Breaking the Rules

O.k. I've stuck to my rules pretty well up to this point though I can't pat myself on the back too much since it's only Jan. 8th. But I did break the resolution already. -Sigh- I had such high hopes! But -yay!- how could I resist this? I signed up for a knitting class at the community college which starts on Jan. 19th. This cost me $85 and basically constitutes spending money on crafts or craft related items. Oops. But I am justifying it because I have been wanting to take this class for over a year now and just haven't found the time to do it. It gets even better for that slacker part of me that figures I will cheat on my resolution sooner or later..... I have to buy supplies to take the class!! We're doing good here though because all I need is a pair of size 7 or 8 needles and a ball of cotton yarn. I've got the needles already so the yarn is all I'll need to actually purchase.

I convinced the hubby to go into a new yarn shop downtown yesterday after we had lunch at our favorite Mexican place. He is so patient with my obsession! I've been dying to go into this place since I saw the signs announcing their opening. They had mountains of beautiful yarns - I was practically drooling. Apparently though, 100% cotton yarn must be too pedestrian for them to carry as they didn't have a single ball of it in the shop. I love the specialty yarns and all but when I buy a sweater I usually want cotton! Wool is just unbearably itchy on me. Is this odd? I'm already starting to wonder what I'm going to do when I want to put my new knitting skills to work. Maybe buy yarn off the internet or something.

I am really excited about my new class. I've wanted to knit for as long as I can remember, but the obsession started again last Christmas when my best friend sent me a red furry scarf she'd knitted for me as a gift. We talked about how much I still wanted to learn and she sent me a learn to knit book with a few post-its inside about which technique she uses and different notes. So then came months of poring through knitting magazines and books in the bookstore. Not just poring though, purchasing too, so that I have mountains of print with patterns above and beyond my actual skill level. I figured that someday I'd learn and I'd want that cool pattern for later. I don't know why but I have not been able to teach myself how to knit from a book. I taught myself how to crochet just fine and have been making afghans and other items for years now. But knitting is constantly elusive. I did manage to start a scarf which looks "really good for a beginner" according to my husband's grandma who's been knitting for decades. But I can't get over that feeling that I'm not really doing it right and I want to learn how to do it the right way before I get in too deep.

For now though, I get to go look at yarn. Happy Happy Joy Joy!!