Five things I wish I'd known when I started knitting

5 mini skeins from As Yet Yarns

I’ve been a knitter a long time now, first learning as a child sat on my Grandma’s knee. Then in my early 30s picking up the needles again by way of respite from life with two babies under 2. I knit most days, on a variety of projects and I’m never without knitting on my person when I leave the house. In short, I’m a knitter with a capital K.

But everyone starts somewhere and it’s easy to forget that things we now take for granted, we once didn’t know. Not only that we didn’t know. But that we didn’t know that we didn’t know.

It would never occur to me now to try and knit from yarn directly from the skein. But once, I did. Not only that but I tried to do it in a parked car with the yarn looped around the gearstick. As I said - I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

But, we live and learn - at least most of the time. I still persist in thinking that I don’t need to make a note of the needles I’m using for a particular project for example. But most of the time we do.

And in that spirit I thought I would present a short list of things I wished someone had presented me with (ideally on a laminated sheet for my project bag) back when I was a new knitter.

1. Wind the yarn into a ball before you start. I know I already mentioned this one but it really is my top tip for anyone new to knitting who is tempted to try the joys of hand dyed yarn. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking you need fancy equipment. Just loop the yarn around two chair backs pushed other or employ the hands of a handy helper.

2. Keep a knitting notebook - either on paper or digital. Make a note of the yarn and needles you are using along with any notes you might want to refer back to. It also really helps when you are getting to grips with gauge swatches and helps you keep a record of the stitch count you are likely to get with certain yarn weights and needle sizes.

3. Gauge matters - I’m not going to labour the point on this one. Others have done that much better than I - see this post. But it really, really matters.

4. There are better alternatives to the thumb cast on. This was the one I used for years (thanks, Nana) before it dawned on me that it was a bit wibbly and unstable for anything more than a short piece of knitting. Finding the long tail cast on was a revelation. There are others, of course and it’s always worth experimenting, but this is the one I always turn to first.

5. Always mark the right side of your work. I generally clip a little bulb pin to the front of my work, just to remind me which is the right side. On a stockinette sweater of course, it’s easy to tell once you get going but just for those first few rows - and particularly if you are a new knitter it really does help to orientate you - and stop you picking up your work and accidentally knitting back the way you have come.

How about you. if you could write one piece of advice to your younger knitting self what would it be? Why not let me know in the comments.

The messy middle

The 'messy middle' is something that we don't talk about very often. It's a term often used to describe the creative process - whether that process is knitting, or writing or anything else for that matter.

You've got the excitement of the fresh start out of the way. You have a clear idea in your head of what you want the end project to look like. The only trouble is that what you often see in front of you doesn't really match up to that ideal.

It might do, in time.

But in truth it often looks more like a bedraggled duckling rather than the majestic bird that you envision in your minds eye.

That's a lot of words really to explain why there hasn't been a lot of fresh knitting content on the timeline this week. Everything on my needles is currently in the 25-50% done phase. A phase that's often accompanied by thoughts of 'oh, this just isn't working' - and sometimes swears are said.

It's so tempting at times like this to just throw your hands up and cast on for yet another mitered square blanket - or a pair of socks - after all, you know where you are with a pair of socks.

But for now I'm restraining myself with a bit of therapeutic journaling (aka a written rant) and a packet of biscuits.

Although I'm not ruling out a new cast on later on tonight.

What do you do when you hit that 'nothing is working' phase? Do you grit your teeth and soldier on or give in and raid the sock yarn stash? Let me know in the comments.

Can a beginner knit socks?

The BOB socks - ideal for an adventurous beginner

The answer, as with so many things in life is “It depends”.

Sock knitting is often perceived to be hard, for reasons that I’m yet to fully get to grips with. Some people seem to attribute almost mystical levels of skill to turning a heel and the often heard refrain is that ‘sock knitting is hard’.

But really, it’s like so many other things with knitting. A few skills are needed but they aren’t anything that you wouldn’t use on other knitting projects. If you can do the knit stitch in the round then you can knit socks.

Honestly, in my view socks are no more difficult than any other piece of knitting - with the possible exception of a flat garter stitch scarf. Although with socks you are far less likely to die of sheer boredom.

I've known knitters of over 40 years who have yet to knit a sock - and who are too nervous to try. And I've known brand new knitters pick up a set of DPNs or a long circular needle and start knitting socks with complete gusto.

It's more about attitude and willingness to embrace something new than it is about the length of time you've known how to knit and purl.

Like any knitting project, a beginner knitter may need a hand getting started. Any type of cast on can be tricky at first, whether you are knitting flat or in the round. But the majority of sock knitting is just working stocking stitch round and round - totally achievable for a beginner and an absolutely brilliant confidence booster.

The only part that I would say could be a little tricky is when you come to graft the toe closed (with cuff down socks). But the BOB socks shown here have a rounded toe - with absolutely no grafting needed.

If you don’t want to work a heel (although it really isn’t that bad) you could just knit a tube sock.

And at the end of the day, you have nothing to lose. If it all goes pear shaped (and oh - how I wish I’d kept my first sock attempt where the heel mysteriously appeared on the side of the sock rather than in the back) you can just rip the yarn out and try again.

At the very least, it’s more entertaining and you’ll learn far more than you ever will slogging away on a 6-foot garter stitch scarf.

If you'd like to know more, I've put together a blog post with some resources and suggestions for the adventurous sock knitter to be.

Link here

Of knitting and hats...and rituals

Adult Sockhead Hat - pattern by Kelly McClure

Now there’s nothing better than a good finished object - especially when it coincides with Finished Object Friday. But it struck me today as I was taking a photo that there’s more to finishing a piece of knitting and putting it away/wearing it.

For me there is a distinct ritual involved in finishing a project - almost closing the circle if you will. A process that started with an idea in your head, went through the planning and the preparation stages into the actual knitting of it, and finishing with the cast off.

Now of course the actual knitting of it can take a variable length of time and sometimes there are some false starts/swearing/ripping back to do. Sometimes you give up in frustration and file it under ‘nope - move on’. But at some point every project reaches the closing out process.

The part where you reclaim the needles, tidy away the bits that have accumulated in the bottom of the project bag - ah, that’s where your favourite marker pen ended up! - and squirrel away any leftovers into whatever system you have for dealing with these things.

For me it’s like saying goodbye to that phase of the project, before hopefully it moves on to becoming a fully functional and much loved item of apparel or home wear. If not in my house then with someone else. Sometimes I’m more glad to see the back of a project than others. But I always like to do my little finishing ritual before I do final photos and post it on socials.

This hat was an absolute joy to knit by the way. I am absolutely not a hat person normally, but this is wonderfully stretchy and slouchy. It fits me well, I love the colour (yarn is Eden Cottage yarns - need I say more) and it was a perfect downtime project for while I was away between Christmas and New Year. And even better there was only a small amount of yarn leftover.

The perfect project in every way. So much so that I’m having to fight the urge to cast on another one. But I have Things To Do and Designs To Knit, so it will just have to wait for another day.

Or I might just cast on a tiny baby one - you know - just to scratch the itch.

If I’ve tempted you, there’s a free adult sized pattern on Kelly’s blog here, or a paid version on Ravelry with all sizes ranging from tiny baby to huge adult.

Gentle resolutions to try in 2023

The time between Christmas and New Year has to be one of my favoruite times of the year. Free from obligations and expectations. As a family we’ve always spent this week holed up in a favourite cottage, away from the outside world and doing the things that make us happiest -short walks, lots of board games, fires - you get the idea.

This year I’m deliberately resisting all forms of shiny new planners, diaries, reviews and courses. All of them promising a new me, or at least a marginally improved and more efficient me.

I have though taken the opportunity to think about a few gentle resolutions that I want to remind myself of in 2023

1. I'm going to make a determined effort to try something new. I've been thinking I'd like to try Tunisian crochet or double knitting for ages but haven't got around to it. I'd like to free myself of the expectation that I have to make something useful/pretty with it and just experiment with making something small using a new technique.

2. Giving myself permission to frog what isn't working out. I need a perennial reminder on this and I plan to set aside a little time at the start of each month to revaluate what's on the needles. If nothing else it might free up some 4mm tips.

3. Know your worth. I learnt this one a while ago but I still see so many posts from knitters upset that their handknit gifts aren't well received. It's a useful time to remind oneself that your time and skill are invaluable - don't waste it on those who don't appreciate it.

4. Stash review - I need to remind myself that yarn comes and goes. I don't need to be the custodian of it all and if it no longer meets my needs it's OK to pass it on to someone else who will love it and use it. I've successfully whittled my stash down to more manageable levels in the last few years but there are still skeins lurking that I know in my heart I'll never use. Time to set them free I think.

What about you - what would you add to the list of gentle resolutions this coming year?

What to do when you've run out of time for gift knitting

We’ve all been there. Watching the days tick down before the holiday period - acutely conscious that your pile of unfinished WIPs seems to be increasing as the big day approaches. Panic starts to set in as you realise that you have drastically over committed yourself and you start to send up fervent prayers to the Knitting Gods that next year, you promise you’ll start earlier. If only they could just grant you a few more hours of knitting time.

I have to confess that I abandoned the concept of gift knitting a few years ago. It helps that my children are older and no longer expect the elves to bring striped socks on Christmas Eve -also their feet are much bigger than mine. I knit for loved ones throughout the year and if it happens to coincide with a birthday or special event then so much the better. But I don’t place that pressure and weight of expectation on myself anymore. It feels like a way to be kinder to myself at what can be an extremely stressful time of year.

If you are gift knitting though and keeping a firm eye on the diminishing hours, may I present my firmly tongue in cheek suggestions to power through your gift knitting.

1. Knit faster. Yes, I know it’s blindingly obvious but for me I know that I can speed knit in short bursts if I need to or if a deadline looms. I remove all the distractions, leave my phone in another room and put on a tried and tested box set to watch. Setting myself a goal of solid knitting for 1 or 2 episodes of Schitts Creek for example is an excellent way I’ve found to really get some solid inches in.

2. Stop cooking. Drastic, yes but desperate times call for desperate measures. More than once I have suggested we have a ‘picky tea’ - which is generally an invitation to raid the fridge/cupboards/leftovers and compile a meal from the harvest. When the kids were small I would put a picnic blanket on the living room and call it an indoor picnic. Either way, it freed up precious knitting time.

3. Crying and stress eating - not recommended obviously but I’ve definitely done this in extremis. It doesn’t get the knitting done any faster though.

4. Give an IOU. This is obviously the one I have had most success with and the one that I recommend most heartily to you. Unless the recipients are very small (and their gifts are also correspondingly tiny) I recommend taking the pressure off yourself. All good things come to those who wait, after all. By all means take a photo of what the intended item will be - or gift wrap half a sock if it makes you feel better. Those who are truly knitworthy in your life will appreciate that good knitwear doesn’t just fall off trees. And if they aren’t truly knitworthy then you could save yourself the trouble and just buy them a box of chocs instead.

Whatever you choose to do, may I take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very happy and peaceful Christmas, however you are spending it and to say a sincere thank you for being here with me this year.