarn-bearing sheep. I considered this a blessing on my knitting endeavor.

And so far, it has been. Sure, over the weekend I ripped out my first several attempts and almost declared myself a yarn moron again, but I persevered with shear determination. (Shear? Get it? Yeah okay, I'll stop.) My starter project is simple, but more complicated than the scarf, and so far it's going well. And last evening I even dug out that scarf again and it's actually knitting up quite nicely.

With the knitting has come the desire to re-read Yarn Harlot. I read it when I started the first time, and it has been just as delightful the second time through. This is a blog turned book, so it's filled with short, silly stories. About knitting. And this woman is crazy for knitting - emphasis on crazy. For example, her yarn stash is so huge that she keeps skeins in the freezer and stuffs them in the empty spaces of her piano. It's a fun, frivolous read. Great gift for the knitter in your life.