Knitting, not what it used to be.

Well it is official. I now own a pair of knitting needles. Actually, they are more like smooth pieces of wood, but that is besides the point.

I got up the nerve to walk into Stitch DC on Sunday afternoon, just as the store was closing. It is one of those stores where I always felt you needed to look a certain way, dress a certain way, or they will send you on your way because you just aren't "knitting material."

But knitting has changed, and knitters have changed as well. You no longer need the rocking chair and frock to go along with the wad of yarn by your side. As I creaked open the door, I looked around. The other shoppers in the store were hip and wore leather jackets instead of long cumbersome skirts. And the store was, well, cool. The yarn is displayed in modern blocks. There are chairs and sofas lining the walls from West Elm, Ikea, and Design within Reach.

This made me more confident as I walked through the door in my Sevens jeans and cute tight Nike top. I approached the cashier, "Umm...I'd like to knit a blanket. A really soft one, like for a baby." The cashier, instead of laughing in my face, cocked her head to the side and with a faint smile replied, "How about a scarf?" I took this as I should, agreed with her (who was I to question?), and told her I didn't have anything to knit with. She then led me to the back of the store where she picked out a book, needles, and yarn...gently placing each one in my hands as she glided throughout the store.

And just like that I became a knitter. Well, not exactly just like that. After paying she kindly sat me down on the modern hip sofa (where I assume they take all girls like me who want to be cool and knit but have no clue where to start) and showed me how to caste and knit. I was told to practice over and over, count my rows, and make a 21 by 21 block.

This I have yet to do, even after taking the needles home and sitting on my not so cool sofa at home while watching football. I wasn't really watching football, but in order for my husband to enjoy watching football I need to sit next to him and pretend I am watching football, while having some tasty beverage in my hand. I think it must be something about the communal aspect of football; one cannot enjoy a game by himself. Yet, whether it was my husband constantly tapping me on the shoulder and pointing to the tv exclaiming, "Did you see that? Wow, what a great play," Or "That is the worst call ever," Or the tasty beverage in my hand, I have not been able to finish a 21 by 21 practice swatch.

Still only being two days out from purchasing all my new knitting tools (and placing them in my cute Vera Bradley bag) I am not that worried about my prospects of knitting a 21 by 21 swatch. However, I am having a hard time staying focused on the task at hand. I still want to knit a blanket, not a scarf or even a 21 by 21 square block. A blanket is what I would like to knit. But, since running can be applied to most everything in my life, I remember that we should set our eyes on short distances, and accomplish those before we run our first marathon. So...this week I am determined to knit my 21 by 21 square swatch and become a new hip knitter.