GAAK

 Back when I started blogging -- and I have no idea when that was because my old domain has disappeared -- there were two very active knitting bloggers from Australia. One of them blogged under the name of Rose Red, and she came up with GAAK -- Growth As A Knitter -- to describe those moments when you master something new.

In between unpacking boxes, I achieved GAAK. See if you can tell which fish was done before I'd mastered a new skill:

Look at the close-up:

The tail at the top is seamed incorrectly. So I watched a few videos before seaming the second one and I finally mastered the mattress stitch.  For some reason, this skill has eluded me -- until now!

I have a third fish on the needles because I realized I have a third student who is an avid angler. When I unpack my felt, I'll finish them all off with eyes. 

Keith is finishing a few things at the old house today because the realtor is taking photos tomorrow. The realtor expects it to sell easily, so I look forward to owning only one home sooner rather than later!

GAAK!

Some years ago, blogger Rose Red coined the term "GAAK," which stands for Growth As A Knitter. I absolutely love this term so I am resuming my campaign to bring this acronym into common usage. I think it is just as useful as KAL (knit-along) or SSK (slip, slip, knit).

I experienced some GAAK over the weekend. Having finished the 17 triangles for the Ojo de Dios Shawl, I had to start the garter section. Garter is, of course, a cinch, but this shawl is shaped by short rows, and I have long been perplexed by the whole wrap-and-turn thing. Wrapping and turning is quite simple, but picking up those wraps has been mysterious to me.

However, I carved out an hour to sit down with my knitting and computer. I just kept watching videos on picking up wraps, and I eventually found one that made sense to me. Now, I can hardly wait to get to those wraps. It's funny how something can go from impossible to easy in a second -- if you keep trying, of course.

Is there a technique that took you some time to master?