Return to knit night

I hadn't been to a knit night at the LYS in months, quite possibly since before Thanksgiving. (For that matter, until this past Saturday I hadn't been in there to browse or buy since December .) I had nothing going on this evening and a moss grid hand towel to be knitted, so I decided to make my quiet return.

I should mention that I hadn't been staying away for any particular reason. I'd been busy doing basketball stats in the winter months and then hadn't really been working on anything that was the right thing to take to one of these evenings.

I didn't recognize everyone and didn't remember many names, so I was content to knit and mostly listen to the dozen or so women who were present. Even if I didn't pipe up much, it beat sitting at home and listening to the TV. And the lighting is brighter.

The hand towel is not exactly a quick knit, but almost two and a half hours were gone before I knew it. I finished a repeat and a half--14 rows--during that time, which is probably close to my regular speed. I must have been listening or become distracted at one point because near the end of one row I realized that I was knitting the wrong one in the pattern.

A couple of the women said that what I'd knit looked complicated. Almost all of them were making sweaters or something beyond what I've done, so I'm mystified how they'd think what I'm doing is complex. It's just alternating knit and purl stitches. There are no slipped stitches, decreases, increases, cables, etc. It doesn't get much easier at the beginner level. But I need to shut up and enjoy the compliments.