(Re) - Learning to knit, like a granny

Around the age of 10, when I was in fourth class (I've no idea what grade this is in America...) our teacher Mrs Butterly undertook the ambitious task of teaching about 20 of us the art of knitting. I mastered the plain stitch in no time but as much as I tried I could not master pearl and as a result (I, and many others) could not undertake the even bigger task of knitting a jumper. Seriously, what was our teacher thinking, even now as a qualified teacher myself I'm not sure I could oversee the knitting of 20 odd jumpers and keep the class in control. 

Anyways, I decided I'd just crack on with the plain stitch and perhaps make a scarf with my pink wool, but eh....I didn't get very far with it either. Fast forward 20 years on and I can still remember how to knit the plain stitch, so well done Mrs Butterly, you obviously taught me well and wouldn't ya know, Santa brought some knitting needles, beginners books and lots of colourful wool and guess what people, I can now do the pearl stitch. I'm was bloody alarmed to find out that its crazy easy, it's just the plain stitch backwards! - Maybe I missed school the day Mrs Butterly was teaching the pearl stitch, but I felt like I achieved a  mini childhood goal of being able to knit plain and pearl. Take that swotty girls who ended up mastering both techniques and eventually making an entire jumper, thus putting me to beginners knitting shame.

On Christmas day (before I achieved the dizzying heights of all things pearl related), I dived in and declared "I'm knitting a stripey scarf!".

I'm still knitting that scarf, dropping stitches like it's no ones business but I don't care, it's my scarf and as raggy as it will probably end up looking, I'll know, I made it, all by.my.wee.self. Hurragh for little challenges and goals. You never know I might even get to jumper stage!