So what is everyone doing on these cold, snowy nights? Well, if you are like myself and several of my gal pals, you’re cozied up at a neighborhood coffee shop with a pile of yarn in your lap. I spent yesterday evening knitting with a friend at the La Ti Da coffee shop and yarn boutique, a neat little spot on South Pearl that sells coffee, tea, fruit drinks, pastries, and about a gazillion styles of really cool yarn. It may not sound like the hippest way to spend an evening, but don’t knock it ’til you try it. I heard from another of my (very cool, stylish, sassy) girlfriends today, and guess what she was doing last night? She was cozied up at the local hangout in Highlands (Common Grounds would work well) with a gal pal, a couple of knitting needles, and a lap-warming pile of yarn. Of course, I’m not any good at this yet. I took it up last year during a “stitch and bitch” get together that a friend organized. I learned how to cast on to my needles, and planned to make a lovely scarf with my sparkly, fuzzy, super-groovy ball of pink yarn. I made a knot instead. Lots of knots. Fuzzy, sparkly, super-groovy pink yarn isn’t great to start with. So she took pity on my, swappped my cool yarn out for some big, thick, icky brown basic yarn, and off I went, knitting away at my scarf. Many months went by. Last night, I picked it back up, and she showed me again what to do. Being the impatient and icky-brown-yarn hating gal that I am, I ditched the scarf idea and she showed me how to cast the yarn off of the needles. Now I am the proud owner of a lumpy, almost-square, icky brown pot holder. Yay. But I had fun anyway. My new ball of yarn is gorgeou, with multiple shades of Californian-dreamin’ ocean blue, and I may soon have my very first hand-knitted scarf. Wanna learn yourself? La Ti Da had a beginners’ class last night, and has regular ongoing classes available for any level of project.