Back in January I decided to take up knitting. This was something I did as a child - knitting long, holey scarves for my cuddly toys - but had not done in at least a decade an a half. My decision was prompted by spotting the pattern for a very pretty little flower corsage in a magazine - I wanted one myself, and thought that they would make excellent birthday gifts for my friends. Unfortunately, I had almost completely forgotten how to knit. A knitting book from the library later, a trip to a knitting shop for needles and wool, and I realised that perhaps a flower corsage was a tad ambitious. So, I decided to start by knitting a dishcloth; I have a very eco-friendly friend who I thought would love a dishcloth for her birthday, so I chose an attractive shade of pink and congratulated myself on the fact that I had five months to finish it. It was slow progress - I found knitting very very tiring at first, and combined with my tiredness at starting a new job and ongoing health problems, it was soon abandoned. A fortnight ago, I realised that my friend's birthday was in just a week's time, and guiltily took up my needles. Unfortunately, despite knitting hard, I didn't manage to finish it in time (she got some rather yummy books instead, lucky girl), but a week late, I did eventually cast it off. And here it is - some dropped stitches, a bit wonky, but actually something I'm quite proud of. And at least it's not too nice to use :)
My next project is to learn how to do purl; a colleague tells me that dishcloths or scarves are definitely the best way to practice, so maybe my friend will get another cloth in time for Christmas. My colleague has promised to show me how to do that, and also to translate the original corsage pattern for me. I am confident that I will get there eventually!
Hi Verity,
ReplyDeleteMy mum taught me how to knit about a year ago now and while I enjoy it, I also find it frustratingly slow. I've been crocheting for a few years now though and love it - it's very easy to pick up and is a little bit quicker for things like corsages etc, so maybe if you have a bit of time you should look into it. Good luck with your crafty endeavours! x
Well done! Knitting is nice when you get into it - I can do quite a lot in one go now, but at first it took me ages because I had to pay such close attention!
ReplyDeletePurl is really easy - you just insert the needle backwards rather than frontwards. Youtube might have some videos that could show you.
Well done Verity! I had a learn to knit phase a little while a go but I ended up getting really frustrated when I couldn't do it as well as I would have liked straight away! I might have to give it another go now that I have (hopefully!) learnt some patience.
ReplyDeleteGood job! I learned how to knit from youtube. I'm left-handed and all of the books showed it righthanded and I could not for the life of me figure it out from there! Once I saw the videos on youtube, I was able to pick it up quick.
ReplyDeleteDishcloths are a great way to start. I learned by knitting a baby blanket for my son while I was pregnant with him. You knit squares and them put them together in a blanket. It takes a long time to get a finished product but it's really beautiful.
Now I'm knitting a baby blanket for a friend who is pregnant and each square uses different combinations of knitting and purling to get designs. It's a great way to learn the different stitches.
Rosie - it is soo slow! But I think it will get faster as I practise!
ReplyDeleteRachel - I've got a book and just need to sit down and have a go, but my cross stitch is exciting me more at the moment.
Karen - I struggle with patience. it's not something I have much of...
Shan - thanks for your comment! I like the sound of your blankets. I'm thinking about some little toys eventually.
Congratulations on finishing! I am a newbie knitter and am a bit obsessed with making washcloths for my youngest...they are good practice and really much nicer than store bought. I have to second Shan...youtube has been indispensable in helping me learn how to increase, decrease, add new yarn, etc. Best wishes with purling...and I know you'll get there:)
ReplyDeleteI love the color of that dishcloth! I'm suffering from 'second sock syndrome' and can't seem to get myself to knit that second sock for my husband. I hope your knitting continues to go well!
ReplyDeleteWell done, Verity! I love the cheery colour and good for you for sticking with it! Dishcloths and washcloths are terrific for learning new skills and working towards even tension. Looking forward to seeing more of your domestic skills!
ReplyDeleteWay to go, Verity. Well done on finishing the dishcloth. I bet your friend was thrilled that you'd taken so much time and trouble over her gift.
ReplyDeleteAlso a belated happy blog 1st birthday.
Stacey - they are good practice! I have to say I was tempted to sew sequins onto it, but realised that wasn't hugely practical!
ReplyDeleteMarieke - I couldn't believe that I could get dish cloth wool in such an attractive colour. It made kniting it a lot easier.
Darlene - I'm working on my cross stitch very hard.
Geraldine - having missed her birthday, I actually haven't given it to her yet - oops!
I took up knitting again this year in order to make a baby blanket for my sister-in-law who is expecting in August. I have really enjoyed it, the best way I found to learn the purl stitch was to watch loads of videos on You-Tube, there's loads of really useful ones and you can pause them and have practice!
ReplyDeleteIt's a very jazzy dishcloth, congratulations
ReplyDeleteIt's a lovely color for a dishcloth. Knitting is tricky at first, but there's a moment where it all clicks and feels natural. I'm looking forward to seeing what you make next.
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