Live, Learn, I need knitting Love

Ah, like so many new to the needles, I was so naive. I think my exact words were "I don't need no stinking ball winder!"

It became very obvious, very quick, that I was very mistaken. Whoever said you could make a center-pull ball with a toilet paper roll had to be smoking. And I mean smoking out of an apple smoking! I can't even describe just the *mess* of yarn I had. Knots, loops-in-loops, just general yarn...turds. Not the Cascade 220!

THREE HOURS and a ball winder later I finally had workable yarn.

However, I still hold strong that I don't need no stinking swift! (Unless someone wants to buy me one...)

Note about the three balls: I didn't actually have to cut the yarn; my cats were remarkably restrained for most of the yarn winding escapade...then they just couldn't take it anymore. String! Winding! We must attack!

I don't need no ball winder! 

Three hours later... 

My first post! Ooot! Ooot!

Like so many, when I first learned to knit I started with a swatch. It was lovely, greatly admired and absolutely useless. Loved it, left it, went on with life. Read: went to the barn.

Horse people are, among other things, fanatical. We pay inordinate amounts of money for things that really should be cheap, but see...they put a horse on it, and then we...must...buy...

My second knitting endeavor was going to be a garter stitch scarf. But it was summer, I was hot, and eh...I got scarves. I ran across that swatch again and realized that if I made one really big, folded it over, sewed it up, crocheted a cute little chain handle *Bam!* I'd have a wash mitt. It was so much fun that I did it again in stockinette.

And 2x2 ribbing. And seed. I did not, however, learn how to properly sew up seams. As a matter of fact, I still haven't...

Wash Mitt: This was the second prototype in stockinette stitch. Sugar n' Cream 100% Cotton.