I realise many of you are probably rather competent knitters, and will not be particularly impressed by this specimen but for me it represents a massive achievement, and I am brimming over with pride and excitement about it. It not only proves to me that I can knit, but also that I can, given enough time, finish a project. I am one of those ideas-rich, time-poor crafters who have a guilt-ridden heap of unfinished fabric projects (including two quilts and a crocheted blanket), gathering dust upstairs. Maybe that's why I love making jewellery - it doesn't take long to create something beautiful!
This blanket lay ignored for a long time after Poppet was born; at that stage I was overwhelmed by the sheer enormity of parenting, and simply forgot about anything else. Then after a while I remembered it, and occasionally I would get it out guiltily, look up the instructions for moss stitch again, do a couple of rows, and give up again. From time to time people offered to finish it for me, or suggested I truncated it, but I resisted. I realised I wanted to finish it myself, and to do it as printed in the pattern. Last autumn I finally got going, determined to finish it by Christmas. It became what I did when my children slept, or when I found five minutes peace. I missed the Christmas deadline, and there are a few mistakes that I didn't notice, or didn't dare try to correct for fear of making them worse, and I will be forever grateful to the friend who patiently unpicked half a row of bungled stitches for me in the M&S café, and set me on track again, but it's finished. (And yes, I did indeed do a little victory dance round the kitchen to celebrate...)
My next project is a hat, so I can learn to decrease, then Poppet wants a sleeveless jumper; after that my husband (who is learning to knit himself - bet that surprises a few of his fellow commuters!) has challenged me to learn to cable... Watch this space (but not too eagerly!)
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