How knitting led me to a potential life of crime.

I finally got a digital camera so I can show off my work. And I found my very first completed knitting project. Pics below. LIke so many knitters my first yarn was Red Heart. I chose forest green because it's my favorite color. The pattern came from a book that taught me how to knit. "The Encyclopedia of Needlework" The book was written in the 1800's and has such useful advice for example:

To keep hands dry while doing needlework keep a small bag of asbestos by to dip your fingertips in.

That's right asbestos. But, it sill has some really nice patterns and good directions in it. This scarf was a simple pattern of Knit 1, One Over, Knit 2 together, One over, Knit 2-together and so on. So, from the very beginning I've had a fondness for open work patterns. I actually saw the pattern in Vogue Knitting this week and was so excited. I was way ahead of Vogue!

close up of green scarf
Originally uploaded by cafilmangel.

My very first knitting project. Done in
Red Heart yarn.


This scarf was made with the first yarn I ever bought from an actual yarn store. Which is also the first time that I locked myself out of my car own car. I lived in Culver City at the time and drove to Santa Monica. I remember being really intimidated going into the yarn store because I was such a neophyte.

I remember just kind of browsing the yarn, timidly touch one or another. (Not that much has changed) I bought the yarn because according to the tag it was a good for the one pair of needles I owned (Size 7 Susan Bates. Bought them the same time as the Green Red Heart yarn) and it was soft. It's another open ground pattern I got from the asbestos book. Looking at it now I'm amazed I ever finished it. I had no row counter at the time and it was one of those patterns where the pattern changed every odd row or something. I do remember there was a lot of ripping. Somewhat blurry photo

After leaving the store I got back to my car and realized the keys were not in my purse. They were safely locked in the car. I had no cell phone or AAA at the time. I was very poor. All I had was the vague memory of Robert Redford breaking into a car with a coat hanger in the movie Legal Eagles. (I loved that movie when I was younger. I recorded it from HBO and would watch it late at night)

At the time I drove an 86 Monte Carlo and this was perfect for just such a manuever. All I needed was a coat hanger. There was a man sitting in front of an apartment and I went up and asked him if I could borrow a hanger. I said borrow. What it meant was let me have a wire hanger, that I can destroy and never give back to you so I can go home to the safety of my little room. The man was very kind and gave me one. He watched me as I attempted to break into my car. It's a lot easier watching Robert Redford do it, y'all. And I was about to cry.

The man took pity on me a second time and broke into my car for me. I am forever grateful to him

I wish I could say that taught me a lesson and I never locked myself out of my car again. Oh no. I locked myself out of the Monte Carlo many, many, many times. I got a lot of practice using a coat hanger to unlock the door. I became an expert. Before I donated my 86 Monte Carlo a few years ago I could break into my car with a coat hanger in under a minute. I would have made a most excellent car thief of pre-1987 automobiles or whenever they stopped making locks with the little ledgy thing you could get the hanger around. Thank you stranger man in Santa Monica. I never did get your name.