Learning to read

The deep freeze still has the fleece and the weather hasn't cooperated to allow time to wash it outside without freezing or drowning, so on to another thing.  Had started a sock with a multicolored yarn a while ago and while disappointed with the way the yarn was patterning, I was determined to finish, but then I realized the connecting end wasn't connecting as it should and ended up with a big gap.  I was so frustrated I put it away.  It's not even entered my mind until a fiber mentor cajoled me into trying a 2-color sock.  "It's easy.  See, here's a book with PRETTY, POSSIBLY PERIOD, PATTERNS."  It only took one look.  That one!  It's been so much fun that when I saw the original sock yesterday I felt reenergized.

I ripped it all out and started again and it's working!  I've not done much knitting and have been regularly frustrated to the point of putting the item aside, but I think I'm starting to "get" it.  I knew I should be able to "read" the product, but it just didn't click.  Now instead of counting every stitch to be sure I'm doing the right thing I can just "read" where I am on the sock and know what I need to do next.  I'm even reading the pattern off a chart!  BIG smile!

Then it happened.  I was going around the sock and, wait, what's this string doing here bisecting my sock?!  That meant taking out a bunch of knitting, something I'd had bad luck with before, dropping stitches, adding stiches by mistake, putting them on the wrong way, etc.  Fiber mentor would have none of this. She ripped it out and made it a teaching moment.  Instead of me stressing she put the loops back on the needles and shared a tip.  No sense sweating what direction to put them on the needle--just get them back on, then course correct as you knit.  Come to one that's on wrong?  Knit from the back side  and it self-corrects--no need to take it off the needle, turn it and put it back on.  Wow.  Looking forward to more magic and learning to read better....