Stitchin' But Not Bitchin'

Friday evening I got a little bored with the orange yarn. A few months ago I'd bought chunky yarn and size 11 needles, which I later learned were not the best items with which to start learning. I picked these up and decided to try anyway. My husband listened to me as I explained the terms; he watched as I worked, said he found it relaxing. (I'd heard that knitting could be relaxing, but watching someone knit? Apparently so.) The yarn is somewhat harder to work with -- there's a tendency to split the strand. However, I enjoy the visible progress larger needles allow, I like the fact that the variable, bumpy texture hides small errors in stitching, and I am more engaged by the color. I have two skeins, so by the time I'm done it will be a very wide and short scarf. I'll be fairly proud of that, too, and you can be sure I'll wear it.

I took time to look at knitting books and online patterns, and I'm a bit daunted. The instructions are given in a hieroglyphic code. For example, from a tea cozy pattern in the one book I own, Basic Knitting, "Work dec rnd as follows: k2togtble, work to 2 sts before marker, k2tog, sl marker, k2togtble..." Then it offers this highly enlightening tip: "An ssk can be substituted for the k2togtble -- see page 41." I think I need a different book -- this one clearly assumes knowledge I do not have. Any suggestions on good books with neat projects for beginners?

Yarn note: Musique Crystal Palace Yarns; 65 yards/50 grams; 2.5-3.5 sts/inch; size 10.5-11 US; 45% acrylic, 40% wool, 15% cotton; vendor Straw Into Gold, Richmond, CA, www.straw.com; $6.25 skein, 2 skeins bought at Knitting Arts.