Today, the letter K takes us back to the craft bureau, but this time we are contemplating the tellingly large collection of tangled and tired-looking yarn skeins. The ones that flinch every time I reach for them, wailing, “Noooo! Stop torturing us! You know you cannot Knit!”
The difficulty is purling. It’s about the second most basic thing you need to know in order to knit, but there is something about having to change the way you pick up the stitch that completely confuddles me. I lose count, I drop stitches, I garter when I should purl and vice versa… Basically, my work becomes one gnarly mess... and I, a frustrated grump.
Nor does it help that I cannot read stitches. (That’s always the advice they give you for self-correcting. “Find where you made your mistake…” - "If I could do that….! " *snarl, snarl*)
 |
| Nope. |
They also tell you that you’ll get the hang of it after a while.
I have not found this to be the case. - Not at ANY point over the 40 years of trying.
Nowadays, I have accepted defeat. If I can’t use 100% garter stitch, knitting doesn’t happen.
But in My Perfect World, I will Knit a garment.
It can be a loose, sloppy, shapeless pullover with sleeves of differing lengths, I do not care.
As long as I have Knit it.
12 comments:
Knitting is one of the few crafty things I can actually do, although I rarely actually do it
Debbie
Nope, no knitting here either. I made a scarf when I was a child, and that was plenty. It was blue and white. A bit lumpy. Never again... But wishing you lots of luck with it!
As a regular lurker, you got me at knitting! I love it. There's a book: The Knitting Experience Book 1: The Knit Stitch, Inspiration & Instruction
by Sally Melville and Alexis Xenakis
you can get on Amazon that has all kinds of just knit (no purl) garments. It is delightful.
Visiting your site for the first time and am greeting with a warning about adult content ahead.
OK. Wow! What sort of randy naughtiness am I about to venture into?
I looked over my shoulder and clicked the link only to find myself reading about knitting. This might be the very situation for why the term "anticlimactic" was invented.
Thanks for visiting my blog. I'm going to dig a little deeper in yours and find the stuff that warranted the warning.
It’s been years since i’ve knitted, crocheted, cross stitched, or anything like it. In a perfect world, i’d have plenty of time.
Debbie-
Isn’t it funny how that’s always how it works?
Glad to see you again!
o-
See, I actually enjoy knitting… but there’s a finite limit to how many bland lap throws a person needs!
F-
Oooh! I’m so glad you de-cloaked!
Welcome.
And I will definitely check out that book!
”could it really be this easy?”
B-
Well, that had me laughing pretty hard.
May I suggest Nov 27 / Sept 27 / Aug 30? (all 2018)
;-p
Or just go back to the early days, when kink was exciting and new.
(Feb 18 explains much of your disappointment.)
Thanks for stopping by. I do hope you come back now and again!
mm-
There you go!
I wish that for your perfect world, too!
*nod, nod*
My aunt taught my mom how to knit, and she taught me, but neither one of us was any good at it (in my defense, I was probably about 10). Neither one of us knew how to stop. I gave up early, but my mom did make an afghan, but she would have to take her work to my aunt every time she made a mistake, and she gave up after that. Now crocheting, I can do!
D-
My grandma taught me knitting, crocheting, and embroidery - my mom taught me how to sew.
Needlework is about the only one that truly took, altho' I *enjoy* knitting, it's just sort of a pointless exercise the way I do it.
(Altho' I'm gonna read that book Frost suggested and whup ass with my needles next time!)
My great aunt taught me how to sew, on a treadle machine. I have never progressed past the limitation of the treadle machine, which means I can only go forwards and backwards!
D-
No unexpected sideways leaps for you, eh?
Teasing aside, I've never sewn on one (ours got mechanized) so I'm curious - do you feel more control over your sewing, since you have more control over the speed?
Purling is awkward. I avoid it whenever I can.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! ;-D
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