There is a quote that says “No regrets in life. Just lessons learned” and uhm Yea ok! LOL I have some regrets..judge me if you must but I do. Today I want to talk about 3 things I have learned the hard way while knitting. I know I am not the only one that has figured something out AFTER you have done all the wrong things, right? Come on you guys, I know you know what I mean.
I mean did you know the difference between a skein and a hank when you first started? Tell me you didn’t try to knit right from a hank and create the worlds largest mess ever!! Oh so I am the only one that did that? Yea right! hahahahahahaha
You mean to tell me none of you have twisted an interchangeable needle so tight that it snapped in two? LOL I didn’t want it come apart while I was knitting AND I didn’t know those pins were for that…so ahahahaha keep your judgement to yourself. I didn’t know. *giggles* It’s funny now but it wasn’t then. I wanted to cry.
Those are just a few examples of what I have learned over the years. This post is about the top 3 lessons learned the hard way. They say experience is the best teacher, welp that’s ture because I won’t do that again. You ready?
I am going to share the 3 things I learned the hard way. I say the hard way because I almost gave up knitting as a result. (not really, I’m being dramatic) So let’s get into these 3 lessons and as always, talk to me in the comments. I want to know about the lessons you have learned okay? In case you didn’t know the comments are my favorite part. So don’t be stingy, talk to me.
3 Lessons Learned the Hard Way
This lesson hurt my heart big time. The lesson is leave enough yarn to weave in when you are finished with your project. I didn’t do that and I still have a whole/mess in the spot where I tried to fix my error. Yup it came apart while I was wearing it! Of course someone spotted the string and pulled and, and…fade to black. I almost passed out. First WHY would you pull the string?? Do I know you? Why are you touching me? UGH so yea give yourself room to weave in the ends properly. *wipes the tear the memory evoked*
Another lesson that would have saved me SOOOO much time. This one seems simple but I don’t think everyone does it, I mean NOW I do, yes I read the whole pattern before I start. EVERY word, because imagine being out of the country when you realize you don’t have all you need? Yea THAT! AND don’t read like me. I skim, I use context clues. This is not a novel GAYE! you can’t figure out how it ends. READ! It’s instructions, important instructions. *rolls eyes at myself* I know I am not the only one that didn’t read so missed that I needed to change needle size, right? Then wonders why the neckline was all stretchy instead of nice and neat like everyone else’s. *heavy sigh*
This final lesson I need to tell you a story ok? I was afraid of socks because if you let me tell it I am not a real knitter (self esteem stuff) My first socks were done in worsted weight and that is when I learned the importance of a stretchy bind off. I found a YouTube tutorial and it seemed like it was too much so I decided to bind off the way I knew how. That was in 2012 and if I try to wear those socks, I damn near cut my circulation off. LEARN THE STRETCHY BIND OFF PEOPLE hahahahahahahaa it will save your life and possibly your limbs.
Okay it’s your turn, what have you learned. Let’s discuss
GG
Gaye, I’ve got to tell you, I am loving your blog, and thank you for devoting so much time to provide us all with it. Things I wish I knew when I started:
Unlike you, I didn’t keep tightening my interchangeable needles, and lost a bunch of stitches when they popped off.
I would’ve learned how to drop down and fix stitches while learning, so I didn’t frog projects that where almost done, then get frustrated, and put my needles down for so long cause I was frustrated!
I had made a scarf for my daughter which I thought she hated cause she never wore, and gave to someone else. She was devastated. That’s when I realized what a knit worthy treasure my kid was!
Oh the dropped stitches trauma is real! Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
Oh im still a novce at knitting. I can never get my stitch count to stay where it need to be . Im constantly dropping stitches but heres what i learned from that. A dropped stitch can be picked up and worked back to its proper row with a crochet hook. Im a curvy girl in the hips so i have to let things out in that area. So working from the bottom up is not good. It makes things to big everywhere else. Top down is better cause i add the extra stitches at just the right place. Learned this one crocheting. Trying to make amtop and couldnt get in it. Lol so didnt try to make a garment again until i did my poncho. Always pay attention to circumference.
Knitting (along with hospital visiting with my therapy dog) has taught me that I can talk to strangers. I was never one to speak up in a group of people I didn’t know. But after meeting people at my LYS at knit nights, it built up my confidence and I chat away about knitting and life with the folks that show up and have made new friends. Visiting in the hospital, people always want.to talk about animals they have had and it gives us common topics to share, just like at the LYS talking about knitting!
I love your lessons! I too learned the hard way to read through an entire pattern before starting. My issue was I didn’t know the required things and as a result ended up with a mess and frogged it and repurposed the yarn.
One lesson I learned – lifelines. I thought I would be fine because “I’m really careful” when I knit. But lace + distractions got me like, “This does not look right.” The first time that happened I learned new skills, tinking back and how to read my knitting 🤣
A second lesson I learned was know what you know and either learn or don’t get that pattern. I bought some patterns when I was first starting out that I thought, “Oh I can do that” but alas, no, unless I have the time and patience and no distractions to learn it. Embrace your skill level but also know you can learn new things with time.
A third lesson I learned is don’t buy all the damned project bags! They are cute for sure, that print is gorgeous, but who needs 7 sock-sized bags? Not me. I knit maybe two different socks at a time so I definitely don’t need 7. 🤣
Hahahahahaha yes to all of that! Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
Hmmm so much. I used to buy one skein because I thought it was pretty. Very few of the things I want to knit use only one skein.
Like you,GG,I am a skimmer. I find it very hard to slow down and read. One thing I found helpful was to rewrite some patterns into index cards. It helped me to parse the pattern in a way that made sense to me. I still have tons to learn. That is why I love knitting. On of the things I need to learn is how to finish one thing before starting the next ha.
I have to disagree about the excessive buying of project bags. Where will you put all your abandoned projects? 🤣
My 3 big lessons:
Do a gauge swatch. I knit a hat once that was so big it covered my whole face.
Look up abbreviations, otherwise you’ll totally mess up your pattern.
The first time I knit from a chart I read the pattern from left to right, I was knitting in the round and couldn’t figure out why looked wrong so I googled it and learned that you read the chart from right to left 🤦🏼♀️
😳 charts 👀🏃🏾♀️🏃🏾♀️🏃🏾♀️🏃🏾♀️
Yes, yes, look up abbreviations–one of my biggest lessons, too–find out what this designer means by this abbreviation.
Well. You made my morning, yet again! Reading the pattern through, especially now that there is an amazing number of pattern available from sooo many people and countries, is vital! I grew up surrounded by family that stitched in many forms and fibres, so I swear I picked up things by osmosis. My biggest knit lesson early on involved brushed acrylic yarn, diamond lace, and an oversized sweater. Write notes if you change the pattern on the fly!!! I hated, and still do, sewing seams. Figured I could cheat and work the raglan cardigan on a circular needle all together, avoiding the sewing! Clever, right? 2 weeks later and having hauled back the raglan shaping 4 times, I broke out paper and pen, rewrote the pattern, and finally cast off that cardigan for real. She can be taught!!!
Not using a lifeline when knitting lace, thinking, “I know how to knit”. Yeah, famous last words!
Oh man, they pulled your loose string?! I would have probably cried.
I have made too many mistakes to even count! My early projects had so many flaws (I never knitted swatches) that I used to just give away the projects to good will after a couple attempts to wear the object *cringe*. I finally buckled down and learned my craft well, knitted swatches, understood gauge etc and now I love my FOs.
What I have learned? Sleeves will always be too long, I’m only 5’2”, and I must avoid the temptation to just knit them according to the pattern. Triple check when joining in the round, unless you really do want a Moebius hemline on your top. Oh and really check those stitch counts on your sleeves, unless matchy matchy isn’t your thing. Those three projects are still waiting to be fixed…🤪😚😍
I’ve definitely learned a lot in the over 40 years I’ve been knitting (I started youngish 😂) but probably my most important lesson is that I want to knit what I want to knit. I have many requests to knit for friends and family and I enjoy knitting for them as they are, for the most part, knit worthy. But I have had requests in the past for something that I hated or was really boring and it was a real struggle to complete and not enjoyable or relaxing at all! So I learned to say no or to find another pattern that I would like to knit and offer that as an alternative. My best story is when my youngest daughter was about 16, she saw a beautiful sweater in a Rowan magazine and asked me if I would knit it for her. I took one look at it and said “this looks like a great sweater for grandma to knit for you.” (My Mom works in a yarn store and is an excellent knitter.) Liv showed my Mom and of course she agreed right away (without really looking at it). She purchased the yarn and pattern that day and all were happy. A couple of days later my Mom called me to say “Omg that sweater Liv wants is completely done in seed stitch!”. My response was “why do you think I suggested you knit it?!” 😂😂😂 She did make it for Olivia and it was beautiful but I’m glad I didn’t have to knit it. ❤️
Oh, I am laughing so hard, I hate seed stitch! You are smart to have pushed that pattern away.
Yup! My biggest lesson was NOT to knit commissions or deadline knitting. It ends up feeling like work instead of joy.
all day! I can’t do it
This is a great tip! I am in the first few inches of knitting a scarf for my brother from a pattern he picked… very pretty design (Jasmine Scarf) but it involves dropping a wrapped stitch and letting it hang there while you knit the next few stitches before picking it up to knit… hard to explain but the whole thing is mildly stressful and he’s already curious to know when it will be done…. next time I will be more discerning before I agree hahah
How I really knew my DH was a keeper – I was meeting him in Montana for a conference – when he picked me up at the airport in Bozeman he said “the knitting store is 12 minutes away and it’s our 1st stop” (he really is the best) soooo even though I brought knitting with me, I saw a sweater that I HAD to cast on immediately – I bought the pattern, yarn and needles I needed because even though I had those needles, they were at home, not with me. We then drove the hour to Big Sky where the meeting was. Next morning I realized I needed smaller needles to START the project – Bless his heart he drove me the hour BACK to the knitting store just so I could get the smaller needles (which again, I already own at home)
How wonderful for you!! Did you keep him??
yes, still have him!!!
I love that I can hear your voice as I’m reading this GG! Lmao ohhhhh the things I’ve learned the hard way….is there another way?! I finally learned to read my stitches and to tink So that one messed up stitch didn’t result in dramatically ripping the needles out and frogging my life away. Also I second lifelines! For lace but also for sleeve separation or with any “next step” of a complex pattern. I think of it like a check point. HUGGGGSSSS
Sympathy forever on the unraveling sweater – and curses forever on the person who pulled at it. It’s horrible to be touched like you are a mannequin 🙁 Happened to me at our group – woman walked over to where we were sitting, lifted my cowl up off my neck to examine it, without asking – then said “I used to make stuff like that” and walked off. Since we were in a business (coffee shop), I couldn’t do anything – but I’m still mad!!
Worst mistake? Probably not checking gauge on a cotton dress project – it had a thick/thin nubby second strand with it – and having to rip out the ENTIRE back!! Fortunately, this was the 60’s – mini dress 🙂 Use lifelines a LOT now – after ripping Exploration Station completely back 3 times, because I couldn’t get my stitches picked up 🙁 And I use a LOT more stitch markers now; my concentration is off these days!
Swatches! My first sweater was in Brooklyn Tweed Loft which shrinks a bit after you block it, but i’m also a super loose knitter. Like they say use 3.5 mm and I’m using 2.25mm to get the same gauge . So because of these two things, i made a whole sweater and didn’t realize that it was gonna be too big bc I didn’t know how much Brooklyn Tweed Loft shrank (not enough to offset my loose knitting…). so I cried when it was like a dressing robe and my husband had to hide it away in a small dark corner of our apartment until I could calm down and start again (like a week later).
Side note, I didn’t know those key things were for interchangeable either. I thought, weird they give you this random piece of metal, I wonder if its for counting stitches!
Socks! I used to say I would NEVER knit socks. Well, never say never because a dear friend once asked me to knit him a pair of socks. I begrudgingly did so and used the tincanknits free Rye pattern which was a godsend. The first pair of socks I knit for myself and it turned out okay! Since then, I have knit my friend 5 pairs of Rye socks. My knitting confidence shot to the moon 😊 Thank you for being you, GG.
I learned a lot from the knitting school of hard knocks!
One thing I learned that might help with your weave-in issue is splitting the plies and weaving each in separately (thinner plies could need less length to work with.) Another is felting those ends in (only works on non-superwash) to hide them.
Hi Gaye–Phew! I am not the only one with hidden rookie mistakes. LOL
My lessons learned…
Interchangeable Needles: I didn’t know what the pin was either. I almost threw my needles away because they kept untwisting and falling apart, dropping all of my stitches. I was PISSED. Haha. My bad. I researched reviews and went down the rabbit hole…then finding instructions on how to use the damn pin and it has been the best investment in my knitting adventure. Okay, that felt good with letting that secret out.
Knitting Tension: I picked up and put down needles for about a year before I hung on to the desire to learn knitting because I felt like my work looked like hell and my hands hurt doing it. Tension, tension, tension. Holding the needles and yarn in a death grip caused uneven and TIGHT tension. My scarf was half the size the pattern said and it was so dense, I swear it had it’s own atmosphere. It was a MESS. It took another 6 months to get the tension and my grip to a comfortable level.
BLOCKING HIDES A MULTITUDE OF SINS: I am not the tidiest knitter. Blocking is my friend. That is all.
Not all yarn dyers are created equal. And buying online is risky. This one is tough. I am a single mama with limited income and at the time I began knitting, my stress was THROUGH THE ROOF. I needed a hobby. Something to relax my brain from the stresses and hurt. To help me relax enough that I could actually sleep. So I picked up knitting…and after my major issues above, I began to love it. It was a needed escape. Money was super tight, but I invested in me. I bought cheap needles and even cheaper yarn in the beginning because I couldn’t afford to invest in something I may not keep doing. I liked it enough to save and upgrade my needles, but still stuck with acrylic Hobby Lobby yarn (which I still love for crochet blankets by the way). I decided to save again for a nice merino yarn and headed to the only place I knew…Etsy. I bought one hank of yarn. When I got it…I cried. The yarn was not the bright colors I saw in pictures…it was muted and muddied from bleeding. It was fuzzy (now I know the dyer felted it with too hot temps), and it was ROUGH ROUGH ROUGH. After that, I joined instagram and followed dyers….and the rest is history. THAT DAMN DELLA.
Lifelines are my biggest investment that I learned the hard way. I used to take them out to move on but now I just leave until the end.
About reading the pattern first, I’m a skimmer also! I’ve looked at a lot but have talked myself out of them! I am loving the Whakairo Top by Aroha knits but look at the center panels and run!! It is a beauty! The other thing I learned is that once when I had family around, I could do anything because I had resources to assist. It is hard to gain entry into an established knitting group! So, people, be kind to the newcomer!
I have only been knitting for a few years, on and off, when time allows. I learned by picking up a beginner’s book in a bookstore bargain bin and also consulted YouTube videos. My first project – a thin scarf – was knitted with the stitches twisted. I realized my error when a helpful staff member of a local yarn shop, approached to examine the scarf and pointed this out. (I thought she was impressed with my tension) 🤣 She showed me how to knit and purl without twisting. What can I say? I am challenged discerning Left and Right. Thanks for sharing.
Lesson learned: TAKE CARE OF YOUR HANDS!!! I thought I was taking care of my hands through hand yoga, resting, hot wax treatments. But 19 months ago my left hand developed CRPS. I will not bore you with the symptoms and treatment. Look it up if you want. I’ve started knitting again, slowly, carefully, and following the guidelines in KNITTING COMFORTABLY, THE ERGONOMICS OF HANDKNITTING, by Carson Demers. Carson is a physical therapist, knitter, spinner, designer, and teacher. He has saved me!!! If you don’t have hand problems now, yay for you. If you want to save your hands, take care of them now. There are many exercises available for free on the internet. I’m still going to OT and probably have six more months to go.
Please, prevention is well worth your time.
I love that you are writing every day, GG.
Love that book. Such a helpful reference – again & again!
Thank you so much, I really appreciate you sharing this information . I’ve been crocheting for over 30 years, I’m new to knitting (like one project just finished new 🤗). I started with a scarf, thought this seems like a good place to begin my journey. Well I inadvertently learned how to add on stitches. As I checked my progress I started noticing holes in my work (like Swiss cheese 🤦🏽♀️), but I was determined to keep going. By the time I finished I had doubled my cast on stitches 😂😂😂😂 I also learned the hard way on the importance of reading all of the instructions first!!! Thanks again!
I learned to knit because I wanted to learn to make the socks I kept seeing, and it has been a slippery slope from there! Everything I have made has been a lesson learned;). I wish I would have known 1) only buy the yarn you like the feel of or you won’t like working with it. 2) swatches are important! 3) wearing your knits for more than special. You are worth it! I guess that I still need to learn the difference between a skein and a hank lol
Love your fun blog and creative mind. Thanks!
Love your blog. Thanks for keeping it real every week. You know that place where the yarn is “a little thin” maybe coming untwisted and you say, “aw it’ll be alright.” WRONG!! Cut the yarn my friends. I now have a hole in a newly finished sweater because the yarn literally gave way (right in the front of course). Not a moth hole, but literally just broke apart. Still not sure how to fix it. Second lesson: Don’t give up. My first color work attempt – a hat – wouldn’t have fit Barbie it was so tight. I thought you were supposed to snug those floats!!! But now I’ve taken a class at a LYS, watched Andrea Mowrey video and I’m tackling a color work sweater!!!
Yes, yes to everything that’s been said. Read through the pattern, don’t skim. That’s the biggest thing. I know loving knitting sweaters because I have read, not skimmed, through Amy Herzog’s books on sizing, so know your measurements and make sure you are knitting the right size. And make notes when knitting. I use Knit Companion and always note my needles and gauge and any changes I have made so when I walk away from a project and pick it up weeks (months) later I can keep going. Loving this daily blog!!
Lesson 1. Never assume you know what something means. Pick up and knit. Who knew that it meant that you were completely creating a new stitch? Certainly not me. Fortunately, I have a very wise knitting group and they cleared that up for me. But not until after more than one mistake. And I started to avoid patterns that included that step because I found it so hard (And it is if you’re doing it wrong like I was). Imagine what I came up with for SSK 😝
I’ve learned that I have constantly changing gauge, so checking my tension regularly is necessary. Change knitting location? Change circular to dpn? Change from weekday to weekend? Working to vacation? Continental purl to norwegian purl? Knitting at night to knitting in the car on a road trip? Every one of these will change my tension, and I’m not a fast knitter, so every project needs to deal with at least one of these. Also, I will never regret using more stitch markers.
1. Swatches are your friends!
2. Lifelines and stitch markers – you can never have too many.
3. It’s totally okay to frog a project, in ANY stage, if it does not bring you joy.
Thank you, GG, for sharing your stories!
I don’t knit often. Do more quilts now. Biggest knitting lesson is to call my mother-in-law or her sister and ask them to knit for me! Both are amazing knitters and are fast! I do still occasionally do a felted bag – love the felling process and it covers my mistakes well. Like knitting quilt patterns should be read carefully before starting! And in multiple size patterns (clothes or quilts) I go back through the pattern and circle my size so I don’t have to remember each time am I doing the first size or the one in (), or in [] !
Lifelines and stitch markers…for some reason it took me awhile to get accustomed to using them regularly.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned (or still learning) is that if I’m tired or start to feel drowsy…put the knitting down. I’m happy that knitting relaxes me, but I can’t count the number of times I’ve started to get sleepy and still tried to “finish that one last row” before bed only to pick up my project the next day and try to figure out what I actually did. I’ve probably invented some new stitches at some point. It’s easier and less frustrating to just put it down and continue when I’m fresh and awake.
I also count stitches out loud. It helps me to not lose track when some starts talking, especially when my hubby is watching sports and the announcers start listing stats and such. The hubby and kids know not to interrupt me while she’s counting, especially if I start to count louder.
I’m only 3 weeks into knitting and have been making dishcloths in order to practice the stitches. I appreciate you sharing the things you’ve learned the hard way, so I can keep these things in mind.
I’ve learned the hard way it saves time and temper when I take the time to figure out how to fix a goof–how to repair brioche, how to repair the border brioche stitch, how to drop down and fix lace.
One of the lessons I learned, after considerable frustration with trying to figure out what I was doing wrong, is that sometimes it’s the pattern that has the problem. Check for errata! Also that stitch markers are my friend in so many situations. I love that photo of you: your expression just says it all. It may be the most important lesson that there’s always more to learn, and that being an experienced knitter just means more kinds of mistakes to make.
1) I have learned a lot by hanging out with other knitters, they share their failures and successes and are ready to help you fix, frog, or repair! And they understand you.
2) Swatching is something I hated and still do, but have learned that it is the best way to make something fit!!!
3) Don’t let anyone tell you that you are “knitting the wrong way” because you throw or pick and they do the opposite. I have had one lady take my knitting from me and “knit it the right way” which was picking and I was throwing. I had to frog the row she knitted. Ugh.
4) And lastly, if you are a thrower or a picker DO NOT THROW YOUR PROJECT ACROSS THE ROOM, it does not help and makes it worse. Ask me how I know this!
Yes all of those things! I have also learned that alternating skeins of hand dyed yarn isn’t just for fancy knitters cause now I have some stuff that is unintentionally striped:( And yup, adding a knit lace pattern at the top of a sock also isn’t so stretchy….looks pretty sitting in my drawer. 🤪
ok, so mine was a lesson in sewing, but it’s totally transferable to knitting and I only didn’t learn it the hard way knitting because I’d already learned it the hard way sewing – check what the dimensions are of the sizes listed because pattern sizes are not always the same as store bought dress sizes. My first skirt did NOT have the same waist as mine…
1) I STILL don’t read my instructions, and I’ve been caught a few times. I’ll usually skim quickly, but that’s not enough. More than once I THOUGHT I followed instructions, only down a few rows realized something was not right.
2) I learned the hard way to count stitches often, preferably every row or round, and to also do a visual inspection to make sure it all looks right. It’s such a pain to find a mistake later when I’ve now got to tink back multiple rows.
LOL I made a counting error just last night. When will I ever learn.
No distractions if I am working on a difficult pattern or stitch. Period. I have been banned from knitting anything difficult while the TV is on because I swear too much. All of your lessons I also learned the hard way. Thanks for sharing them and for all the work you do putting your blog together. It’s a highlight of my day.
LOL I can see this scene in my head.
I LOVE charts! And the reason I love charts is because I’m dyslexic, I thought I was just a slow reader, or dumb, some combo of the two…but charts are why I can knit. Words literally hurt my head, and I get them switched around and the written instructions were always so hard for me. My doctor said that to have compensated for this disability for over thirty years without anyone spotting it meant I actually had to be pretty bright! Happy ending!!! Anyway I always have a chart and highlighter tape!
I love that you found a way that works for you.
Years ago I left the front or the back of a nearly finished tank top on the floor in the living room. Asked my young song to vacuum the house. Forgot about the sweater. He vacuumed it up. Pink yarn wound around the roller. Nearly half a sweater a total loss. Ended up having to buy more yarn and reknit the piece. Stupid sweater didn’t even fit after all that work because I probably refused to swatch back then as well. Lessons learned. I never leave my knitting on the floor… at least it unattended.
GG, thank you for sharing your knitting mishaps!! I will try not to snap my interchangeables, my set cost me an arm and leg!! I learned the hard way, that I need “lids” on my needles (like I need a lid in my cups too) when I put a project down!!! After several time of spilling stitches right of my needles as I pick the project back up, I now put those silicone needle tip protectors on my needles EVERY TIME!!! I enjoy your posts every day!!
1. I started loom knitting 9 years ago it has taken me all that time to realize I don’t need every single loom on the market. Check the ones you have if the new one does the same gauge has just as many pegs you don’t need it. I have probably 40 looms which I have 10 that I use all the time. Start to downsize the loom collection.
2. If working on a new to me pattern use a life line because you know you are going to make a mistake and have to frog back 10 rows….
3. The most recent lesson is just because I don’t needle knit doesn’t mean I can’t use beautiful indie dyed yarn for myself. Don’t be afraid to convert a needle pattern to the loom. Funny the things our mind tries to tell us and we believe.
I love this. Regardless of how many times I’ve had to adjust as a result, I still resist swatching and reading the entire pattern all the way through. For my first few knitting years I was strictly a scarf and shawl knitter because of this. 😅
So, writing as I would speak to myself:
1. Start your new project at home where it’s calm and quiet. Do not bring that cute little project bag out with your crew because you will inevitably read the instructions incorrectly because you’re distracted and have to start over once you get home again.
2. When you start to get tired at night and find it’s harder to focus, just put the WIP down. All the way down. Tuck it in for the night and then tuck yourself in for the night. Because knitting when tired almost always leads to mistakes and frogging and being mad at yourself for not learning the lesson, just like you do when you accidentally get a hangover in your late 30s.
3. Knit for yourself before you knit for someone else. Because you always want that sweater or those socks when Fall comes around but then you have to cram in all your holiday knitting because you forget that you knit at warp sloth speed.
My first sock was knit in worsted weight too, but it wasn’t what the pattern called for. It was my second real knitted thing and I had zero understanding of gauge. It was like a pot holder for my foot.
I learned that I really should do swatches before I go all in on knitting sweaters. I began as a tight knitter and always sized up my needles. Somewhere along my journey, I relaxed and don’t need to size up anymore, but only a swatch will give me a definitive answer on what size to use. I also learned to measure my body instead of guessing what size I should knit. I have a beautiful sweater that I knit, but it is much too big. I plan to unwind the entire thing and redo it in a more appropriate size. Ugh. I have so many more things to learn (picking up stitches with a crochet hook, etc, etc). If I don’t rush myself, these things will come 🤷🏻♀️
They will come I promise
I love this! I have definitely not read things through fully, or run out of yarn and then had to scramble to try and match one from the same dye lot…
The biggest, and most recent, mistake i made was in trying to hand wind 1000m of lace alpaca boucle. It took all night and it STILL tangles if you breath on it
Lol not breathe on it
Read the instructions MULTIPLE times! I was making a tee, and was very happy to finish a section, only to find that my stitch count was way off!
While stockinette can be mindless knitting (good for taking to the doctor’s office or the emergency room), you must pay attention! On a recent ER visit with my Mom, I stopped knitting. When I started again, I didn’t realize that a number of my stitches had slipped from the needle until I had completed three more rows! All is well with Mom, and was able to save my work with a lifeline.
Glad mom is well 🙏🏾
I’ve made so many ridiculous mistakes too. Wrong yarn for the project, wrong needle size, pretty pattern picture hideous result and on and on and on. But, now I’m pretty good at knitting and the successes come more often then the failures. And that’s a great lesson, too – to just keep on keeping on. Love the blog!
Thank you 🤗
Oh how I can relate to yours GG.
The big three for me, which because I am putting here does not mean I always consistently stay aware of, are:
1) if you put a project in time out to do something else for a week or more, you must make sure the pattern is in with the project, it is clearly marked where you are, you have written down why it went to time out, and put end caps on the needles before putting it away. I have had several projects that are 3/4 done and when I pull them out of wherever they were there are dropped stitches, and I have no idea what row I was on, what repeat, or sometimes even what the pattern name was.
2)keep projects securely in a bag when not working on them or a pet will carry it from room to room thinking it is a toy and you will have a giant ball of knots and many lost stitches.
3)if it seems wrong go back and fix it right away, or you will rip back an entire project later because it still seems wrong and bugs the hell out of you.
Yes no matter what my eye lands on the error.
Totally agree that I underestimated the importance of blocking. I block almost everything except socks now. Especially anything lacy. I’d like to tell new knitter Jess of almost 30 years ago that you can’t control your knitting by knitting tightly – figure out how to loosen up so that you don’t hurt your arms. Knitting the next stitch will tighten up the previous one. Also, there are some cases where gauge is critical – particularly if you are knitting a garment. A lace shawl, not so much. A sweater? Pivotal. Can’t count the # of finished sweaters I ripped out and re-did over the years because of gauge issues, but didn’t really connect it until later in life.
Thanks for the blog, it’s very enjoyable!
Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
My 3 things I’ve learned: 1. Don’t be hard on myself! Insecurity (my lifelong struggle) in knitting doesn’t help me. I tended to knit tighter or quit. Now I say I am do it or start again. It isn’t a big deal because… 2. Enjoy the process!!! I love the feel of the yarn, the needles working the pattern, the sounds they make and watching the colors come together! I want to take the time to enjoy the things!!! 3. Knitting friends like any others don’t judge. If they do, they aren’t friends. Encouragement from another knitter means a lot so I want to give it as well!!! I’ve also broken needles, not swatched, didn’t have enough yarn, misread pattern… I’m a work in progress!!
🙌🏾
I have learned the benefit of swatching. Also, the heartbreak of not.
I have learned to read the pattern and take notes, especially if it’s something I will make again, or if it’s 1 of 2 sides.
I have learned not to compare my expertise in knitting, crocheting or machine knitting, to anyone else. That is a new one for me and very hard to do.
Thank you for your blogs. 🧡🧶
Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡
I just turned sixty. I’ve been hard on my myself about my weight my whole life. I think age doesn’t make you wise but for me it bred acceptance. And not gloomy acceptance but the kind of acceptance that is a relief and a smile. Sort of like “well that over now”. I recommend it! 😇
Lol Thank you 🤗
I learned the hard way the necessity of blocking the swatch. The pullover I knit for the first daughter is gorilla worthy. I’ve heard of shrinking, but wasn’t aware of yarn growing during washing. I knit a larger size than I should have to make up for the gauge discrepancy of my unwashed swatch. My LYS owner “helped” by doing the math. She should have just asked, “Did you block the swatch?”
The second sweater for DD #2 turned out perfectly!
Yay for #2 🤗
I made a monster-sized mistake last summer that has made me really hesitant to knit another sweater for myself. I decided to knit a sweater for me, a plus-sized woman, so this was not going to be a tiny little project, and I decided to use superwash wool. I made a 4″ square swatch and washed it and saw that it grew a little tiny bit, but hey–it made me get gauge, right? So in January I finished my sweater and tried it on and it fit perfectly. I was so happy. So then I blocked it. And the superwash grew. When my sweater was dry I had an object that would fit a hippopotamus. Not only was it too big around, it was down to my knees long. Since then I have learned that I should have used a tighter gauge if I wanted to use superwash. My plan is to use the sweater like fabric and cut and sew (I’ll strengthen the edges with sewing like for a steek) and make it fit. And then I’m going dry clean it.
Aww man! Please try again now that you know.
I love all of these! I’m constantly telling my students that the only reason I’m able to help them with their knitting is because I’ve made ALL the mistakes.
A great friend taught me the basics when I started knitting. There was no internet tutorials back then and I had no idea that knitting classes existed (I thought an LYS was a place where you bought scary yarn). Fortunately I stuck with it, made mistakes, and learned a lot!
Yup knit and learn! thank you for being here 🤗 I appreciate you
Great post! My knitting friends have taught me to soak all items in hot water (expect cotton) and cut your woven ends after blocking. They prefer to work from the outside to center of a cake too. Swatching and reading the pattern, sometimes even out loud all essentials! 🙂
Thanks for reading 👩🏾💻😊🧡 and responding
Okay I’m late to comment but I just had to. Here are my lessons:
1)read the pattern. I once did twice the number of short rows because I missed the part where the pattern said to repeat row 1( in garter). In my brain, I thought I was supposed to repeat the right and wrong side. Thus, twice the # of short rows. I realized my error when a weird bulge began to emerge, and then I went back to read.
2) Don’t hold your size 1 dpns in a death grip. They will break.
3) when knitting shaping, triple check marker placement. Ask yourself, does this make sense? Yeah, I’ve knitted an extra 10 stitches in a sleeve that should have been the back. Whoops, rip.
GG, the only thing that saved me from knitting from the hank was a warning from the yarn store lady. She must have been able to tell I was new. Thank you for keeping the conversation going. Look how far we’ve all come!
Lol at whoops, rip! thank you for being here 🤗 I appreciate you
Oh GG, I think I’ve dealt with “all of the above,” but I particularly want to mention the heartbreak of accidental felting. You’d think after the first time I’d have learned and not think, “oh I’ll just put this in the washer on delicate and cold it will be fine.” Three times in the last couple years I’ve ruined big long projects by doing that! In one case, the sweater turned into a nice donation worthy kid’s sweater jacket for charity, but the others were total losses.
Oh I have a pair of accidentally felted socks 😕
All those things are HARD lessons! Who pulls a string?
I noticed a dropped stitch on a cardigan and haven’t worn it with the intention of pulling the stitch up and securing it. Its been AND, don’t leave my knitting on the sofa assuming it will be seen and respected. One of my kids sat on it and snapped my interchangeable. 🙁 We were visiting my parents and luckily my mom had a spare on hand!
I didn’t finish how long its been since I fixed that dropped stitch…
Its been since 2013!
I’m really good at hibernating projects.
😳
Just wow!
Yea I have sat on my needles, so yup that!
Girrrrrl! Thanks for sharing your stories….I just had hank that had a mind of it’s own…oh boy! I do not use hanks but I had a friend talk me through it on a zoom chat and everything was going well and then not so much. I had a nest of yarn…took three days to unwind….lol. That which does not kill us makes stronger….
Lol it does
GG, my mother only ever knit one pair of socks (she was a madwoman with the sweaters, though) – she also used worsted weight because I’m pretty sure that all that was available to her in the mid-70s. They were thick like boots. 😀
Wow!