Em and I just got home from knitting guild. We do fun things at guild. Last month, we learned about making polymer clay buttons. Another month, we got creative (some of us dirtier than others) with needle felted snow people. We do good things as well. We knit wool helmet liners for soldiers . We knit a gazillion hats and scarves, even some gloves and mittens to pass on to various groups (as Christmas gifts for patrons of a shelter, to a Brownie troop for donation to an elementary school as a part of a community project, etc.). Anyway, this month, we were working on two socks at once.
Guess who was asked (nearly a year ago) to teach? Uh huh. Me (well, actually Em was asked first but she was smart and refused nicely).
I knit two socks on two circs cuff down and toe up. I knit two socks Magic Loop cuff down and toe up. If I'm not spinning through a meeting (listening to the presentation but rarely participating...yeah, I'm that person...hey, I try to be quiet!), I'm usually working on socks. So, no problem, I can teach socks. Cuff down. Hey, why not go over the cast on for both 2 on 2 circs and Magic Loop? But Deni was hoping for toe up. Sure, I can do that too!
What the hell was I thinking? And why the hell did I not figure that out in the nearly one year from the time I was asked until today...when I started trying to type up the "detailed" handout I planned for everyone to have a copy to take home. You know, because you can't always remember how to do whatever it was you thought you learned, once you get home...alone, with no one to ask for help.
Yes. I started typing this up TODAY. This morning, at 9 AM. Nine pages (with pictures,
I knit two socks on two circs cuff down and toe up. I knit two socks Magic Loop cuff down and toe up. If I'm not spinning through a meeting (listening to the presentation but rarely participating...yeah, I'm that person...hey, I try to be quiet!), I'm usually working on socks. So, no problem, I can teach socks. Cuff down. Hey, why not go over the cast on for both 2 on 2 circs and Magic Loop? But Deni was hoping for toe up. Sure, I can do that too!
What the hell was I thinking? And why the hell did I not figure that out in the nearly one year from the time I was asked until today...when I started trying to type up the "detailed" handout I planned for everyone to have a copy to take home. You know, because you can't always remember how to do whatever it was you thought you learned, once you get home...alone, with no one to ask for help.
Yes. I started typing this up TODAY. This morning, at 9 AM. Nine pages (with pictures,
do you even know how hard it is to take anything resembling clear, identifiable pictures of yourself knitting...while trying to keep the lens cap from swinging into the pictures??) and and eight non-stop hours later, I was swearing at my printer while trying to print out twenty (double-sided, my printer prints one sided) copies, on nice card stock, neatly collated and stapled.
Eight hours after 9 AM is 5 PM (the fact that I can still tell time/do math amazes me no end). While swearing at my printer, I am still in my jammies. My children are crying for dinner (OK, it was something called McEducators night--this weird fundraiser thing where the teachers from the elementary school hang out at the local McDs in shifts, after instructing all their students to make their parents bring them for dinner so they can see their teachers outside of school [after having just spent nearly seven hours with their teachers and the entire school full of fellow students, exactly why is this supposed to be fun?] and raise money for the Reading Resource Room...of course, that's what Kai and Abi were crying for), I need a shower and clothes and needles and yarn in my bag and all. these. damn. copies. that my printer refuses to print the way I want them (instead, it's printing them the way I tell it to). Oh, and guild starts at 7:00...2o mins away.
Em (she was ready on time, she always is) and I finally left for guild at 6:50, with whatever pathetic stack of (unproofed, other than they had all the pages) handouts were finished correctly. I didn't have time to even count them.
It all went down hill from there. Further down hill. Way further. We walked in to what must have been a record (as far as we've been members) attendance, including new members and visitors. I had 12 copies of the handout. I didn't bother to count the number of people, obviously there were more than 12. Later, Em's estimate was 30. Or more.
Wugh. If there was no way I was going to teach 2 on 2, Magic Loop, cuff down and toe up in 90 mins (meetings are around two hours with the first bit taken with guild business), there was no way IN HELL I was going to be able to teach it all to 30 plus people.
WHAT WAS I THINKING??
Since about noon today, when it really started to sink in what I'd talked myself into, I was just wishing for it to be over. Since about 7:10 this evening, I've been thinking about the sincere apology I owe my fellow guild members. It was too much, it was not enough, it was just a really bad idea. And if you managed to snag a copy of my epic handout (wandering notes on too many techniques and no real directions on how to make two freaking socks unless you already know how to knit socks and just need to know the cast ons and heels--in great detail, with pics!), I hope it helps. But I won't hold it against you if it leaves you scratching your head or even laughing and pointing at me.
Eight hours after 9 AM is 5 PM (the fact that I can still tell time/do math amazes me no end). While swearing at my printer, I am still in my jammies. My children are crying for dinner (OK, it was something called McEducators night--this weird fundraiser thing where the teachers from the elementary school hang out at the local McDs in shifts, after instructing all their students to make their parents bring them for dinner so they can see their teachers outside of school [after having just spent nearly seven hours with their teachers and the entire school full of fellow students, exactly why is this supposed to be fun?] and raise money for the Reading Resource Room...of course, that's what Kai and Abi were crying for), I need a shower and clothes and needles and yarn in my bag and all. these. damn. copies. that my printer refuses to print the way I want them (instead, it's printing them the way I tell it to). Oh, and guild starts at 7:00...2o mins away.
Em (she was ready on time, she always is) and I finally left for guild at 6:50, with whatever pathetic stack of (unproofed, other than they had all the pages) handouts were finished correctly. I didn't have time to even count them.
It all went down hill from there. Further down hill. Way further. We walked in to what must have been a record (as far as we've been members) attendance, including new members and visitors. I had 12 copies of the handout. I didn't bother to count the number of people, obviously there were more than 12. Later, Em's estimate was 30. Or more.
Wugh. If there was no way I was going to teach 2 on 2, Magic Loop, cuff down and toe up in 90 mins (meetings are around two hours with the first bit taken with guild business), there was no way IN HELL I was going to be able to teach it all to 30 plus people.
WHAT WAS I THINKING??
Since about noon today, when it really started to sink in what I'd talked myself into, I was just wishing for it to be over. Since about 7:10 this evening, I've been thinking about the sincere apology I owe my fellow guild members. It was too much, it was not enough, it was just a really bad idea. And if you managed to snag a copy of my epic handout (wandering notes on too many techniques and no real directions on how to make two freaking socks unless you already know how to knit socks and just need to know the cast ons and heels--in great detail, with pics!), I hope it helps. But I won't hold it against you if it leaves you scratching your head or even laughing and pointing at me.
Next time, can I just volunteer to sit in a corner with my spindle or socks?
2 comments:
Can I get a copy of your magnificent attempt?
Oh, man. You're nuts! I would have just typed up a list of links to things like this that are already online and done. You're my hero! Is there anything planning knitty/spinny for next week?
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