Latin: The New Knitting

I've been cautious about when and to whom I mention this endeavor. The last time I told C that I was going to teach myself something - knitting for my 2004 New Year's resolution - he couldn't stop laughing. Then when he realized it wasn't a joke, he attempted to talk me out of it, saying I would just frustrate myself for nothing. You see, I had a reputation for being the least domestic woman alive. Fortunately, I'm also among the most stubborn determined people alive.

The first day, the cat's foam bed was repeatedly stabbed with knitting needles after being able to produce not a single stitch after hours and hours. I took a day off to regroup. I began to collect knitting books, hoping other books would offer better illustrations. By the end of the month, I had knitted my first square, but not just any square - yes, after more than 80 hours of knitting self-instruction, I had my very own square, complete with superglue where I didn't understand how to join in new yarn. I baby stepped my way to improving my knitting - each project was a little more difficult than the last. By autumn, I was knitting sweaters, lace, and cables, and they were beautiful. Two years later, most non-knitters are in awe of what I knit, and they have a hard time believing I ever struggled with it.

I hate to sound cocky, but if a domestically-disinclined person can teach herself to knit, surely a linguistically-inclined person can teach herself Latin, eh?