Water Water Cables Everywhere

It seems I've ditched most other projects for now and have become obsessed with the frequent yet enjoyable cables of Water:

I was also just thinking about how I first learned how to make cables.  Imagine, if you will, a world before the internet, and even before most of the good knitting how-to books were written - when all you had was the hopes of a knowledgeable relative or friend, a non-bitchy yarn store lady (few and far between!), or sheer luck.  I had the sheer luck of - believe this as well if you will - taking a COLLEGE COURSE.

Well, not for credit exactly...  Back in the day (and I think things have changed since then), one of the requirements for graduation was that we had to spend two January terms doing something other than sleeping late and doing laundry at our parents' house; one term had to be on-campus, and another off-campus.  The list of on-campus classes was crazy, and really weird, but I only remember the ones I signed up for during my freshman year - knitting and parapsychology*.

The knitting class was actually taught by some of the bitchy yarn store ladies, and one of their requirements was that we had to purchase our materials from the store.  I was fairly outraged by this, although I now know it's fairly typical (and understandable!).  But I knew I needed to learn a LOT of things - mostly cables and other traveling stitches - and I needed to complete the January requirement, so I selected this really cool fisherman sweater pattern (that not only had cables, but BRAIDS!) and some nice wooly yarn.

Literally 20 minutes into the first class they had showed me how to cable, and I was off and running.  I don't think I went back to the class after that - but I did spend the better part of the next few weeks working on that sweater.  It turned out great, I ended up giving it to my dad, and I'm not sure where it ended up after that.  Although I never really loved them, cables and traveling stitches were never my nemeses.

*(The parapsychology class was, obviously, a waste of time.  Even before knowing the term "atheist", I knew I just didn't get what seemed to enthrall most of the rest of the world.)