All bitch, no stitch..

I've been trying to knit for a few years now. I've checked out countless books from the library and recently tried viewing knitting dvds to get the hang of it. I managed to learn to cast on and knit, but could not figure out how to purl for the life of me. It started to make me really mad. I can learn anything from a book!
Last night I gave in and signed up for a beginning knitting course here. In 2 hours I learned a much easier way to cast on, a more comfortable way to hold my needles (My diy method was to jam one needle in my stomach), how to bind off a project, and how to Purl!!! At long last. The teacher was fantastic. She encouraged us to just keep knitting. Any mistakes along the way at this point are to be considered 'decorative design elements'.
So that's my homework this week- Knit endlessly to establish a rhythm. It's not so easy for me to keep going once I make a mistake, but I look forward to having something to obsess about in the evenings when it's too cold and dreary to make it out to the shed for painting. Watch out friends and family-- custom knit scarves with ample 'decorative design elements' may be coming your way this Christmas.