Knitting Truths
Earlier this week when the weather was somewhat fall-like and I was so happy for the hint of a change in season, I went a little crazy and pulled out some yarns to consider knitting up. I was and still am motivated and excited about my fall knitting season.
I'm ignoring the weather (it's hot once more) and I'm focusing on the upcoming cold weather. It will come one day. My oaks are dropping acorns here and there and the squirrels are doing their mad dashes across the road risking their lives. I cannot count how many times I've looked in the rearview mirror hoping they were alive. So far my driving skills and prayers have saved them.
My knitting truths:
-I am motivated by the yarn. I buy before I have an idea of what the yarn will become. I rarely buy yarn for a specific project and if I do, I change my mind and it's knit up into something else.
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| the speckled yarn is happy feet 100 splash by plymouth yarn co inc |
-I am inspired by other projects I see on Ravelry or on someone's blog. All of you have a hand in my creativity. Sometimes I write down ideas in a notebook and sometimes I try to remember my ideas. As I age, writing is much more efficient!
-I thought I'd like to be paperless and use an ipad but I like to print patterns off. Paper doesn't time out and go dark and you can fold the paper and shove it into a knitting bag.
-I like to pull out possible yarns in my stash and lay them out and think about patterns I'm matching them up with. I have a studio room to hold my yarns and my creative pursuits but I tend to do my mulling over in the family room which is where I do my knitting.
-I love interchangeable needles and chiaogoo is my favorite set ever and I bought them at handsome fibers. I own the five inch needles and I did buy some four inch needles to work in the round on 16 inch cord. I love these needles because of their point and the join is ultra smooth. I had a cable fail and the costumer service was phenomenal!
-I love to knit socks on double pointed needles. I switched from metal to wooden for hand comfort but overall five needles is better to me than two circs or magic loop. I know I am not popular in this.
-I have always knit a top down sock with a traditional heel flap. These socks has such a short color change that a heel flap would have looked nasty. So I did an afterthought heel and I loved it!! I might do more socks this way especially to avoid disrupting a stripe repeat.
-I prefer top down cardigan sweater and think they fit just fine!
- I LOVE when I'm not sure I have enough yarn, for me that is living on the edge. As I near the end of a project wondering, I'm thinking of how I will solve the problem if it arises. I have been quite creative in my solutions, mostly skimping on the last bit of a design.
As you can see in the above photo, I had a mere six inches left of my yarn....wow! that was close and it was exciting not knowing :)
What are your knitting truths?
I completely agree on dpns, and cuff down sock knitting. I haven't tried the afterthought heel yet, but I know a lot of people really like it.
ReplyDeletethe after thought heel solves a striping problem!! so I liked it.
DeleteI really like your segue into fall with new photos and knitting! My knitting truths overlap with so many of yours and I'm quite impressed with your six-inch win at yarn chicken. What is that lovely purple and blue speckled yarn in your basket? My yarn truths include the fact that I do not need any more, but I can't resist a pretty speckled skein. That one is lovely!
ReplyDeletethe speckled yarn is happy feet 100 splash by plymouth yarn co inc. I don't need more yarn either :)
DeleteI agree with you on knitting socks cuff down on dpns, but recently had the problem of knitting the second sock at a tighter gauge and having to rip it out--now I have no desire to have another go at it. I think it's great that you made it through that shawl with just enough yarn!
ReplyDeleteI wonder why you were tighter with the second one? I knit the same no matter what thankfully!!
DeleteMy knitting truths:
ReplyDelete1. Don't knit with ugly yarn. If you don't like how it is going, re-home the yarn. Someone ELSE will love it.
2. DPNs --- the only way I will knit socks.
Short list, but oh so TRUE!
your number one should be a KNITTING commandment!
DeleteI love that blue speckled yarn in your basket, too. It was great fun reading through your 'knitting truths'. One of my truths is that I don't like the anxiety of running out of yarn, so I always buy an extra ball. That six inch ending is way too close for comfort for me! I'm beginning to note the first changes towards autumn, as well--last night it was already dusk at 7:30 pm. I'm looking forward to crisp, golden fall days; but I love summer, too, and this has been a great one weather-wise. I hope autumn will be long and lovely.
ReplyDeleteautumn cannot come soon enough for me :)
DeleteI love this post! What a lovely view into your knitting world!! My knitting truths: 1. I knit socks cuff down on dpns, every.single.time. However, I am making an attempt at toe up construction to utilize every last bit of my handspun yarn! 2. I have won and lost at yarn chicken - and I still love to play at it! 3. I do not mind pieced sweater construction - I love mattress stitching!
ReplyDeleteI can do a mattress stitch and it looks good but I prefer to not sew anything at all if I can help it!
DeleteGreat post...truths: top down socks and top down raglan seamless sweaters too! Others: Felting makes me happy. I have no real knitting chair and I want one. Truth: dont like addi turbos. Truth love swap mail
ReplyDeleteI never tried addi turbos....good to know!
Deletei loved reading this... i would love to class myself as an obsessive knitter and if i just had the time i may have or will become one.. so i live vicariously through all of my knitting friends (which are all online).
ReplyDeletei dont get to buy much yarn or wool as its called here cause its so super expensive - so when rob's mom throws out from her crochet projects i grab up as much as i can and then knit up whatever i can with the colours i have been blessed with.. one day i will knit up a real pair of socks and one day i will own a handmade shawl... until then i will be your most avid reader :)
I cannot wait for your one day to come true!!
DeleteOh Karen, I appreciate your knitting truths! :) I love warm weather (not sweltering heat) and fall but winter chills me to the bone and I long for the sun!
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to do my knitting and laying out projects. I have quite a stash of yarns that I have had no plans for yet. :)
I think we all have stash yarn we have no plans for yet :)
DeleteFantastic Post!
ReplyDeleteMy knitting truths scare not only me, but others I'm sure.
1. I will never knit with ugly yarn. Ever. A total waste of my time. Ew.
2. I probably have over 30 projects on the needles. I'm moody, okay. Don't judge.
3. I buy sock yarn like its penny candy. Other large projects are pre-planned.
4. If I'm sitting, I'm knitting. My hands never rest. It keeps my brain from overload.
5. I will rip out any project I am not happy with, no matter how far I've knit it. Expensive, pretty yarn should not be wasted.
6. Yarn chicken scares the shit out of me. I ALWAYS buy extra.
Thanks Karen. This was a cleansing moment for me. I read ALL of your posts and finally built up the courage to comment. Thanks for sharing!
I am thrilled that you built up the courage to comment!! Nice to meet you and I see we have a lot in common, except for yarn chicken...I am a gambler on that one.
DeleteI don't knit, so can't share any knitting truths, I can share a knitting memory though...my mum used to knit, she was very proficient at it and I used to love to hear the clickety click of her needles when I was young, it was a comforting noise.
ReplyDeleteI loved reading this post, your passion is wonderful! Have a great weekend, Karen xx
you are so sweet Jane! I think the sound of needles is relaxing and it reminds me of many women in my life: my mom, my mother in law, my sister in law, my sister....Oh so many!
DeleteI rarely knit preferring to crochet but I am a avid fan of yarn and buy yarn without a project in mind. I love a paper pattern too but that is probably because I am useless with technology. Great post.
ReplyDeletepaper rules!!
DeleteI am a fairly new knitter. Most of my needles I inherited from my husband's grandmother. I like printed patterns also so that I can make notes and also not worry about timing out. I have never knitted socks and I only rarely buy yarn without a project in mind and I always buy extra....which is why I have a lot of odd skeins of yarn. This was an interesting post. Thanks for sharing your knitting truths.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you are fairly new to knitting because you knit like an expert on your blog!
DeleteMy knitting truths are very close to yours except I guess I am not a trill seeker as I get nervous when I am short on yarn. LOL I have been known to pray that there is enough!! I love my ChiaoGoo needles too one of my best purchases ever!! I do mostly buy fingering weight and with no project in mind. I will also confess that I am going to a fall festival in September mostly because there is a lady that sells gorgeous skeins of yarn there...don't tell my family they think I am going because of all the other fun things at the festival!!
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing like a festival to browse and buy without any plans. I love that kind of shopping!
DeleteLove this post!
ReplyDeleteMy truths
*Always have a complex project, and "brainless" project going at same time.
*Love knitting socks! Top down, two needles.
*Love knitting socks for other people as gifts, I think about the person the whole time I'm knitting.
*I hate to have leftover yarn, so try to use as much as I can with each project
*My stash is too big. Way too big.
Thank you!
I forgot about complex/brainless because I do that too! I have up to four and one is mindless and boring for intense tv watching.
DeleteI'm with you, Karen, on dpns and top down socks! Oh, and I like printed patterns also and have notebooks full. And like Connie, my stash is too big; I'll have to live till 800 to use it all.
ReplyDeletetake your vitamins and exercise so you use up all of that yarn!
DeleteYour knitting truths are very very similar to mine with the exception of the "loving when you're not sure if you'll have enough yarn." You not only love living on the edge, you are an adrenaline junkie! I have a tendency to freeze up and go into knitting paralysis afraid to forge on because of anticipated dread / disappointment at seeing all that work not come to fruition!
ReplyDeleteIf you only knew me in person, this is the only rush that I seek out!! I am a scaredy cat through and through.
DeleteIt's funny how we all have little knitting quirks. I always pull patterns then shop for the yarn, only use paper patterns, only knit socks on dpns cuff down, limit Wips to 3- a shawl, pair of socks, and a sweater. (That last "rule" is constantly broken)
ReplyDeletelike your WIP rule! I have up to four, a shawl, a complicated shawl, socks and a hat. When I do a sweater it takes a lot out of me :)
DeleteYay on winning yarn chicken. That color will look lovely on you. I love your socks! I had to drop out off Susan B. Anderson's Smooth Operator KAL; I feel bad as I had to tell my husband I can't knit him socks til Christmas is over. I clicked on your ChiaoGoo link; oooh! Now I notice they don't give you a shorter cable than a 24" connector? So you have no problems connecting the ends?
ReplyDeletesorry I was unclear, I own five inch set and I own some four inch tips. Only with the four inch can you do 16 inch in the round. You cannot with the five inch tips their smallest is only 24 inches.
DeleteI loved this Knitting Truths post! Mine would be much the same except for the top down sweaters (I have knit some top down, but prefer starting at the bottom) and yarn chicken. Playing yarn chicken makes me feel almost frantic with worry. I am one of those knitters who always orders an extra skein just to be on the safe side.
ReplyDeleteif yarn chicken causes worry then it's not a fun game to play, is it?
DeleteI'm with you on the paper patterns and interchangeable needles. I also buy yarn without knowing what it will become. My truth is that I do not knit socks - can I still be a real knitter if I don't knit socks?
ReplyDeleteyes yes YES! you are a real knitter :)
DeleteThis was so fun to read! Love to know about your knitting truths and I can realte to a lot of them!
ReplyDeleteglad you enjoyed it!
DeleteI always dread that time of year when the squirrels start going whack-o! It is like dodgeball out there and I would be devasted if I ever hit one!
ReplyDeleteI too usually buy yarn because it speaks to me. Then I bring it home and see what "it will be". On the times I do buy yarn for a specific project, sometimes it works. Most times, it says it wants to be another object and I go along for the ride...
I spend way too much time on Ravelry just looking at other people's color choices... but it is so enjoyable!
Linda in VA
ravelry is such a rabbit hole for me!! I try to limit the time but sometimes there is a click after a click..
DeleteI enjoyed this post and especially the first photo. Sometimes I too have to lay out yarns and patterns on the coffee table or sofa where I knit and see how they speak to me. As for knitting truths, I only knit yarns/patterns I enjoy. Knitting needles make a big difference in how much I enjoy a project so I have a big basket of different kinds of needles. Lately Knitter's Pride Nova Platina are my favorites. Ripping out means getting my money's worth out of yarn and is all part of knitting. I prefer knitting socks top down on two circulars - one at time.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to Fall and the fall knitting season.
I haven't heard of those needles, I will keep my eye out for them. I like getting my money's worth from yarn!
DeleteI absolutely can not stand playing yarn chicken, the anxiety runs too high. 9in circulars for socks, 64 stitches, cuff down, eye of partridge heel are my go-to sock pattern. I very rarely use the same brand of yarn twice, there are just too many to try! Thanks for sharing! -Sierra
ReplyDeleteI've tried nine inch and they hurt my hands too much but I love the idea of nine inch!!
DeleteLove these knitting truths!! Although the yarn chicken thing freaks me out. More power to you.
ReplyDeleteDPNs always and forever. Tops down rules. I have more yarn than I can possibly knit in a lifetime.
a good problem to have, too much yarn as opposed to not enough :)
DeleteSo many of your knitting truths are mine too! I do adore you my friend and hope all is well in your world.
ReplyDeletehope you are well and good and I bet you posted something!! I can't wait to read it.
DeleteI just loved reading this post and have to confess that I'm a dpn sock knitter, too. :)
ReplyDeleteLoved this post!
ReplyDeleteAnd I only knit socks. I have't tried any other ways either ;)
I'm glad I'm in good company with another dpn knitter :)
Delete