In the wake of my recent YouTube video tutorial binge, it was time to acquire my supplies. One thing that I learned, the smaller the needle, the longer it takes to knit something. But, the smaller the needle, the better the finished product will come out. So I made a compromise, and bought small to medium size needles (which my mother immediately speculated as to why I purchased such "thick" needles, but I digress.)
I also bought two types of thin heather gray yarn, and began to cast on for my first creation. Now, I know I said knitting scarves was the type of beginner knitting I wanted to move away from, but it turns out that is where I am going to have to start to get back into the swing of things. You have to walk before you run, even when you're and just sitting down knitting
Although there was initial concern about the size of my needles, the scarf soon began to come together as I began to knit. The stitches held together perfectly and no light can be seen between the holes. After creating this scarf, which hopefully wont be an overly long process as it will be one color and one type of stitch, I hope to move on to a multi-stitch and multi-color creation.
The best part about beginning a new project is the possibility of what you're going to end up with. Many times, you may end up with a crooked, ratty object somewhat resembling a scarf, with a large, inexplicable hole in the middle of it. And many times, the is absolutely what I end up with. But, you might also end up with something resembling a scarf that an actual person might wear in public. Thats the goal, fingers crossed.
Before I can learn anything new, I need to understand what I already know. I know once type of stitch, but I don't know what that stitch is, I know one method of casting on to the knitting needle, but I don't know what that method is called or when it is best used or with what type of yarn. I know there is a way to cast-off, but I don't know what that way is, I know there are different sizes of knitting needles, but I don't know when to use which. So I need to consult an expert. And lucky for me, YouTube is chalk full of them. So, the search for my first online guru begins.
Through going through multiple knitting tutorial vlogs, descriptions, comments, and ratings, I've landed on YouTube user ExpressionFiberArts. What caught my eye here is she has an entire collection of knitting tutorials (that are actually quite entertaining). The first tutorial was named "How to Knit- even if you're clueless" so I knew I was in the right place.
ExpressionFiberArts
After watching her hands demonstrate the cast-on technique that I am familiar with about two dozen times, my brain clicked into place and my fingers remembered the motions, and I began to cast on with ease.
I don't plan for this to become anything, because I just happen to be practicing with yarn I already have that I'm not too fond of. Once I learn more about needle and yarn types, I will make an informed purchase. No cutting corners this time, right?
So I keep knitting in a straight line like always ( I learned that this type of stitch is called the pearl). Under, over, pull down, push up, slide it over, and repeat. And did I ever repeat. I forgot just how tedious knitting can be. And guess what? You cant exactly do anything else so you better have something entertaining to watch or listen to. But eventually, the tediousness brought back the familiar sense of calm and control that I used to feel. Being forced to sit with no distractions can bring a sense of clarity if you let it. And even though you can't believe you've only produced 3 centimeters of fabric after what seems like hours of knitting, when you do finally finish something, it is usually worth it.
Anyone can blog about anything, right? So if you can choose from any topic, knitting may seem like a peculiar choice. Not known as the most thrilling, get-your-heart-pumping activities, is it something you all can enjoy reading? Well, I hope so. And if not, well you're the one who's still reading. To any expert knitters looking to find fellow experts to share with, my apologies. I have no where near enough experience or skill with knitting to write about it with any type of authority. This is going to be more for those interested in watching a very determined girl teach herself a complicated skill and write down how this learning process is going to challenge me physically, emotionally, mentally, and possibly financially, unless you can whittle your own knitting needles from sticks outside. I'm looking into it.
I'm not completely hopeless when it comes to knitting, fortunately. But let me give you the basic extent of my skill-set. My grandmother taught a young, begrudging, preteen me at the cusp of my high-school career, when the last thing I wanted to spend my free time on was learning to knit. Did she not know there was important gossip happening underneath the stadium bleachers that I was missing? But I learned. I learned how to "cast-on" and how to knit a straight line. I have never been too clear on how to correctly "end" the only thing I could ever knit, which is a scarf. This meant I usually tied a lot of tiny knots at the end to keep it together or let it slowly untangle itself into nothing. While both these options have been great for the past years, I think it will be fun learning the correct way to do something. Never too late to try something new.
What I didn't know back then was that learning to knit would actually be a skill,, a very shaky skill, but I skill I would end up being thankful for. Knitting, while seemingly boring and tedious, became therapeutic for me at times. When sitting in discomfort or feeling the anxiety of life a little too often, I would pick up the needles.Maybe I couldn't control whatever external stress I was dealing with at that particular moment, but I could knit. So I'm going to knit.
