Wowzers, did it go fast I got this done, A in less than 4 days, and I had to design the patterns, make a million swatches and argue with myself and tear it out a hundred times before I was happy.

I estimate this one will take about 4 - 8 hours to complete for a medium speed knitter. I really enjoyed making it.  Maybe I can talk Beau into trying one when he finishes his dish cloth, since EVERYONE who saw it made a point to be sure I knew that they would really really like to have that for Christmas…

It was sent off with the Mother In Law, who was THRILLED with it. I didn’t have much notice we were getting a visitor, so I haven’t done much of anything, except make this scarf.

So a few reminders, first of all, remember that each time you comment, you are entered in the contest to win a nice prize at the end of the month.

Secondly, I haven’t posted the prize, because I am still working on it, but it will be soon! I’m sorry I got distracted with a scarf, I don’t know how these things happen, but there you go. I was working on the prize, and suddenly for no reason, was knitting a scarf and forgot all about the prize and my promise to post a picture of it. Scarves are wily that way, I suggest going ahead and casting one on now, that way it won’t sneak up and blind side you. This is the first completed pattern in our Panic Attack Christmas Special Issue. Oh, and it used practically NO yarn. I dyed up about 350 yards, and I didn’t even make a good sized hole in the ball. Now what am I going to do with all that blazing red alpaca yarn???? Space dye it with purple of course for the next project.

On other knitting news, our son Dominic who is recently turned 14, shot his big teen age mouth off yesterday.

Me: “You have $20 for your birthday, you should buy a sack of socks, you need some.” (of course I know he won’t, I’m just teasing, sort of like how I tell him we are having squid-liquid for dinner when he asks)

Him: “well, I like wearing the same socks”

Me:”Thats gross! You need more socks.”

Him:” Well, you should just knit all my socks.”

Me: “I have lots of knitting to do for the site, I can’t knit you a dozen socks.”

Him: “Well maybe you should teach me to knit socks, then I could knit my own socks.”( giggle giggle, snicker snicker )

Me: “Ok, smarty pants, I WILL teach you to knit socks. Guess what, you just added a non core class to the ciriculum, knitting.” (remember we home school, how else can a kid in the US learn to knit in school?)

Him: “uh…” (deciding if this is good or horrible, since now he’s in for the long haul)

Me: “One hour, everyday, until you can knit socks for yourself, and everyone else in the family because I don’t have time.” (laughing then silence….)

Him (thinking) “does she really mean that???”

So Dominic learned to knit today, and he did a very good job. I should have taken some pictures, but I didn’t think too. He looked so pleased with himself. He is knitting a hat for William with some lovely yarn given to me by Beth, from the Fiber Frenzy swap. He just really liked it, so I let him have it. sigh, my stash is getting pilliaged in whole new way lately. I’m ok, I can share. Besides, this means I need to shop for more yarn right? I mean it makes sense that I need more since people are depleting it.

So back to Dominic, he learned the long Tail Cast on. It took him about 3 minutes, then he could do it perfectly, although a little tightly. So I then had him transfer the stiches onto a smaller needle, cautioning him to be careful and not loose any. He lost the last two, the beginning ones, so I took it off, and re cast on for him, since he looked sick at having to cast on 60 stitches again.

He knit one row, I had to show him how, twice or maybe 5 times. No struggling, no tense, desperate jabbing with the needle, desperately trying to get it into the front of the stitch.

Him:”Can I stop for a while? My hands hurt.”

Me: “Ok, that’s normal, your hands are doing something new, they will get used to it.”

Him: “It sure is going to take forever to knit this hat.” (glancing sideways, will Mom take the bait?)

Me: “I’ll help you, I’ll knit a few rows for you, here and there, and it will be done in no time.”

So starts his journey into knitting. He seems very pleased that I would teach him. No I admit that he’s asked a couple of times for me to show him, but didn’t seem very serious, so I didn’t think much of it. What started out as joking and teasing each other, turned into a nice Mother - Son interaction, that will continue until he can knit socks LOL. It’s written in the school books, now he has to do it, which is handy considering he may hate knitting tomorrow.
It kind of reminds me of when he learned to read. (He was in a Montessori school then). He came home and started reading the newspaper aloud. We were shocked, and dumbfounded, he’de only been in school for a few weeks. Finally Beau stuttered out “When did you learn to read???” He said “Oh I’ve always known how..” I do believe the little brat ahem, I mean sweet little angel will knit better than us sooner than we think. He’s so good at stuff it amazes me. You know what’s REALLY cool, he does Math fast, and in his head. So soon in the future I can say

Me:”Dominic, I have 7.75 stiches per inch, and I need to have a 34 inch width, oh, and my pattern repeat should be 18 stitches plus two, how many stitches should I cast on?” And the answer will just fall into my lap, and I can forget about figuring all that junk for myself HEE HEE HEE HA HA HA…. And best of all, I can write it in the book, and it counts as school work.  I’m liking this Boy who knits for school work, think of the possibilities.. I could assign him my grafting and sewing on of borders.   Or hey, I could have him cast on and off for me, since I have trouble counting things.  I could let him do the 15 inches of plain stockinette stitch.  I could even let him knit the second sock that I don’t want to do myself.  This idea has some real possibilities LOL.  Actually, I will probably not really do any of these things, but it sure is fun to think about, and it takes my mind off the fact that now there will be another pair of hands in my stash.

On the major plus side, if the light hearted attitude continues, maybe he’ll get interested in spinning again.  He lost interest after the sheep/mineral oil incident of 06.  This might just get him back to spinning, and playing with the sheep.