Knitting as a new hobby

Long ago when I was living in the US I had the chance to go to a fibre festival in Oakland. There were several stalls selling yarn, hand spun fibre, needles, notions and what- not related to knitting and crochet. There were classes too for beginners interested in knitting or crocheting.
It was pure fun interacting with designers, drooling over yarn etc. It was during this time the knitting spark entered me. And when I met this woman knitting without looking at her hands or needles or the project she was working on without a pattern… was when that the spark lit up.
It so happened that the people with whom I had gone were looking at the knitting machines when I spotted this lady with different yarns surrounding her. She wasn’t knitting then. When I finished my drooling, picked a skein and looked up, she was looking at me and my selection and smiled. She began asking me if I had a project in mind and we got to talking about cabbages and kings. Somewhere along the way she picked up her knitting and went clicking away with needles flying.
The lady went on talking to me about the different yarns she used and liked, and the patterns she conjured up. Not once did she take her eyes off me while talking. “Are you sure you won’t miss a stitch or make a mistake” I asked.
She just smiled… (may be at my naivete)
When I came back home from the fair I had a new hobby in mind, skeins richer and purse poorer.
I began learning to knit in right earnest. Several people tried teaching me the skill. But somehow the craft eluded me. I packed away my needles and stuck on to crocheting.
Have several hobbies and do justice to none: that is me. Having said that I am happy to announce that I recently revived the long-lost hobby – knitting.
After several you-tube lessons and tips from Leann my ravelry pal I have begun holding my needles.

 

Swatch turned ipod cozy

The above is a knitted swatch which I successfully completed and in a bid to preserve my first knitting effort and not ravel it to try another swatch, I converted it into a cozy of sorts, crocheting the sides. So my slim and trim ipod has found a new home in a stockinette sack.