Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Sharing the love

Many, many thanks to those of you who shared your wisdom and calming words.... setting me on the road to tackling feelings of inadequacy and ineptitude in the world of Ravelry and knitting.

A lovely evening of knitty demistification and pattern-choosing with Sooz, hints and book recommendations in the comment box and calming, supportive emails all helped me to forge onward.

And I knitted my FIRST. EVER. KNITTED. GARMENT. In three days.


It's super-duper-wuper simplistic, but it made me proud of my ablity to stick with something that I didn't instantly excel in. (A little personality quirk from childhood that I've attempted to address in adulthood). It got a big thumbs-up from the kid who wore it all day today.


The pattern is this Cap Sleeved Top and the yarn is 100% wool Moda Vera "Tabard" - on sale at Spotlight for $2 a ball last week. (I bought a pink/green/yellow colourway in the same yarn, as well).


Somewhere over the weekend I also finished the
Beebop Cardi in Bendigo Alpaca yarn (colour is Briar Rose). I started it some time last week.


Rather strangely - novice as I am - I've managed to spread the knitty-love even further. One of the staff at the crafty kid's kindergarten has started knitting, and attributes it to my influence. Apparently she looks forward to seeing what the wee girl is wearing and it has inspired her to pick up the sticks.
Who'd a thunk it?

13 comments:

Kate said...

Nice one Nikki!

Lara said...

Jaysus! Those pointy sticks must have been FLYING Nikki! Love both tops - now am jealous of your knitting prowess and will need to pull out needles and maybe even knit something. Maybe I should go through the stash instead of going to bed...

Tania said...

Cripes! you must have been knitting into the wee small hours! When you start on socks I might have to indulge in a wee lie down - just from the shock of it all.

Fiona said...

Way to go, Nikki! Looks fabulous.

I may just have to make that little crocheted cardi for my niece now that I've seen the pattern. But I'm not going to start now - I'm on a deadline and there's sewing to be done!

A Peppermint Penguin said...

Instantly. Yes. Cos 3 days is slooow.

You are such an overachiever, I swear there is *nothing* you can't do.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I wanna be you when I grow up.

Right, what's next?

Cheers,
AJ

seabreezequilts said...

I have that gene "the one that you have to immediately excel at something". Trying not to pass it on to the kids but I think I might have...Jumper looks good. I am still not picking up the sticks again.

zofia said...

Hooray! It looks great and yay the kiddo loves it!
Now you will have my dilemma in adding more projects (knitting!) to your already busy life :)
Look forward to being inspired more and more.

rachelmp said...

Fantastic Nikki!

Kate said...

YAY!! It looks gorgeous. Well done you for overcoming those feelings of doubt. Looks like you did excel after all. AND you are calling it 'super-duper-wuper simplistic'!! What's next?

Melanie said...

Well now you're just showing off Nikki :) If this isn't virtually instant success, I don't know what is! Lovely tops, both of them - well, what I can see of the second one is anyway.

I am between knitting projects a bit at the moment. The promise (occasionally) of Spring in the air sends me back to the sewing machine, I think I am a very seasonal crafter.

Fer said...

Like a duck to water! I had no doubts at all that you could do this, and you've done such a fantastic job too!

bec said...

Hmm, see, my problem is, after at least 20yrs of trying, i'm STILL not feelin' the love, or am very good at it! was thinking of switching to crochet, never done it, but if I pick it up, i'm retiring the needles forever! Sad, I know.

Mary said...

Just beautiful! What a great job you did, plowing through the uncertainty and emerging with a beautiful sweater! Bravo!