Knitting begins

Now that I've finished my afghan, I've started teaching myself to knit. I'm making this hat because it looked fairly simple and should teach me how to decrease stitches near the top.

Encouraged by folks on Facebook, I also started the much harder sock pattern that calls for tiny, double pointed needles. I'm kind of getting the hang of those needles, but I imagine it will take a while until I'm completely comfortable with it.

I'm using Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework to show me the stitches. With the way I was taught to cast on, I found getting the tension right in the first row extremely difficult. So, I flipped to the section on casting on. Sure enough, the method I was using was described as difficult for beginners to work off the needle and recommended a different technique. Whew! It's not just me! So, for the socks, I used a different cast on (cable cast on) that made it much easier to control the tension.

Now I just need to beef up the little muscles in my hands so they don't tire so quickly and I will be a knitting fool!