I am behind here. I finished a toy two weeks ago, took it off my current projects listing and then...did nothing. No blog. Not like anyone reads this blog anyway, this project is more a place for me to drain off the knitgeek, the same way that a competent waitress will drain the foam before continuing to draw your pint. Think of me as the pint; think of this blog as the foam.

Anyhoo, I got the first half of my birthday present yesterday: two classes at Lettuce Knit. What am I learning? (Drumroll) Crochet!

I'm just going to be out about it, okay? Crochet. This isn't a turf war. We're all brothers n' sisters here. I will be as out about learning crochet as I am out about my knitgeekery.

Why crochet? Because it's out there. Many knitting patterns dabble in crochet for finishing or starting, so it's a good place for me to expand my skillz. Also, I am continually told that crochet is easier than knitting, so I thought it might be an easy victory. (Helllllo Type A personality, it's been too long.) Finally, it's kind of a crafting underdog, so I thought, what the hell. Let's root for the underdog. It's not like my popularity is going to be further affected by this development.

So, instead of working myself into a frothing rage at church, trying to organize VBS (see my lifeblog for details), I went into town on a Sunday morning dressed in my red "bad kitty" shirt, the Boy's oversized khaki shorts, and my good ol' black 8-holes (not only do they protect the ruins of my feet, but they make me blend into the edgier element of Kensington Market. After a month of trying to look like a girl, this is a welcome change.)

I found out that crochet is easy. But doing it right is hard. Real hard. This intesity wasn't helped by the fact that every time I leaned back to stretch out, I would get a face-full of strobing lights, thanks to the overhead fan. Disco crochet, can you dig it? (Heh. I just had a thought along the lines of, "luring disco doillies to a life of vice." Is everything about Sex Dwarf? Yes it is.) I managed to make a passable rectangular swatch of single, double, half double and tripple stitches, plus a wee circle in leftover Noro Silk Garden. This one is my favourite.

I have to admit, I'm hooked. Today I did a "wake and crochet," trying to get my brother's anarchy hat started. I'm 7 rows in and I have way too many stitches. Do I rip it up? Do I try again? Do I keep going (it's a crocheted anarchy hat for love's sake; it doesn't have to be perfect)? Or do I wait until next Sunday, when Meghan can tell me what I'm doing wrong?

All I know is that I'm having fun. Blake likes using hooks as drumsticks, and the Boy wants me to teach him.

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- Rocketbride's adventure of 8/07/2006 12:36:00 p.m.