Thursday, April 05, 2007

How Did Alpaca Get So Cute?


So cute, and so soft. They look like they might be good pets! I bought this brown baby alpaca yarn some time back, not knowing what I would do with it. Last week I ran across a pattern for a scarf/head wrap here, and knew I had to have it, and ordered the turquoise alpaca for the edging. I cast on as soon as the pattern and yarn came in, and immediately discovered that I love seed stitch. Yes, you heard that right, I love seed stitch. There is a nice rhythm to it that almost lulls me to sleep. I have to put it down now and then, and pick up my sock to stay awake. At first I thought it was boredom, but it isn’t that, it is more a peacefulness that comes over me as I switch the yarn back and forth to make the knit and purl stitches.

Knit, purl, knit, purl, isn’t easy for me because I am a thrower. I’ve tried Continental knitting, but it just doesn’t work for me. No, that is not an adequate description—I am Continental method challenged! I have taken two courses from knitting instructors in an effort to learn Continental style, both with no success. My brain and my left hand just don’t work that way. During one lesson I managed to get the yarn irreversibly tangled around the needles and my fingers, and in another session I became so frustrated that I threw my knitting project across the room, and then left quietly before I was asked to leave. I think the problem is that I can’t find a comfortable way to hold the yarn, even though I have tried every finger-winding method there is. When it doesn’t work again and again, the answer is give up and slink back to the English throw—defeated and disgraced. Whenever I knit in public people continue to tell me that I don’t knit as they do, or that I “knit funny.” Yes, yes, I’m just a knitting tragedy. It’s so sad…

Anyway, I love seed stitch!

2 comments:

Renna said...

Your experiences with trying to learn Continental knitting sound eerily familiar. I envy the speed with which my Continental knitting friends knit, but I've decided it isn't worth the aggravation to every try learning it again.

I only recently began my first project which uses seed stitch, and I like it, too! I like doing it and I like the look of it. Good luck on the scarf! :-)

picperfic said...

me too...I try to knit in the continental fashion because it looks so speedy and elegant when I've watched people doing it. I just think I can do it too but I can't keep the yarn in my fingers, it only lasts a few stitches then I just go back to throwing the yarn. I do try to use it for two colour work, one yarn in each hand, clever eh?....nah....it just gets silly so I go back to throwing all the colours...what's the hurry anyway? (I asked that of myself), I need to slow down and enjoy every stitch and the feel of the yarn sliding through my fingers making the delicious patterns and textures...I love the hat wrap..Happy Easter!