Right, it's been a while now, and I don't really have any soon-to-be-finished projects. The
Sacred Geometry project is only like half done, meaning I coloured in three out of six facings, so the next part will only be coming in some time. And my current knitting project, which is a lovely toffee colour cardi with 3/4 sleeves, is still in progress due to one little misfortune of which I'll be sure to tell you later.
Not to keep you waiting too long I decided to write one of these 'counting' posts everyone seems to be so fond of on the Internet. And naturally, I thought I'd write about knitting:
1. You can never know too much about knitting. I pretty much self-taught myself to knit, and it's been quite a learning curve. Despite the fact I was ok with all the basic stitches from the beginning, I read the pattern left to right instead of right to left. I was tightening cast-offs too much and my cast-ons were too sloppy. Hell, I still have knit stitches turned the wrong way on the needle, but hey, as long as the result is the same!
The point is, no matter for how long you have been knitting, there is probably something out there you don't know yet or something you are doing wrong. And there is absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. I love finding tips that help refine my techniques and make the knitting look neater and more 'professional' if you like. Let alone finding new amazing patterns!
There are plenty of books available on the subject, and Pinterest has just as much helpful knitting info around which you can search. Find yourself a source you like best, and keep learning new things – that is the fun part!
2. Always knit a pattern sample. And I mean ALWAYS. There was a time when I would see such statement and go
pfffff!.... What's the worst that can happen if I don't after all? It just seemed like too much of a hassle, especially if the project was big on its own. However, while an extra couple of inches to the width of a piece wouldn't really matter when you're making a scarf, they most definitely will make a difference in something that requires fitting. Something like a hat, a pair of gloves/mitts or a cardigan.
The thing is, you can't always find the exact same yarn which is suggested in the pattern. A lot of the times you would rather pick your own yarn that would fit your wardrobe's colour scheme. And sometimes you will simply have to work with some leftover yarn or something you got ages ago and thus cannot replenish. Because of that the gauge you get while using suggested needle size may vary.
Nonetheless, suggested needle size is as good a place to start as any, because it might as well fit the yarn perfectly. From there you will instantly see if you need to go up or down a size (half or quarter the size more likely). Most of the time it is trial-and-error process, but soon enough your guesses will become more and more accurate.
3. You shouldn't dread unravelling your knitting if you made a mistake. Now, that depends on the mistake, obviously. Sometimes all it takes is to drop a single stitch (i.e. drop it from the needle and let it unravel until the place you need to change, then hook the stitches back up with a crochet hook), but sometimes you will need to undo it all and start from scratch.
I have done the latter for a number of reasons, be that changing my mind about the pattern, forgetting what I had planned for a particular piece or making an ultimate mistake of casting on less stitches than it is needed for the piece to fit. The thing is, better do it again and do it right than keep the mistake. Reason one – you will always know it's there even if it's not clearly visible. Reason two – if you make something for someone else you want it to look its very best, especially if that is a gift. Reason three – well, it's ultimately extra practice for you.
I know it means losing some hours of work irreversibly, but believe me when I say you will enjoy the result much better when it's as perfect as it can be.
4. Blocking is absolutely essential, so do not ignore it. Make all those hours of hard work stand out in a neat and beautifully even piece. There are numerous ways to block your knitting, and it often depends on the type of yarn you used. You can search for different blocking techniques online and pick whichever you think works best.
What I do most of the time is I shape the piece on the ironing board with glass-head pins according to the measurements on the pattern chart and gently steam it with an iron without touching the knitting itself. Then all it takes is to let it cool down completely and
voilà!
Blocking not only makes patterns look their best (even if it's plain stockinette stitch all over), but it also helps improve the fitting, especially when you are dealing with sleeves. But don't forget that hats, gloves, mitts and other smaller accessories need blocking too!
5. Knitting undoubtedly makes perfect gifts, but only when it is done properly. And by properly I mean using quality yarns for quality wearable pieces. Keep it classy, people! No cheap-looking fluorescent yarns which a person would struggle to fit into their wardrobe. No arm-knitting scarves, because quite frankly, that's lazy knitting. No acrylic yarns for winter warmers, since they don't keep you warm and bobble like crazy.
Nothing says you care better than a fine-knitted piece made of good quality yarn in a lovely colour (preferably the one you know a person likes). Whether it is a sweater, a throw or just a pair of wool socks to wear at home. Possibilities are endless! Just make sure you make it with all your love, which I am sure you already do <3
These are just some of the observations and conclusions I made throughout my knitting 'career', and in no way am I claiming them to be a 100% correct. Some are quite common, others are just something that works for me personally. Either way, it is up to you whether you choose to agree with them or not. Feel free to share what works for you or what you like best about knitting in the comments!
Take care for now,
E.V.
