First SnB

I went to my first local Stitich'N'Bitch group knitting night. I am not a very social person, so it took me a bit to get up the nerve to do this. Two glasses of wine during dinner sure helped though. I arrived fashionably late and did the round of introductions and promptly forgot everyone's name (I am quite horrible about that). I was then faced with the great dilemma. What do I pull out of my knitting bag to work on? Do I pull out the very pretty cabling hat which states that I might actually know what the hell I am doing as well as have some sense of style, but which there is no way I could actually work on while talking to people at the same time and I would end up having to frog everything I did? Or do I pull out the ugly- ass- first- knitting- project- I- started- eight- months- ago- and- left- at- the- bottom- of- the- bag- because- I- realized- how- atrocious- the- yarn- color- really- was- and- haven't- touched- since- then- going- to- donate- to- the- humane- society- with- the- hopes- that- it- will- make- the- kitten- look- that- much- cuter- in- comparison- so- someone- will- want- to- adopt- him- blanket, but that is really easy to knit because it is just a rib stitch?
Well, I pulled out the ugly duckling project, because as a newbie knitter I am still deathly afraid of messing up and having to frog several rows, especially with cabling. Of course everyone in the group was terribly nice to me and I had quite a pleasant time. It very much strained my multi-tasking skills, though, as I was trying to actually knit correctly myself, listen to what people are talking about, and then even contribute to the conversation now and then, so I don't look like a complete idiot. Meanwhile, simultaneously while doing all this I am desperately trying to covertly stare at what everyone else is doing with their hands, as I have never actually been in the presence of Real-Live-Knitters. I am filled with a profound sense of Awe and am battling with the conflicting emotions of "Wanting To Learn Everything There Is To Know About Knitting Right Now" and "Feeling Like an Utter Idiot Because I Don't Know Anything At All About Knitting." Will have to go again soon.

For final news, I am super-excited because my Solstice gift to myself arrived today, a wonderful order from KnitPicks:
Harmony Wood Interchangeable Needle Set as well as two sets of double pointed needles (size 1 and 2) and two skeins each of Felici Clay, Pebble, and Arugula. Very, very excited.