Knitting and Learning

I’m so excited! I finally figured out how to knit something other than I-cord! My first official project is a sampler scarf that has five designs repeated for a total of ten pieces. I have one piece and most of another one done. It may be spring before I finish the scarf, but it’s such a great feeling to be able to understand and follow the instructions.

As I mentioned back in December, I learned to make I-cord. Last month, I learned how to make cables without a third needle. It involves slipping the stitches off the needle and holding them with my fingers while I do a little rearranging of stitches before I put them back on the needle. While it’s cool that I don’t need a third needle, I have a theory that for me, anyway, using the third needle might be easier.

Now I just need to get one, since all I have at the moment is a pair of single point needles. I didn’t see much point in investing in more than that, since I had no idea if I could figure out how to knit. But now that I’ve figured it out, I’d love to get some double pointed needles and a pair of circular needles. It’s amazing how many completely awesome free knitting patterns you can find on the internet.

There’s something about learning a new skill that still makes me as excited as when I finally mastered the multiplication table in school. Man, those nines were hard to learn! But I finally did it with a lot of practice. The same thing is true of knitting, cooking, writing, and countless other things. I’m a firm believer in lifelong learning, so hopefully I’ll still get to enjoy the thrill of learning something new when I’m ninety.

Keep on learning, no matter how old you are. It’s a great feeling and keeps your mind sharp.