Baby, you've got a stew going!

Chart of the afghan square I am currently working on!
It is the 2nd of the Sherlock blanket I had mentioned in a previous blog post!

When I began knitting, I couldn't understand a pattern.

I was scared that every little thing was wrong. It looked funny. Why was there a hole in that thing? I'm horrible and nothing is ever going to look any good.

Of course, I was just starting out and unless you are some special wunderkind, everyone is like that!
I finished a project. Time to move on to the next one.

I spent the beginning of my knitting life picking a new technique to conquer.

• Cables
• Blankets
• Toe-up socks
• Steaking
• colourwork
• lace (still working hard on this one!)
• Reading those crazy charts that look like a completely different language

I'm an intelligent woman who "suffers" from a learning disability.
I say suffer in that term as I don't really suffer at all. My brain just processes information in a different way which takes a bit longer to get things. But once I get it I am on fire.

The way my brain functions explains why more complex lace patterns make me cry. I want to do them so badly, but my brain isn't quite there yet.  I've got a stew going. I have the tools and the want. I have attempted to try, but the brain needs a little more time to simmer around that specific technique.

Baby, I've got a stew going!

CHARTS! As you can see in the above photo, I have gotten to the point where I can read a chart and amazing things can happen.

For those of you not in the know, before the charts there are often written instructions to complete the chart.

When I started chart work, its scared the heck out of me! It looked like a foreign language. But I wanted to conquer the chart. So I took both at the same time to help me figure it out. Gradually I walked away from the written instructions to the chart. I would force myself to chart only with the occasional look at written instructions to make sure I understood what I was doing.

Along the way I learned an awesome technique from my friend Haley of Knit-o-matic. Colour coding awesomeness. Now I don't do it every time, but for a crazy chart, colours are your friend. THANKS HALEY!

So what have I learned? With a little bit of this and that. Let it work bit by bit, I can now get a chart stew on!
I can't look at written instructions anymore! To which I say HUZZAH!


Please note that the title is in reference to Arrested Development. Same can be said for HUZZAH! Seriously if you haven't watched Arrested Development, please do. It can be found on Netflix!