Charts?

I am almost at the point where I embark on my first ever chart. I am terrified. You don't understand just how frightened I am. Just picture it: I am cowering in the corner hugging my knees and sucking on my thumb, trying to shield my eyes from the big bad chart hovering over me. If my mom was around (and I was a whole lot younger) I would crying, "MOMMY!" and hiding behind her legs. I am that scared. Which is maybe why I put off knitting the chart on Bad Penny all last night. Instead, I read. Hum... maybe this being-scared-of-charts thing isn't so bad after all. At least I'll get some work done.

But alas, I know I must face my demons and forge onward with the chart knitting. I think the main reason why I am so terrified by charts is that I've never knit them before. If each square is supposed to represent one stitch, what am I supposed to do with a symbol that says "knit two together" but only occupies on square? Same questions goes for yarn overs. And am I supposed to start working from the top of the chart or the bottom? I guess I'll never figure it out until I actually tried it.

You know there are things that seem so easy when read in a book. Just follow the instructions! Yet when it comes to actually doing it, it turns out to be the hardest thing in the world. Knitting charts is that thing.