Confessions of a Knitter

I taught myself to knit by picking up some needles, yarn, and a how-to book at a local craft store. After a couple days of practicing, I embarked on my first sweater. I didn't know how to read a pattern, hand sew, or calculate guage. Needless to say, it was a stretch to call the final object something that could be worn. Much of what I've learned by knitting has been through mistakes.



This is the second sweater I ever made. The neck was so narrow I could barely get it over my head. I also failed to take in to account ease for the sweater so it fit loosely even with a couple shirts underneath. The pattern was not my own and I did not bother to check measurements first. I have since learned that patterns are made for certain default sizes and that you may need to adjust so the garment fits you the way you want it too.




Here is another project that didn't go the way I planned. This is a dress I had started for my daughter. In fact, it is the outfit I had hoped to take her home from the hospital in. However, I never got to finish it as she ended up arriving several weeks early. It was also at this time that I learned that a newborn was much smaller than I had imagined. I hope to finish it one day, it should fit by the time she turns two. In this case, I did not follow one of my own lessons - do not assume the measurements in a pattern are right for you.
If I were to start over with this dress, I would have looked at newborn dresses in a store to better understand appropriate size. In fact, trying on and looking at store bought clothes is a great way to determine just what type of garment you like and what will fit you best. It is much less work than knitting an entire sweater and finding out it does not fit.


This is a close up shot of a sock pattern that I designed; one of my first efforts at using cable patterns. I am happy with the end result but there are actually several mistakes within the pattern. It was after making this sock that I learned how to cable without a cable needle. As a result I can do aran work significantly faster without mistakes. There is a learning curve to doing cable work without a cable needle but I highly suggest it! I found cables to be much less tedious after learning this technique.





There are some other knitted items that I have made over time that will never be worn or used. But, even with my all my knitting books and some of the great web sites out there, these knitting mistakes have been great teachers. I have heard many people state as they are first learning to knit that they are afraid to make mistakes. However, with knitting, you can always start over or, even better, find yourself learning something new.



The following are some links that I found useful. If you want to learn how to knit, take a look:


http://knitting.about.com/


http://www.knittingpatterncentral.com/


http://www.knittersreview.com/


http://www.ravelry.com/