2011.02.22 Knitting

I had mentioned to a Sunday School friend that I would like to learn to knit. She said the prayer shawl people get together on Tuesday afternoons and knit and talk from 2 to 4 p.m. If I would come to that she would teach me the basics. About a week later, another friend in the UMW asked anyone who was willing to join the prayer shawl group and said they would teach anyone who was willing how to do basic knitting.

Tuesday, 2/22, I went to the knitting group. My Sunday School friend did the "casting on" and taught me how to continue with the knitting. I am not sure I quite have the hang of it yet but I felt I made good progress with it. I can see how this could be relaxing since I am not trying to do anything fancy - just knit a rectangle 60 stitches wide and 60 inches long. Some members of the group do fancier stuff but they have been knitting a while. Others are doing exactly as I am and just doing a plain knit shawl.

I loved some of the colors they were using for yarn. Before the session, Don and I went to two places in order for me to find size 13 knitting needles and some yarn (3 skeins). That was a little confusing as yarns come in all weights and the skeins seem to have a variety of yarn lengths. I bought 4 skeins just in case since I knew I probably couldn't match the dye lot for the yarn later if I waited to come back to get more. One person said I should go to someone's house for a lesson prior to going to the knitting group and another person said that was not necessary. One person told me the yarn was provided by the church and another said everyone provides their own yarn. I decided to get my own since if I mess it up, at least I own it from the beginning. Who knows, maybe I am knitting my own prayer shawl! I hope not as I want it to go for a good cause. I understand one of our ministers blesses the shawls as they get several finished. People can get the shawls by going to a place where they are kept and signing one out and telling who they were for and something of the problem that person has. They are in pretty big demand, I understand. I told my friend from Sunday School I could see why since our class alone could keep this whole group busy for quite a while.

All in all, I enjoyed the whole process and look forward to future sessions. Already want to try one of a different color as the colors people had varied so much and all were so beautiful. A couple of people had finished one and were ready to put labels on them. This identifies the church the shawl came from and is sewn in when the shawl is finished.