I by no means claim to be an expert knitter. Fast, yes. Proficient, sure. But an expert? Hell no. I
think if you’d asked me a six months back how I perceived my knitting abilities and I would have ranked myself much higher than I should. I always seemed to be able to figure things out on my own, so I thought I had a good grasp on all things knitting. Boy was I wrong.
An old friend that’s an avid (and talented) knitter reached out a while back to ask if I knew I
was twisting my stitches. I didn’t. This launched a month long process to re-teach myself how to knit without twisting my stitches. There was a considerable amount of cursing under my breath, and a few points when my knitting was so slow that I was ready to just go back to knitting incorrectly if it meant I could finish a hat in less than two days. With practice and the help of a few online knitting groups for motivation, I was confident enough to knit continental style with more speed than before.
Since this discovery I’ve been trying to learn more about knitting techniques and skills beyond the basics. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of some knitting groups that contain very experienced and patient knitters willing to take time to answer questions and share their favorite techniques. It’s been such a joy to look at the projects that others are making, and it’s been fascinating to see just how different some people’s styles of knitting are.
The biggest drawback has been trying to challenge myself with new techniques without having as much time to commit to these projects as I’d like. At work I find myself daydreaming of sitting by a fire and knitting all day and if it weren’t for my ability to knit at work from time to time, I’m sure some form of knitting-related wanderlust would set in.
Watching knitters like Susan B Anderson, Ginny Sheller, Emily and Alexa (from TinCanKnits), Bea (from Thread and Ladle) and so many other amazing women and men that can create intricate and beautiful patterns are great inspiration for anyone looking to dive into the world of knitting deeper. Maybe one day I’ll be able to say I’m half as knowledgeable as most of these women, but for now I’ll just be over here keeping my mouth shut and trying to learn as much as possible.