Wet Dog and Knitting 1-2-3

Echo rolled in something disgusting a few days ago, and when Bill and I got to the point of eye-watering nausea, something drastic had to be done. Washing the Dog is a tortured process, requiring two humans, a shower hose attachment, a one-gallon pitcher, Suave green apple shampoo, 14 towels, and a steely detachment to the distress of our pet.


There are no pictures of the actual process of cleaning the 80-pound beast. First, all hands were needed to prevent her from leaping out of our very deep tub. Second, because of all the water that ends up all over us and the bathroom, we wash the dog in our underwear. You really don't want to see that, trust me. But we do have a pitiful pic of the poor, mistreated animal:

Now we have a thoroughly disgruntled, but very sweet-smelling dog again.

Next up on the agenda: I have started a new hobby. Like I needed another one? My friend MaryAnn had been encouraging me to take up knitting, I became addicted to http://www.crazyauntpurl.com/ just before Bill came home, and I needed something to do besides read (and constantly be interrupted) while sitting in medical waiting rooms. So, I began to try to teach myself how to knit again.

My mom used to knit when I was growing up--she made a fabulous sweater for each of us in a really interesting variegated-thickness yarn, and then moved on to other endeavors. Her mother, my grandmother Alyce (whom I called "Mammo"), knitted and crocheted all through her life. So, presumably, at some point, I was taught basic knit and purl stitches. Could I remember how to do this?

I gave my first practice scarf (which took 3 weeks) to my daughter when she was here. She really liked it, as God-awful as it was, perhaps because it was physical confirmation that her mother did something really badly?

My next real project was just a straight knit stitch scarf. But there were problems. I kept picking up extra stitches from the void, and the scarf kept waxing larger and larger in width (and then narrowing down as I tried to get back to my original 16 stitches). And then there were the mysterious holes where stitches jumped off the needles and created hollows big enough to put my fist through. But, because it was fluffy eyelash yarn, the mistakes didn't show (much), I tied up the holes with patches, and decided I liked it anyway. I'll wear it when it's cold outside. It's weird, but hey, I'm a beginner! I'll keep it as a reminder to be humble.

When I neared the end of the yarn, I suddenly realized I didn't know how to stop, how to "cast off," as they say in the biz. MaryAnn directed me to a website hosted by Lion Yarn, with clear pictures and also an explanation as to why my scarf kept multiplying stitches. So, on to project number two.

This time, I decided to try to relearn the purl stitch by doing a basketweave pattern, suggested by Ashley, MaryAnn's daughter, on her website, http://www.amountainspirit.blogspot.com/ . I used a solid-color, soft acrylic yarn in Autumn Red, so I could see the stitches I was making. By the time I got to the end of that one, I was doing better, and actually had whole sections that looked okay. Still, the mistakes were glaring, and I decided to give this one to a friend who is changing his entire life, going off to become a Lutheran minister in mid-life. I figured that he will need a scarf in the Gettysburg, PA winters, and the mistakes will charm him in his new adventure, reminding him that we are all "imperfect," and "works in progress."

Now, my latest project in a self-striping yarn is turning out to be much, much better. This one, I'm actually proud of. I did a simple garter stitch (notice how quickly I'm picking up the knitting jargon!) of 3 stitches on the edges and ends, plus the basketweave pattern. Because of the garter stitching, it is not all poinky and curled on the edges like the red one--it lies flat! And though I obsessively count my stitches when finishing each row, I'm holding steady to my original 26. I have even figured out how to catch a mistake and carefully undo it, while picking up the original loop to do it over correctly. I am starting to see how this all works.

So here is my knitting 1-2-3:

I love the idea of taking something simple (a single strand of yarn) and turning it into something complex. It's like baking bread, using the humblest of ingredients (flour, water, yeast), and making something three-dimensional and delicious!

It also soothes me. The steady click of the needles, the opportunity to take a break at the end of each row. It's contemplative and creative. As Aunt Purl says, "it's the new Yoga", (without the grunts and groans accompanying the contortions, I say)!

And of course, I'm already obsessing: I bought fancy bamboo needles on eBay yesterday, have already stocked 3 years worth of on-sale yarn from Big Lots, have "my knitting bag" by the door, and am contemplating getting circular needles. I'm thinking hats, socks, leg warmers. MaryAnn is starting a Friday morning knitting group at her church in June. And already, I'm biting off more than I can chew. The story of my life!

So guess what you're getting for Christmas this year?