Somewhere, Beyond the Sea

I've been brought up short in my knitter world this weekend. In recent posts, there has been a lack of knitterly information. Today we're going to change that.

I could give you two reasons for the lack of yarn content: one, I've been on a collision course with time to finish a pair of socks for my Sockret Pal and two, I've just not felt knitting inspired. My concentration has been locked up entirely in these socks which I've not felt motivated to finish, probably because I thought when they were finished, now what? (Sorry for that Pal, you get to be part of my craft-angst issues- how lucky!).

I finished the socks Friday morning, at the yarn store, and said, the inevitable, "Now what?" At first I cast on for a lace stole I've been planning, but ten or eleven rows in I noticed a flaw and ripped the whole thing out. Then... what? Wondering around the store, at a loss for my next project, not one thing in my knitting bag to work on- and then I saw it.

In a black wire basket.

Lily's Sugar n'Cream cotton.

The memories rushed back. In minutes I had seized a gorgeous ball of periwinkle blue, hopped on the internet, and printed off exactly the right pattern. I cast on around four Friday afternoon and Friday evening, after several episodes of Season Five from 24, I was back, baby!

Some size 6 Addis, a ball of cotton, a pattern and I had:



Betsy the Bass brought me back to my knitter roots.

I realized, in that moment, how easy it is to loose your beginnings. I couldn't pinpoint where it started. I can still remember walking into my local LYS, an eager knitter, with no clue as to what she was doing and two hands that would prove ham-like in their initial maneuvering of a pair of needles and yarn. I can still feel the aluminum size 7 Susan Bates in my hand, learning the long-tail cast-on and the basic knit stitch. After several attempts I had this



a plain garter-stitch dishcloth, in hideous neon colors, to show for my very first ever knitting project. I was so proud! Within a few weeks, I whipped out several more, including a pair of matched (!) dishcloths for my stepmom and a scarf for my mom for Mother's Day. What achievement! What success!

Again, I'm not sure when it happened. One minute I'm working along in squares with simple knit-purls for contrast, the next I'm hanging out with sock knitters, discussing the merits of heel flaps to short rows and contemplating my first lace project, dishcloths forgotten.

It's a good thing I've progressed. I'm betting doughnuts to dollars I'd be the dullest knitter in America to talk to if, nearly a year later, I hadn't moved past my dishcloth roots. I love hats, and socks, and bags. I can already tell I'm going to enjoy lace knitting and I can't wait to get serious about a sweater. Still. Sometimes you've got to remember where you came from, to reflect back on what got you started, maybe pour one out for your homies.

Betsy the Bass did that for me.