I learned to knit at the Quarterstitch in the French Quarter on the morning of September 13, 2003. Captain Sarcastic came with me. He didn’t stay with me, mind you; rather, he roamed around the Quarter and took some pictures. Here’s a picture he took of a puddle outside of St. Patrick’s Cathedral as I was learning:

This always reminds me of that day–that exact moment I was beginning a new chapter in my life. But this isn’t about my journey with knitting.

Last summer Captain Sarcastic and I went to Denver to meet Bella, our friends’ newly adopted daughter. While there, we did what we do in all cities we visit: we hit the local comic book shops and knitting stores. I found this fabulous rick rack yarn that I just had to have. I decided it’d be my biggest project (even if not my most challenging one) yet: a blanket. Not a small throw–a blanket. I started the blanket in early October. As of now, I think I am bearing down on the half-way mark. I am a stickler about finishing a project before starting a new one. Otherwise, I know I’d end up with a lot of never-to-be-completed pieces that would just piss me off.

So, I go and get pregnant later in October and immediately start thinking about a baby blanket and booties and cute little hats. But first I have to finish my blanket. Rrrrr. I even go to one of the local knitting stores in the city–Needle Arts on Metairie Road–and look at patterns and yarns that I’d like to use for Baby’s first item. But I don’t buy anything or commit to a new project. Disciplined, aren’t I?

About two months pass and my blanket is coming along slowly when Captain Sarcastic mentions in passing one day that he may want to learn to knit. He says that he won’t do it if I don’t want him to–that he’s not trying to move in on my thing. This was in response to something like this being said by me, “You’ll take to it like a fish to water. Like everything else. I hate you.” He says nothing more to me on the topic for about two weeks, when he says, “I think I’ll go to Needle Arts tomorrow to have them teach me to knit.” I was taught to knit as a leftie, so there is no way I can teach a non-leftie.

I tagged along with him the next day (I can’t resist a trip to a yarn shop!) and, as I suspected, found that he was a quick study. He had it down in no time. That blanket was zipping along. One day he says, “watch how I’m doing it now,” and I look to see that he has taught himself to knit continental-style. Why? Because intuitively he realized it was more efficient. Of course, Baby’s blanket was finished in just a few short weeks. He’s heading back to the knitting shop soon to learn how to crochet a decorative edge on it.

I love Captain Sarcastic–not in spite of his learning to knit, but for his “I don’t care that it’s not perceived as manly to knit” attitude. But I do think this knitting thing of his is a passing fancy–that it’s some form of “nesting” for Baby. Nonetheless, he is now teaching himself to purl so he can do a ribbed cap for a friend of ours. I’ve ripped this project out at least three times and have put it aside. This is the same damn cap I’ve knitted perfectly for Captain Sarcastic in the past. I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I am certain he’ll get it right the first time. Ugh.