✴ not so square

I am envious of the expert knitter. The sort of knitter who can shove her knitting under her armpit and produce a perfect piece of woollen wonder while doing the ironing, changing the baby and putting the bins out, you know the sort {may include some slight exaggeration...}.

I am not that sort of knitter. I have to remind myself each time I start {which is often} how to cast on and which is knit and which is purl...and don't even think of asking me a question while I'm knitting. I have to concentrate so hard that I'm pretty sure I have one eye closed and my tongue sticking out.

It's something I've always wanted to be good at and have tried for some years with many frustrating hours of dropped stitches and bad tension and I've never really produced anything that could be considered a 'garment'. When Mr H innocently asks what I am knitting the answer usually screamed back is "..A SQUARE!.." or sometimes with a particularly good run of wool, "..A RECTANGLE!.." 

Alas the rectangle never quite makes it to the desired outcome of a scarf, not even a teddy bear sized one...

So now I am trying really hard to go beyond the square. I'm increasing and decreasing for the very first time and I finally, after much unravelling and starting again, achieved some rows of ribbing. It's not perfect, but then here's the charm; when knitting for an almost two year old, you're unlikely to hear any fashion protests and comments of ill fitting. Any dropped stitches or wonky bits can be blamed on snagging a bramble bush during a hearty walk round the park on the very first outing in the brand new jumper...would you believe.....ahem...

{ I'm knitting a square hooded jumper in 'Parsley' organic wool 

using a pattern from Cool Knits For Kids }