I saw a notice for a $30, 2 part class at the Cloisters, a castle outside of the city last week mentioned it to my husband and he said we should do it.

It’s a little tricky because it was at 6-7:30 pm about 30 minutes away but we made it work! I prepped dinner (shrimp and pasta salad) so we could just come home, feed the dogs and eat.

I had to order our needles (US 8, 16 inch circular) and US 8 double pointed ones and some worsted wool yarn online because I couldn’t find them in stock anywhere in person! I resisted the urge to get a big interlocking set and got some Clover bamboo needles and some Wool of the Andes.

I had taken a class maybe when I was still in college about 20 years ago (oy) but we never learned how to do much but knit and purl and I made some scarves and then stopped. My husband has never knitted.

I realized I learned continental style when looking at videos to familiarize myself again. I know the other way is more popular but all that wrapping doesn’t make sense to me.

Anyway! The woman teaching used to own a yarn store here in the city and while she taught the other way she, of course, knows how to do this way so we decided my husband and I would both stick to continental since we’d be working at home together.

I realized that casting on is almost exactly what I did when I was fooling around trying out needle tatting. Except you draw from both the tail and the ball and of course don’t pull it off the needle.

We both managed to do some knitting and purling. The final project is supposed to be a hat which is why I was interested—it looks like we will learn how to decrease at least and how to use the double sided needles. It sounds a little advanced for a beginners class but who knows! I thought they might give us homework but they were vague when I asked. I think I will just keep going until we start to have to decrease?

Matt struggled a little but I think we can get him on track. The wrapping method didn’t make a lot of sense to him either. Why would anyone do that? It seems slow and unnecessary.

I did notice when we got home that the pattern we were given says to use bulky yarn and we were told to buy worsted. I’m not sure if I should get other yarn and start over?