I can knit a coaster!

I knit my very first precious coaster. It's green - rather, honeydew.

More on this tremendously creative knitting project when it is not bedtime. I was just excited about my first finished knitting project and had to share.

More, as promised.

Years ago my MIL (mother-in-law) taught me how to crochet. I was into the baby afghan scene for awhile, but since the boys arrived I haven't had time for big projects. She is an amazing knitter, too (Hi, Frances!), but I decided to save that lesson for a rainy day. Or, an Iowa day.

A year ago or so (correct me if I'm wrong), my mom re-discovered her inner knitter! She told me she and her friends used to knit socks for their boyfriends in college. I think she said, "It's just what we did." Isn't that funny? Was that sort of like being pinned? Receiving socks? (Anyone having mental pictures of Dobby in his pillowcase here?) Anyway, she gave me a book called "The Friday Night Knitting Club," and it was one of the best books I've ever read. It was just amazing. I decided maybe a proverbially rainy day had come.

When I went home for my high school reunion I found some yarn and a pattern in my guest bedroom. Over the next few days my mom began to teach me how to knit. The first part was winding the ball of yarn. We had some good discussion and hearty laughs over rolling the yarn ball. She casted on a row for me and taught me the knit stitch. We had a lot more fun knitting, mostly because I was such a mess at knitting.

The next step was figuring out what on earth the pattern would create. All it said on the pattern, besides instructions, was "The Howl." I thought it looked like a muff to keep your hands warm. Then I thought maybe it was a dish towel because towel rhymes with howl. We had a lot of laughs trying to figure out what it was, and we never did! So this beautiful yarn became my practice piece, and boy, it is interesting!

I came home knitting away, though still poorly, and then I found a youtube video and learned to purl. My MIL showed me how to bind off a few weeks ago, and then I bought a book. The lady who helped me at Michael's suggested a popular book that is written for teenagers. I find that the instructions in "beginners" books are actually pretty advanced, in my opinion. The projects in this book are for things like coasters, posies (knit flowers), and legwarmers. I think maybe I'll knit a pair of legwarmers for my knitting mentor, Dr. Ann Thompson. Perhaps she'll wear them for an international speaking engagement this fall. It cat get cold in places like the Ukraine, right? ;o)