Current Struggle: knitting

Being a bit of a financial failure right now, I've tried to be thrifty. Yarn is fairly cheap, and you can make it into all sorts of fairly expensive looking presents. A while ago, I decided that because I was a girl scout I should be able to recall the skill bestowed upon me an relearn how to knit so as to be able to make gifts for people instead of buying them. But I never really learned in the first place. Unfortunately, I'm not crafty. Knit, purl, yarn over? It's all French to me.

Above: what my yarn looks like

Below: what the pattern should turn out to be

photo credit to nwkinterati, etsystatic