Caution: Knitting Novice Ahead!

Well, that’s it. I’ve learned how to knit (again). My mom originally showed me how to knit as a child (years after I had learned cross stitch) and I remember knitting a pair of slippers for myself out of a nice variegated yarn. So, while my dad and sister were finishing up the dishes after Christmas dinner last night, Mom pulled out two pairs of needles, a skein of yarn to play with and set to reteaching me how to knit. I can now cast on, do knit, purl, stockinette and ribbed stitches (okay, the latter two are just rows made from combinations of the only two stitches in this game – knit and purl) and I can successfully bind off and weave my ends into the finished piece. After some practice with larger needles last night (she even gave me a nice, slick pair of 10 1/2 needles, so I’m up to 5 different pairs already! :twisted:), I fussed about getting the proper tension, so she told me that I wouldn’t be able to get the proper tension with the sportweight yarn we were practicing with using a pair of 10 1/2 needles. She told me I should try size 6 instead.

Tonight I sat down with my size 6 needles, the same practice yarn and cast on and knit a few rows three different times until I was happy with the tension and regularity of all of the stitches. Then I went through a practice round of the exact pattern that I will be using for the scarf when I’m ready, bound off the piece, wove the ends in and… VOILA!



My First Knitting Sample

The tension is fairly regular, but there is a hole where I must have dropped a stitch without realizing it, so when I work on the scarf, I will need to be looking back more regularly at what I’ve already done to be able to pick up mistakes like that. The only thing that I haven’t learned is how to start a new ball of yarn, especially since the scarf calls for two. I asked my mom and since she was never really that into knitting (she prefers crochet), she wasn’t exactly sure, so I’ll have to see if at least one of the several sets of instructions that I have cover this part. If not, I’ll have to drop an email to Christine for a little bit of assistance. 🙂

About Jenna Magee

IT professional, needleworker, editor/proofreader, author, singer, musician.
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9 Responses to Caution: Knitting Novice Ahead!

  1. Very cool, Jenna! Can’t wait to see your scarf. How exciting!

  2. Cathy says:

    Knitting is one craft that I haven’t tried, but someday I sure would like to learn. It looks like you picked it up quickly. Way to go!

  3. Christine V says:

    Lookin’ good, Jenna! As for starting a new ball of yarn, once you get close to the end of your first ball of yarn (a few inches), just tie the end of the new thread to the old thread (make a knot) and weave the ends in once you’re finished knitting. The knot isn’t noticeable in the scarfs I’ve made with the Fun Fur but if you don’t have a “fuzzy” yarn, maybe the video at knittinghelp.com on how to add a new thread by the “knit-in” method will help:

    http://www.knittinghelp.com/knitting/basic_techniques/misc.php

    (Just scroll down a bit and there’s video that’s very clear!)

  4. Jo says:

    Looking good Jenna! I’d love to do a SAL of the stocking as I’m a bit worried it will get put aside once the Christmas spirit wears off. I know Pete would be thrilled to have it hanging for Christmas next year.

  5. Von says:

    Hi Jenna! Nice work picking up your knitting again!! There are some fabulous fibers to be had and it’s awfully tempting to give it a try 🙂 Have a great time with it!!

  6. LeliaEvelyn says:

    Go Jenna Go … your knitting looks pretty in the photo. I’ve tried & failed at this a couple of times. I can tell you though, I liked to alternate the purl & knit to make the yarn resemble a pop-corn texture! (yeah, well I was about 13 years old). I made one or two potholders and went back to Barbie. : )

    Tori received a hand-made scarf from her BF’s grandmother. It had spectacular stitches — I think crochet in a creme color yarn. Very beautiful.

  7. AnneS says:

    I think there’s a knitting craze happening on the blogs with a resurgence of that lovely craft. It’s definitely something that I don’t have the patience for, and I really admire people who can do it. Mum taught me how years ago, but as soon as I drop a stitch (which is quite frequent LOL), I’d just hand it back to Mum to fix and hand it back again … Look forward to seeing your progress with your scarf :))

  8. Barbara says:

    Big congratulations, Jenna! Now, send your Mom over here to teach me, please! 🙂

  9. Melissa says:

    WTG on picking up the knitting again, Jenna. I learned to knit about 15 years ago, but I don’t seem to do it nearly as often since moving to California. Great link, btw, Christine. 🙂

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