Purl -- like the necklace?

So, ya know, all of my bitching and pissing and whining the other day about not having a hobby? Well, I took matters into my own hands. And damn it, I'm going to learn to knit.

It's supposed to be relaxing, right? HA!

So the whole thing started with a trip to the local library. I picked up the easiest looking how-to book on knitting I could find. Learn to knit VISUALLY, it touts. Okay, visual I can do. Then I picked up some other book about like The Seven Steps of Motherhood...but whatever. Next stop: the craft store. I browsed the wall of yarns for the prettiest looking ones I could find. I got one marled purple and blue type yarn and another green yarn. I bought the respective needle sizes recommended for each yarn type. I was very excited. They also had canvases 2 for $5.99. Those went in the cart too. I need to paint, right?

I journeyed home where I put Adrien to nap and did the dishes. I could hardly wait to try my hand at knitting. I'd done a bit of it in textiles class in college. I sucked at it then. Maybe, I'd be better this time: I was really out on a limb here. Hopefull, even. The green yarn, that's what I tried first. It was too small and my cast-on stitches were to tight. I moved to a bigger needle. Trying over and over again, I could never get past the cast-on stitches. An hour later, I'd cast-on countless times and still had no rows to count. The purple yarn would be better. Yes. And indeed, it wasn't. Please note that just because yarn is pretty, that does not necessarily mean it's suitable for beginners. Quite the contrary, actually. This purple yarn has multiple widths to it. It looks a bit wonky, very erratically spun indeed. Back to the green yarn. Then Adrien woke up from his nap. I'd made no knitting headway.

Later that night, I could hardly wait for Adrien to go to bed for the night. I was (and am) determined to learn how to knit. If it kills me (which it might -- a friend of mine suggested I get a hobby not involving sharp objects). Two hours later, I had 5 rows complete. It was time to learn to purl, which seems to me like knitting -- but backwards. Anyway, it's supposed to be the opposite of knitting, whereby the stitches show on the opposite side of whatever you'd doing (henceforth, making patterns within the knit). One try and that and it was back to knitting. Better not press my luck.

So why knitting? Well, as stated previously, I had heard it was relaxing. I need to relax. I mean, haven't you gotten that I'm high strung already? Slightly stressed. I mean, who isn't? And then, I was on Etsy the other day and saw these wonderfully gorgeous way over the knee scrunchy sock/leggings. I thought they were too cute, indeed. Must have -- and they were something like $11.99 to boot. Had. To. Have. So I clicked, only to find out it was a knit pattern. I must learn to knit these wonderful creations, methinks. And alas, I did not bookmark these great leggings, and now I cannot find them...or I'd link you to them. But take my word -- they are amazingly eccentric and perfectly B. [Update! I found them! YAY! Here are the magnificent scrunchy stockings!]

So that was how it started. And it's going.

Please wish me luck and if you have any suggestions, let me in. I have to get past my fear of purling. Otherwise, I'll just be making nothing but flat, long, scarves.

Yay for hobbies, indeed.