Girl Who Knits

Okay, I LOVE the holidays.  Love them.  People are nicer.  Food tastes better.  The weather is cold and brooding...which is a good thing.  It is just a fun time of year.  Making a cup of hot chocolate feels like an event.  My house is not decorated yet—that is a this weekend thing—but I am getting it all ready and am excited for how everything will look.  A few days ago I did get quite the surprise though, in front of my house is kind of old-fashioned light post.  Whoever is in charge of my neighborhood wrapped lights up the base of the post.  I am obsessed...it is so magical.  I know it is a little thing but looking at it through my window is mesmerizing.  I feel like I am living in who-ville or something.  I love it. 

Once I get the house all decorated I will post pictures.  Spread a little holiday spirit around right? 

In knitting news, I finally finished the sleeves of Paula and am in the middle of the blocking process.  I am working on the collar (the final piece before seeming) right now.  For it, I had to cast on 282 stitches.  You heard me.  282.  Yuck.  I hate casting on because you have to count the stitches like 5 times to make sure you have the correct number and can I tell you how many times I had to count 282 stitches?  Many many times.  I tried to get my sister to count and double check it for me but she refused.  I didn't remind her of all the times I have helped her when she threw her cast on needle to me in frustration...no, she should have remembered that on her own. 

After my seventh time counting, I am confident I have the right number of stitches and I begin knitting the first row.  It took forever, as you can imagine, and when I made it to the end—instead of ending with p2—I ended with k2.  Meaning, I had 1. counted wrong or 2. gone off the ribbing pattern at some point in the row.  Either prospect (starting over or un-knitting) was not welcome.  It was then I threw down my knitting in exasperation.  Later I looked closely at it and realized that I messed up the pattern toward the beginning of the row.  So it is time to un-knit.  Not something I was willing to do that night.  Sometimes I just need distance from my knitting.  Time to forgive and heal you know?

Last night I was ready to fix it and I did so hopefully I am on my way to finishing the collar soon.  Patience is a virtue, especially in knitting.