A Stitch In Time

Training.  Drills.  It's about practicing something over so many times so that, when it really matters, you get it right.  It's not about getting it perfect or necessarily even close to perfect at this moment.

In an attempt to remind myself to be more patient with myself, I walked into my roommate's room the other day with a skein of yarn in hand and two needles and asked her to show me how to knit.  

She sat me down and showed me.  It only took me a few minutes to realize that I was doing it right-handed and not left-handed.  My roommate wasn't sure that there was a left-handed way of knitting which I smiled at since I'd been taught left-handed knitting twice before (once, by my Mom and once by another friend)  However, I was determined give it a try anyway.  

"If I can learn how to play the violin right-handed, then surely I can knit right-handed."  

I set to with determination.  It only took a few rows to find I had added three or four stitches.  A row or two later, I had dropped a stitch (and left a big gaping hole).  A few rows later, I dropped a few more stitches.  Somehow, in the course of that evening, I had gone from 20 little threads wrapped around the needle (I have no idea what the technical terms are)  to 23 and then ended up with 18.  

As my stitches became more even, my roommate suggested that she teach me the purl stitch to practice too.  I refused.  "Let me feel more comfortable with this one.  Let me practice it until I can get it right consistently."  

So, that's what I've been doing this week.  Every night, for some time before I go to sleep, I practice my knit stitch.  I am determined to get through the whole skein on this one stitch and then take it all apart and relearn the entire skein for purl.  

One day, when it really matters to get it right, maybe I'll accomplish something as marvelous as this:  

Guaranteed to win every ugly sweater contest 

Sorry the picture is blurry.  We were in a vintage clothing store and wanted to get the picture taken before 
anyone realized what we were doing.  

In the meantime, I'm content to just practice.

Also, this is the new theme song of my life.  William Wei, where have you been all my life?  Oh yeah, right where I left you - on the Awesome list.

Introducing The Escape of the Two-Legged Bookcase