A Week of Truisms

If we learn from our failures, then I indeed became a wiser person this week. Here are a few of the truisms I encountered this week. What is truly disconcerting is that I knew some of these before the week, and yet I repeated my mistakes. I repeated at least one of these mistakes several times. Maybe now that I have documented these truisms, I can not only break the cycle, but also prevent someone else from repeating my mistakes.

1. Big box stores do not carry what you need. Ever. Need a bamboo knitting needle size 8? They don't have it. Well, that's not entirely true. They have size 7 and size 10, but in metal, not wood. They do have your size in the super expensive spend-your-entire-weekly-knitting-budget rosewood needles, but I'm not bringing those into a house with three active boys under the age of 7. The boys are the reason I am shopping for replacement needles in the first place. They do have a size 8 in an extra long knitting needle, but I'm not into needles as long as my leg. And circular needles? Forget it. They start at size 11. Oh, and did you want to pick up circular needles for socks while you were here? Did I mention that the circulars start at size 11? Maybe I can knit a pair of boots instead.

2. Whoever thought a cabled 8-stitch strap on a baby bib is a good idea should be condemned to doing cabled baby bib straps for the remainder of eternity. Whoever thought cable needles were a good idea can have all of mine. I experienced this corollary in a group of experienced knitters, all of whom stated that they had cabled once and swore that they would never cable again. In fact, at least one knitter offered me her cabling needles.

3. As a corollary to item 2, no lap is big enough to hold two knitting needles and a cable needle. You will pick up at least two of the needles from the floor each time you knit a cable. Cabling is, however, a great opportunity to practice seated toe touches and chair lunges.

4. Do not try to cast socks onto double points when watching the Sopranos. If you do succeed by some fluke, do not try to knit ribbing. The columns will not line up. Ever.

5. As a corollary to item 4, when you have cast on the same pair of socks more than 6 or 7 or 8 times, it's time to find a new project. Put the needles down and step away.

6. It does not matter how large your stash is, you do not have the yarn you need for any given project. And no matter how many times you head to the big box stores for your yarn, they will not have the yarn you want for your project either. See item 1.

7. The number of quality yarn shops in a given area is inversely proportional to the number of big box craft stores in your area. Thus, although there are 3 big box craft stores within 15 minutes of my house, the nearest quality yarn store is about 40 minutes away.

8. And, to end on an upbeat note, a ball winder is a great toy for all ages. It provides hours of amusement for the knitter, her children, and even her sick baby. It also provides great amusement for the DH who watches the rest of the family fight over who gets to use the winder next.

Have a great weekend!