Allow me to clarify...

...just why I hate these stupid scarves.

Apparently I'm making some people nervous about trying lace knitting. I feel bad about that, because it's not the lace knitting part that's driving me batshit. In fact, I think I'd hate these scarves MORE if they weren't lace. At least the lace knitting is adding a bit of interest to them.

Ultimately, it comes down to repetition. I get bored easily. (Ask me about my collection of one-armed sweaters.) So to knit one of these, knowing when I'm done I've still got two, three, or more to go, gives me heart burn. I'm using different lace patterns for each scarf to try to make each one seem different, but it's not working. It's coming down to having to knit scarf after stupid scarf, while cursing myself for wanting to knit all the Christmas presents this year and buying all this damn yarn up front.

The yarn isn't helping either. It's glorious enough when knit up to make me persevere, but it's really a bitch to deal with. It can take me literally a minute or two to do a 'knit three together' manouver because it's like brain surgery to get the end of the needle through all three fuzzyass stitches at the same time. I have yet to block the first one I did, because at THAT end of the project it requires special handling, too.

I never liked knitting scarves. Now I remember why. Next year everyone's getting cookies for Christmas.

So don't let my hatred of small, fiddly projects that have no end scare you off lace. Lace is fun. Lace is deceptively easy; wrap the yarn over your needle, knit it like a stitch in the next row, and you've got an eyelet. It's that simple. And people who don't knit lace think you're a genius. It may be the best kept secret in knitting.

Scarves bad. Lace good. Don't let it intimidate you. I'll try to keep the grousing to a minimum.