Up In Stitches
Well I'm learning to knit. I figured, with all this downtime waiting for a truck I might as well get a jump start on a new hobby I've been considering trying. So far, I have to say it's a lot harder than it looks but it's easier than I imagined.
Now, the first day I was pulling out my hair, staring at the images in the "learn to knit" book I bought at the craft store, cross-eyed with confusion. It was just not making any sense. And just when I thought I was on the right track, finally understanding the words and pictures, I learned that I was way off base and making a royal mess of things.
I turned to my tablet to browse YouTube for some instructional videos, of which I found plenty. I choose one and watched, replayed, and scratched my head while I replayed it a few more times. Finally feeling like I was understanding I started to cast on my first row of stitches.
Ten stitches later I was like "WOW I'm knitting!"
Then, of course, it was time to start actual knitting. All I'd done was "cast on", the adding of a new row of stitches was going to be the real knitting.
I watched another installment of the videos on the good ol' YouTube, sticking with the same "instructor" since she had a slow, steady, step by step approach to explaining and displaying what to do that seemed to speak to me.
Feeling good about having grasped the concept of what came next, I set to work. The first few attempts were quite disappointing. Then the next few were downright frustrating. I had to recast about two dozen stitches before I actually managed to knit.
It was about this time that my husband had to head out to school and I was screaming at the tablet screen, shaking the yard and needles in my hands at the knitting gods asking "why!? why?!" He left laughing and my frustration. He simply said, "don't give up, keep trying baby."
I did keep trying and kept getting frustrated but slowly I started getting it. I was knitting, on a 5 year old level, but I was knitting. I kept making holes in my pattern that were completely unintentional but seemed like they were done on purpose. I found myself mystified when I'd end up with two or three more stitches on my needle after knitting a new row than I started with. I still don't know exactly how that happened but I have an idea.
By the end of the day, my husband returned from school to find me knitting somewhat peacefully on the couch. I was getting sore from the position I was holding to knit, which I blame on the guy who told me the needles I bought were the best to start with. Yes, the gauge was right but the length was atrocious.
Day two I woke up with sore hands and arms but was determined to learn more and asked the hubby to go with me back to the craft store for shorter more appropriate needles and some more yarn. Once I was home with my goodies, I set to work. This time however, I was going to try a new stitch. Knitting was okay but I wanted to expand my horizons.
I turned to the internet again and found another YouTube installment from the gal I was watching before. I watched, rewatched, etc. And feeling good about it, I set out to "purl".
For whatever reason my brain grasped purling much quicker than it did knitting and I was off in a flash, pounding out row after row. I didn't drop any stitches, add any stitches, or make any holes. I was making neat clean rows and feeling great.
Then it happened...
I got distracted for just a second and one of my needles slipped out of my stitching and in my panic I screwed it all up beyond my rookie skills ability to recover. I sat there, deflated. Looking at the mess of yarn in my lap. On the verge of tears. I'd just spent nearly two hours and had a GOOD bit of work done on what was finally a successful attempt at making something.
I sighed, and decided to take a break. Put the whole thing aside for a while and calmed down.
Who knew knitting would be so emotional?! ha
A while later I picked it all back up and started trying again. By the end of the night I'd managed to make a square which if I stick to my plan, will become just one of many squares that I intend to eventually make into a blanket.
Today I may take a bit of a break. My hands are aching pretty badly. But I'm proud of what I've managed to accomplished to this point. Just three days ago I wanted to learn to knit and today I could pick up my needles and do just that.
Now, the first day I was pulling out my hair, staring at the images in the "learn to knit" book I bought at the craft store, cross-eyed with confusion. It was just not making any sense. And just when I thought I was on the right track, finally understanding the words and pictures, I learned that I was way off base and making a royal mess of things.
I turned to my tablet to browse YouTube for some instructional videos, of which I found plenty. I choose one and watched, replayed, and scratched my head while I replayed it a few more times. Finally feeling like I was understanding I started to cast on my first row of stitches.
Ten stitches later I was like "WOW I'm knitting!"
Then, of course, it was time to start actual knitting. All I'd done was "cast on", the adding of a new row of stitches was going to be the real knitting.
I watched another installment of the videos on the good ol' YouTube, sticking with the same "instructor" since she had a slow, steady, step by step approach to explaining and displaying what to do that seemed to speak to me.
Feeling good about having grasped the concept of what came next, I set to work. The first few attempts were quite disappointing. Then the next few were downright frustrating. I had to recast about two dozen stitches before I actually managed to knit.
It was about this time that my husband had to head out to school and I was screaming at the tablet screen, shaking the yard and needles in my hands at the knitting gods asking "why!? why?!" He left laughing and my frustration. He simply said, "don't give up, keep trying baby."
I did keep trying and kept getting frustrated but slowly I started getting it. I was knitting, on a 5 year old level, but I was knitting. I kept making holes in my pattern that were completely unintentional but seemed like they were done on purpose. I found myself mystified when I'd end up with two or three more stitches on my needle after knitting a new row than I started with. I still don't know exactly how that happened but I have an idea.
By the end of the day, my husband returned from school to find me knitting somewhat peacefully on the couch. I was getting sore from the position I was holding to knit, which I blame on the guy who told me the needles I bought were the best to start with. Yes, the gauge was right but the length was atrocious.
Day two I woke up with sore hands and arms but was determined to learn more and asked the hubby to go with me back to the craft store for shorter more appropriate needles and some more yarn. Once I was home with my goodies, I set to work. This time however, I was going to try a new stitch. Knitting was okay but I wanted to expand my horizons.
I turned to the internet again and found another YouTube installment from the gal I was watching before. I watched, rewatched, etc. And feeling good about it, I set out to "purl".
For whatever reason my brain grasped purling much quicker than it did knitting and I was off in a flash, pounding out row after row. I didn't drop any stitches, add any stitches, or make any holes. I was making neat clean rows and feeling great.
Then it happened...
I got distracted for just a second and one of my needles slipped out of my stitching and in my panic I screwed it all up beyond my rookie skills ability to recover. I sat there, deflated. Looking at the mess of yarn in my lap. On the verge of tears. I'd just spent nearly two hours and had a GOOD bit of work done on what was finally a successful attempt at making something.
I sighed, and decided to take a break. Put the whole thing aside for a while and calmed down.
Who knew knitting would be so emotional?! ha
A while later I picked it all back up and started trying again. By the end of the night I'd managed to make a square which if I stick to my plan, will become just one of many squares that I intend to eventually make into a blanket.
Today I may take a bit of a break. My hands are aching pretty badly. But I'm proud of what I've managed to accomplished to this point. Just three days ago I wanted to learn to knit and today I could pick up my needles and do just that.
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