I've only been knitting for three almost four years. I'm not a new knitter but I'm not an expert either. That being said, I will try to knit anything. Those things on the pattern that tell you how difficult it is, I ignore them. If I was confused about something on a pattern I looked it up on youtube or googled it. Knitting in the internet age is probably easier than it ever has been. When I first taught myself to knit I made all things dish clothes, I made lace ones, cable ones, straight stockinette, and knit on the bias ones. We had cotton dish clothes coming out of our ears. My husband actually said, "well, you've mastered dish clothes are you planning on making something else?"
I decided I would make an afghan. The pattern called for 15 x 15 seed stitch squares that would then be seamed into a larger blanket. I got real bored real fast but I have an afghan that my husband stole and loves even though the seaming looks like garbage. The point is I learned a lot.
Next up was the project that made me quake in my Chuck's.
The Twilight movie had just come out and there was a pair of mittens in the movie that everyone wanted. The Bella Mittens. A friend of mine wanted a pair. I thought I can do this even though I've never knit in the round and have no idea what Magic Loop knitting is. I'm a smart girl I can figure it out. I did figure it out and made like eight pairs of those mittens.
My point is, do not ever be afraid to take on a challenge. The internet has a ton of resources to help you figure it out. Other knitters on twitter will help, my favorite person to ask for advice is @atknitsend. She is so full of knowledge and her knitting is fantastic. Go check her blog. Now.
I guess what I'm saying is, be confident in your abilities, be bold, try something you never ever thought you'd be able to do. Forget the voice in your head telling you that it's too hard. That voice is an asshole.
What was the biggest challenge you took on as a new knitter? Were you successful?
My grandmother taught me to knit when I was very young, but never taught me how to bind off. When I was done knitting my purple garter stitch doll blanket, I couldnt figure out for the life of me how to get it off the needles. Stuck in a house of non-knitters and not patient enough to wait for a grandmother visit(this was WAY before youtube) I decided to thread the working yarn back through the live stitches to cast off. Not how its supposed to be done of course, but pretty damn clever for a 9 year old.
ReplyDeleteI had a similar experience with my gram and crocheting. She used to give me skeins of Red Heart and a hook to make chains out of because it was the only way she could get me to sit still. Anyhoo, I got bored with chains while she was gone at the store and decided if I just picked the stitch I just crocheted and crocheted back along the row I could make a square. Barbie blankets for everyone!
DeleteMy biggest challenge was just starting it up. My grandma taught me how when I was little, but of course I had no time or patience for it. I started knitting for reals in 2004. It made me feel less lost after my grandma died. Now, 8 years later, I'm knitting a shawl for my soon to be daughter in law. I am way younger than my gma was at my age, but I totally have a smaller version of her hands.
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