Change of seasons

The season changed yesterday from summer to fall around here. Meaning The Changing of the Bag.

This involves tipping the contents of the ancient crocheted summer purse into the ancient suede one. That's it. Season changed.

I have other ones but they usually end up as project bags rather than carrying the vital stuff bags. 

And there was a change of accordion book art in the living room, Pantone giving way to a crowd of Japanese woodblock prints

Then Misfits arrived

I've given up on golden raisins in local shops, either unavailable or very expensive for such an ordinary item.

So my "first" this week is dried cranberries. They'll take the place of raisins in baking, and I've now tried them. They're more interesting than raisins and I think this won't be the last. 

And since I'm not sure how much further the sock yarn will take me, I've embarked on the cuffs

a bit early but if I get long cuffs, fine, the recipient won't complain.

Speaking of knitting and learning to knit, I notice how often I've observed people who are experienced in knitting, though not in teaching it, insist that you start learning by learning to cast on.

Aside from the fact that casting on is one of the more complicated processes, it's like assuming that a writer starts at word one, writes all the way to the end, then they're done. 

I've resisted attempts to hire me to teach a class because I don't have the repair skills for rescuing people from the bird's nest which is their early effort, other than by starting over.  Or when someone's pretty good but suddenly comes on a mistake they can't fix after a lot of knitting is done.

A friend of mine dismissed my concerns,took on a class I'd declined, and was distraught after one session. Someone insisted she teach continental, which she didn't know, having planned to teach English style. It didn't go well.

What I've done for the occasional beginner I've got started, is to cast on a few stitches for them, have them learn the knit and purl stitches, then when they've got the hang of holding the yarn and the needles all at once, progress to casting on for themselves. Same for people going from crochet to knitting. 

For beginners in crochet, I've created the starting chain to let them get right into learning a crochet stitch, turning at the end, first learning when they're actually at the end. Turning too soon results in an accidental triangle effect. Then, once okay with the yarn and hook, they're ready to chain like veterans.

It's a good idea to know both knitting and crochet because you use both in design. I crocheted my provisional cast on for these socks. And you can use crochet for finishing knitted things. 

I've never understood the chasm between the two, and definitely never understood the attitude that one's better than the other. I suspect it's fueled by those magazine features trying to stir up debate and sell copies.

It's like the question of dogs vs cats, why, why. I wonder if it's that need to classify and reduce life to sound bite thinking, just to make it easier.

Anyway, happy day everyone, knit on, crochet on, read on, whatever-floats-your- boat on..

I have a routine doctor visit today, and hope it stays that way. The last one unleashed the osteoporosis discovery, and the last routine eye doctor visit unleashed a summer of eye surgery.  Soon there's the dermatologist visit and who knows what she'll find.. cue ominous music here..

Meanwhile, as I say, happy day!