(Not Really) Famous and Learning Something New

Happy September 21st!

Each week, the yarn store where I work part-time sends out a newsletter highlighting a specific project, upcoming event, knitalong, etc. I've realized that the newsletter has a large audience, all over the place. Whenever a new yarn and/or project is highlighted, the online orders start to pour in, as well as local people coming in to take an in-person look.  

Well, this week, the highlighted project and yarn included my first project completed for the shop! Yep, I opened up my e-mail and there was the hat I knit being featured and modeled by a co-worker. It was so fun to see, and then also see how many orders we filled for it and how many customers wanted to make the same thing. I forwarded the e-mail to The Tim, telling him that I was famous ... he was not as impressed as he should have been, but it could be because I showed him a terrible photo I'd taken myself of the finished project, so he's already seen it. So now all of you get to see it as well:

I do really like it, and am seriously considering making one for myself. I know that a few of you have mentioned that you are on the newsletter list, so you likely said to yourself, "Well, the gray and white one is especially nice, I wonder what amazing knitter made that?" Right? RIGHT??? 😀

I'll let you know when the "story" goes on the main website, so that you can see a much better photo, and get an idea of how it fits on the head.

*****

Early in 2021, I made a list of things related to knitting that I would like to accomplish over that year. It was a mixed bag, and I had mixed success, which was not a surprise. One of the things on the list was "Trying a brioche pattern." Of course, in order to try a brioche pattern, you need to learn to knit brioche, right? I never went anywhere with that, but still hoped to learn sometime. Well, I got my chance, though it was a bit stressful, to be honest.

Customers can request a special hour of help/a lesson on weekdays during shop hours (for a fee, needless to say). Last week, someone requested a session to learn 2-color brioche. We have a workshop that teaches that, but she wanted a one-on-one session. The person I work with on Tuesdays already knew how to knit 2-color brioche, though she hadn't done it for a while, so needed a refresher. And our supervisor told her to have me learn it as well, so I could sit in on the lesson and help out.

GULP.

Well, the one thing that made me feel better about it was that my co-worker hadn't done it for a few years, so she was more or less starting over too. She said she was glad to have learned it, but decided she really didn't like it that much, so she "immediately forgot all about it." So the two of us worked on figuring it out, with the help of a pattern we were given, some YouTube videos, and on my part, a few websites that explained it literally step-by-step.

After MANY stops and starts, I'm happy to say that I managed to "get" it enough to end up with this:

One side

 

 

Another side

My brain had a hard time with this one, I have to tell you. I could understand what I needed to do, but my brain and my hands were not cooperating with each other. It was a struggle, and though I'm glad I managed to finally "get" it, I'm not at all confident about it, and please don't ever ask me to help you fix mistakes, 'cause I have no idea. 😕

A few years back, I did find a free pattern on Ravelry for a beginner level pattern for 2-color brioche in the round. It was a 2-color cowl, and it was really nice looking. I put the pattern into my pattern library, and maybe sometime next year I'll give it a try. I'm sure there is an additional learning curve knitting brioche in the round, but at least if I do it for myself, I won't feel any pressure, and I have at least become familiar with the terminology.

Anyway, yesterday was the customer's lesson, and my co-worker got her started an on her way. I sat in though I was impressed with how well my co-worker could explain it, and how well the person picked it up (compared to my struggle in particular!), I think that it's one of those things that most people would benefit learning in a group class or workshop. Mostly because you would have more time to work on it, but also because anyone who would teach a class like that would be really well-versed in what it entailed, and would like not be flummoxxed by questions the students asked. But I also realize that everyone learns differently, so as they say, your mileage may vary.

But I'm proud of myself for getting the few rows I did knit to look the way they should. But after spending most of last week using ALL of my knitting time to figure it out, I'm looking forward to working on my own projects at home this week. It will be nice to work on things I actually understand ...