Success and stuckness

And now, the continuation of Knitting Confidential...

When last we left, I was fretting about the crochet work for the secret project. Before calling it a night I looked at the instructions for chain stitch in Stitch 'n Bitch Crochet and decided it didn't look so hard. I may have done the first stitch in the chain by accident, but I understood the concept and finished what I needed to do in the chain. That wasn't so bad.

Emboldened by this small success, I hoped to learn how to do the single crochet edging and be ready to call the secret project finished. In addition to providing edging, the single crochet will seam the sides. The book wasn't as helpful in this instance. Jenn gave me a good explanation, but for the life of me I can't figure out how you get two loops on the hook so I can pull the yarn through both of them. I'm stuck and not sure how to progress from here. With the finishing on hold, it's time to begin secret project #2.

Soon I'll be headed out of town for vacation. (Yes, there will be knitting.) I'd like to have a project in mind for knitting on the road but am short on ideas. I thought about making a satchel for my notebook computer, but the dimensions after felting are too small. I expect it will be hot, so working with wool might not be the brightest idea either. I'm open to suggestions. Bring 'em on.

I've added another knitting book to my small collection and have another on the way. I've been making my way through the first Stitch 'n Bitch book from the library. It's time for the loaned copy to be returned since I found it for the right price at a bookstore. Borders also had Knitting Rules! in a "great reads" display, alongside Michael Chabon's first book and other novels. That was unexpected. The Knit Picks summer book sale--40% off!--enticed me to get Mason-Dixon Knitting, so it should arrive this week along with another skein of yarn for the socks it seems like I've been knitting forever.