Musings of an avid knitter, middle-of-the-pack runner, and native New Englander
The weekend here in Greater Boston was gloriously warm and sunny, the kind of weather that makes you want to be outdoors even if you're just sitting on the steps. Because you can. You don't need to be doing anything (although you might). You don't need a jacket or hat. You don't even need sleeves! … Continue reading Early May Musings
The "mistake" tag gets a fair bit of use on this little blog. As I tell fellow knitters -- whether in a class or a friend or knitting group companion -- the reason I'm able to fix a lot of knitting mistakes is that I've had an awful lot of practice. Recognizing your mistakes and … Continue reading Unplanned Design Elements
I love when friends send me updates on their knitting projects. Sometimes it might be an emergency (don't laugh. Knitting emergencies are a thing). More often, they'll be looking for a consultation. Sock Knitter Judy, who doesn't yet believe that she's a Fearless Knitter, texted last week with a dilemma. Can you spot it? If … Continue reading Friends’ Knits
If you've been reading this blog for even a short while, you know how much I enjoy teaching others how to knit. And I really love when my students -- who by now are friends -- send photos of their latests projects. Like me, Judy spends a lot of time with her elderly parents, often … Continue reading Student Socks
Learn how to fix a twisted or backward stitch.
I'm teaching my dear friend Pat how to knit. To be more precise, I'm helping her refresh and expand her knitting skills since she knit a couple projects back in college. To her first lesson, she brought me a small wooden token of St. Clare, who I was surprised to learn is the patron saint … Continue reading Calling on St. Clare
Has this ever happened to you, dear knitter? You're knitting in the round, perhaps on your first hat, and suddenly something doesn't look right at all. You've unintentionally created a band of bumpy reverse stockinette. That's what happened to Helena, one of my Knit 101 students at Stitch House. In my experience teaching knitting, it's … Continue reading Knitting Inside Out
I've written often about important it is for knitters to learn to spot their mistakes and figure out how to remedy them. I firmly believe that one won't become a Fearless Knitter without learning how to fix mistakes. If you allow an error to ruin a project -- in your mind -- then you'll abandon it, … Continue reading That Mistake? It’s Part of the Design.
I've written before about the inevitability of mistakes in knitting and about the many mistakes I've made in a variety of projects. Learning to fix mistakes is one of the key steps in becoming a Fearless Knitter. I believe that every knitter has a different approach to mistakes, which can vary given the project, mood, or … Continue reading Knitting Mistake as Memory Marker
On a recent evening, Marcia -- neighbor, friend, and knitting student (among other talents) -- dropped by for a house call. She had a couple of skeins of lovely yarn that needed winding, and she needed a scarf-in-progress that was in need of rescue. Like me, Marcia often visits local yarn stores when she travels, … Continue reading Knitting House Call
As I've mentioned previously, the sweater that I knit for Michael is finished but not done. What I really mean is, it's too small. This may have something to do with his increase in size from when I started the sweater. At the beginning of the year, he was on the high school wrestling team and … Continue reading Making a Too-Small Sweater Bigger
Knitters won't be surprised to learn that the definition of "lifeline" in most dictionaries, paper and digital, does not include this handy technique that has saved the life of many a knitter. FIguratively, not literally, of course. But learning how to use a lifeline can enable you to finish a project, thereby "saving the life" … Continue reading Throw Me a Lifeline (or Two)
When we last were together, I was nearing the finish of Claire's first sock. Although I love this anonymous yarn, I wasn't thrilled with how it looked with the mini-cables of the gentle waves. But I was determined to finish. And I did, but the result was a sock that looked nice but didn't fit, … Continue reading A Different Kind of Lifeline
In the past 5 years or so, I've come to realize that I'm a process knitter. I really enjoy the act of knitting. Don't get me wrong -- I like to finish a project, too. But I don't have to wait for the end to enjoy myself.This is a good thing because I regularly find … Continue reading Good Thing I Enjoy the Process
My Mom is full of old sayings, many of which are prefaced by "As my mother would say...." One of her favorites is "when in doubt, read the directions." So true, so true. I figured out why Square 2 of the Albers cowl was turning out to be significantly bigger than Square 1. It wasn't … Continue reading When in Doubt, Read the Pattern
After a binding-off miscalculation, which resulted in a bit of tinking back and re-binding-off, the crescent shawl is done. It's a variation of Ann Weaver's basic triangle shawl; actually, a smaller version of her Saturated Shawl. I didn't discover until I'd blocked it that I'd been less than consistent in my increases. The result is that … Continue reading Zig-zags on a Crescent
By the time I'd finished each piece of the Illusion Cube blanket, I'd knit more than the required 56 hexagons. There were a few mistakes along the way -- duplicates of color combos, short-sided "cubes" (at least two of those). But finally, I was ready: Sewing it all together seemed pretty easy-peasy as I started. … Continue reading Piecing it all together
As I've noted before, there's no such thing as a knitter who doesn't make mistakes. Learning to spot mistakes and figuring out how to correct them is something every knitter must do. If you don't, you'll end up frozen -- confronted with a mistake that you're unable to fix and unable to continue your project. … Continue reading THAT doesn’t look right…. (take 2)
When my children were first learning to skate, I took them to a community rink for a lesson. They spent the entire first lesson falling onto the ice, flopping onto the ice, protected by their snowpants and jackets, and learning to get up. "On your hands and knees and bark like a dog," the teacher … Continue reading THAT doesn’t look right…
Recognizing your mistakes and know how to correct them is one of those things you need to do if you want to succeed -- with knitting and pretty much everything else in life. And so it was with the Brattleboro hat. The pattern, in the copy of New England Knits that I borrowed from the … Continue reading Third Time’s a Charm
Saltwater Hill Knits 