My new hobby - knitting

When I was little, my gran taught me how to knit. I never really knitted more then a simple scarf but I used to like knitting. My gran made lots of our clothes, hand knitted jumpers, cardigans and just last year I asked her to knit me a matching beanie and scarf set since I knew moving to Malito would mean moving into a freezing, cold, sometimes snowing winter.

My gran is living in Australia, so it's a little hard to have knitting lessons with her, but I have found more then one willing teacher here in Malito. Bel fidanzato's mother is fantastic at knitting so she is helping/re-teaching me how to knit. Knitting is hard enough to begin with, but try learning new patters in Italian...so hard. I know the English words for the stitches, but had a difficult time trying to understand bel fidanzato's mother at first. Her knitting is like her cooking - no instructions, nothing written, all the patterns are in her head and she adjusts them as needs be. I cannot knit like this as I am just a beginner! When we made our first pair of baby booties I was very annoying as I made her stop after each row so I could write the instructions down. I have the instructions now, and the other day managed to make these little, white booties without any help.

Don't look too close as they are a little wonky. One foot is wider then the other, but I am happy with the result of my first, solo effort of knitting booties! I have to add some pom-poms or a ribbon for the ankle part, but I am ready to make more now. Since both my sisters are pregnant I have an excuse to knit lots, and lots of baby booties.

I didn't want to stop at booties though! I want to make as many things for my baby as I can. A neighbour gave us some old knitting magazines and I was so happy when I was flipping through and found English translations! It is so hard reading a knitting pattern in English, that I could not contemplate reading it in Italian. All these abbreviations, crazy names for simple stitches....thankfully the magazine has Italian instructions too so when I don't understand my English part, I get bel fidanzato's mum to read the Italian part.

I have decided to make baby a little jumper. It is very simple, and was one of the 2 patterns marked 'simple' in the magazine, thus the reason I chose it!

This is the back. Thus far I have knitted the jumper without help, but tomorrow I will have to go and ask bel fidanzato's mum for help since the instructions are turning a little strange...and I have no idea what I have to do next. Not to worry though as baby is not due until the end of January so I have plenty of time to knit him lots of little, cute clothes!