Thursday, August 14, 2008

I'm Not a Prodigy

I've been knitting since Memorial Day weekend, which is about 3 months. I love knitting. It's the one hobby (other than reading) that I'm serious about and I haven't given up before I ever really started (Example: Piano lessons - which, by the way, I still have all my books, notes from the four or so lessons I took, and the Casio keyboard I bought. I keep hoping I will go back to it one day. Sure......just like I'm going to lose this weight).

Back to knitting. I feel invested with this hobby but practical in the same vein. I have not bought a ton of yarn (partly due to me being out of work but also because I'm not good enough to buy the expensive yarn). I'm really a novice. Especially when I peruse the knitting blogs and forums out there.

You know what really makes me jealous? Socks!!! People who knit socks. I am in awe over the beauty and the workmanship it takes to knit socks. I could spend all day looking at knitted socks. When I go to the bookstore, I flip through the books on sock knitting. However, one look at the instructions, and I'm convinced that I will never be able to do this. But I want to!!!

I find knitting so full of contradictions. When I first started reading about it, all the books and how-to guides said all you need to know are two stitches, knit and purl. Everything is built on the foundation of these two stitches. So I'm intrigued! I can knit and purl. So I'm a pro, right? Wrong. Every time I make a stride in my knitting education (knit and purl stitches, binding off, cables, i-cords), I'm confronted with what I don't know....how to sew seams, how to block, how to properly weave-in the ends. And don't get me started on double-pointed needles and knitting in the round! I want to learn these techniques so badly (to produce those lovely knitted socks) but I really believe I should master the other techniques first.

So I'm slightly disappointed with my slow progress but overall I'm so glad that I picked up this hobby. Knitting has done wonders for my stress level and I can knit a fantastic scarf or washcloth. When I finally take that step to knit a pair of socks, I will post them proudly and loudly. Don't miss it! (But don't worry, you have at least a year to wait....)

3 comments:

Mulderknitter said...

Don't fret dear! I started knitting with the sole (ha ha ) intention of learning socks. I've been knitting almost 3 years now, and it took me until year 2 to venture. Everything about knitting something you haven't done yet seems intimidating, but really, just build yourself up to it. learn dpn's. knit a hat. A sock is a hat with some extra shaping, really. Go to Silver's tutorial. I sat in front of it on the computer the whole first sock.
Also understand that knitting has a learning curve. The first scarf I made sucked. Now I can knit a lace scarf. my first hat sucked. my second hat sucked, but less. My first sock is in a plastic bag to show to people that say my socks now are great. Because it was that bad. And don't get me going on the ginourmous sweater of doom.
If you want to learn socks, you will. just give yourself time.

Anonymous said...

When you do take that step to make socks --- we're all here to help you!

Socks are fun!

Grouchy said...

I believe in you sweetheart, you are able to understand things that most poepole would love to try to learn, and i'm proud of the things you have made so far. I know you are at a stumbling block, but I really hope you stick with this!

Finding My Treasure

Now that my shawl is complete (yarn purchased during the Orange Blossom Yarn Crawl in March), it is just hanging out in my foyer until I de...