I want to work on that new project I was talking about. But I can't. Because I seem to have lost my needle. One of my new #6 bamboo straights that I really, really liked. That's going to cost me $4.50. And now I can't knit.
(The Mad Husband: "Don't say you don't have anything to crochet. Because that's a lie. A dirty, dirty lie. Kitty slaps you for lying." Good Kitty allows him to pick up her paw and smack me with it.)
Okay, now I understand why StringTheory2.0 was encouraging me to invest in some circulars. Damn, this is embarrassing.
Showing posts with label pitfalls. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pitfalls. Show all posts
Monday, March 17, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
Blasted different knitting techniques
I should don my flame-proof jacket for this one...
I was knitting at Knitch the other night and sitting next to Kim, the owner of Knitch, and she happened to mention Annie Modesitt to me. I'm not really sure who Annie Modesitt is, but I do know she's a Knitting Goddess and Most Definitely a Big Deal. In particular, Kim mentioned that Annie was going to be teaching a class on combination knitting. Since combination knitting was what I was accidentally doing recently, I was pretty intrigued that a class was being taught on what so many knitters had told me I was doing wrong, and I finally remembered to go check out the class description. (It was a busy weekend. And by "busy weekend," I mean "lots and lots of video games.")
So I'm reading this and going WAIT A SECOND!!! I was doing this wondrous technique and people kept telling me I was doing it wrong! And now I'm not even sure if I remember how to do it now that I know it's the best thing since sliced bread!
So now that I know that combination knitting is actually a totally acceptable way to knit (and a technique people will pay a lot of money to learn), I'm determined to learn the tricks I need to know to use it. I was already planning to use it for dishcloths and such, but I'm going to figure out how to do the increases and decreases (which I haven't actually learned in any style yet because StringTheory2.0 believes in getting the basics down first) too. I really like combination knitting, for the simple reason that when you're combination knitting, purling doesn't suck.
I know that all the advice came from a place of good intentions, but I just wish someone had taken a minute to explain what combination knitting was (though in all fairness, Nell did explain about the orientation of stitches and how it would be problematic when I started trying to follow patterns) and how it wasn't necessarily wrong per se. I wonder if some people didn't think I knew anything about different knitting styles? I know I'm just a crocheter, but give me a little credit. Isn't it counterproductive to say "knitting must be done this way!" when everyone already knows about variations -- i.e., English vs. continental? A couple of people even implied the person teaching me didn't know what she was talking about, which really made me see red.
Maybe it's just that as far as I know, there's only one way to crochet, but I've never seen this behavior from crocheters. The most you'll get is a "oh, you hold the hook differently than I do," and half the time that's said because the speaker is considering trying that hold herself. One person (and I will not say who, other than to say it's absolutely not me and it's a knitter) surmised that maybe crocheters are generally nicer than knitters. I'm not making it up, folks, just reporting what I'm told.
Also, is it just me, or do some knitters seem to subscribe to a "it's not a real technique until one of the Knitting Goddesses approves it" theory? That doesn't seem to happen in crochet, maybe because we don't really have Crochet Goddesses. Except people who can crochet really fast, we like those.
I was knitting at Knitch the other night and sitting next to Kim, the owner of Knitch, and she happened to mention Annie Modesitt to me. I'm not really sure who Annie Modesitt is, but I do know she's a Knitting Goddess and Most Definitely a Big Deal. In particular, Kim mentioned that Annie was going to be teaching a class on combination knitting. Since combination knitting was what I was accidentally doing recently, I was pretty intrigued that a class was being taught on what so many knitters had told me I was doing wrong, and I finally remembered to go check out the class description. (It was a busy weekend. And by "busy weekend," I mean "lots and lots of video games.")
This is not the knitting you are used to! Learn to knit using the Combination Method -- easy to learn and quick to execute, this method is a combination of the Western or German/American/English style of knitting and Eastern/Islamic knitting. Easier and quicker than traditional Western knitting, this method, creates a very even tension with less "rowing out" less wrist strain. If this method is different than how you've been taught, give it a try and you may discover a new love of knitting blooming! If you're a first time knitter - enjoy! You can master this right away!
So I'm reading this and going WAIT A SECOND!!! I was doing this wondrous technique and people kept telling me I was doing it wrong! And now I'm not even sure if I remember how to do it now that I know it's the best thing since sliced bread!
So now that I know that combination knitting is actually a totally acceptable way to knit (and a technique people will pay a lot of money to learn), I'm determined to learn the tricks I need to know to use it. I was already planning to use it for dishcloths and such, but I'm going to figure out how to do the increases and decreases (which I haven't actually learned in any style yet because StringTheory2.0 believes in getting the basics down first) too. I really like combination knitting, for the simple reason that when you're combination knitting, purling doesn't suck.
I know that all the advice came from a place of good intentions, but I just wish someone had taken a minute to explain what combination knitting was (though in all fairness, Nell did explain about the orientation of stitches and how it would be problematic when I started trying to follow patterns) and how it wasn't necessarily wrong per se. I wonder if some people didn't think I knew anything about different knitting styles? I know I'm just a crocheter, but give me a little credit. Isn't it counterproductive to say "knitting must be done this way!" when everyone already knows about variations -- i.e., English vs. continental? A couple of people even implied the person teaching me didn't know what she was talking about, which really made me see red.
Maybe it's just that as far as I know, there's only one way to crochet, but I've never seen this behavior from crocheters. The most you'll get is a "oh, you hold the hook differently than I do," and half the time that's said because the speaker is considering trying that hold herself. One person (and I will not say who, other than to say it's absolutely not me and it's a knitter) surmised that maybe crocheters are generally nicer than knitters. I'm not making it up, folks, just reporting what I'm told.
Also, is it just me, or do some knitters seem to subscribe to a "it's not a real technique until one of the Knitting Goddesses approves it" theory? That doesn't seem to happen in crochet, maybe because we don't really have Crochet Goddesses. Except people who can crochet really fast, we like those.
Friday, March 7, 2008
Oww, my wrists
As fascinated as I am by the two newest obsessions, amigurumi and knitting, I have really got to make some time for one of my old-style loose lacy crochet projects. Afraid of getting rusty? Not really, but the extremely tight single-crochet gauge used in amigurumi is rough on my fingers and the unfamiliarity with holding the knitting needles makes me clutch the needles till my hands hurt. I really need to do a project that's going to feel good. Yes, I love the creativity of amigurumi and I feel erudite learning the basics of knitting, but part of why I got hooked (oww, pun not intended but staying anyway) on crochet is the sheer sensual pleasure of doing it. I wish that didn't sound dirty but I can't think of another way to describe it. Well, maybe I could compare it to a fine meal, but engaging the sense of touch over taste. Sensual isn't synonymous with sexual, after all.
I should have a pair of compression gloves around here somewhere, if I can dig them out from under the piles of yarn. They've never really worked for me before, but if there's a type that's worked for you, let me know. Or maybe I just need to get the hand muscles into shape? (Do we even have hand muscles?)
I should have a pair of compression gloves around here somewhere, if I can dig them out from under the piles of yarn. They've never really worked for me before, but if there's a type that's worked for you, let me know. Or maybe I just need to get the hand muscles into shape? (Do we even have hand muscles?)
Thursday, March 6, 2008
It's like the Crochet Corollary of Murphy's Law or something
My F hook went missing. I looked in all of the obvious spots and in the meantime used my E hook and finally I resigned myself to the fact that it was gone, dropped somewhere along the way or perhaps ferreted away by No No Bad Kitty (or even Good Kitty, she likes stuff) and I just couldn't keep using the E hook. I mean, I could, but I didn't want to.
So I bought a new F hook, Susan Bates, same color as the last one, totally indistinguishable from the last one in fact. And I said to Eve as I paid for it, "Now that I've bought a new one, I'll go home and find the old one."
Sure enough. Within mere hours, I opened a purse pocket I never use (and I don't even remember why I opened it) and found the original F hook.
The crochet gods are laughing.
So I bought a new F hook, Susan Bates, same color as the last one, totally indistinguishable from the last one in fact. And I said to Eve as I paid for it, "Now that I've bought a new one, I'll go home and find the old one."
Sure enough. Within mere hours, I opened a purse pocket I never use (and I don't even remember why I opened it) and found the original F hook.
The crochet gods are laughing.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
A curious compulsion of mine
I was just longingly making goo-goo eyes at the Amazon Top 100 crochet bestsellers (something I do at least three times a week) and once again found myself lusting after all the stitch guides.
Secretly I am convinced that each new stitch guide I see contains special, super-secret stitches that cannot be found anywhere else and will revolutionize my crochet once I find them. The fact that I haven't really found any of these new special stitches in any of the last five stitch guides I've bought does not dissuade me. It just makes it statistically more likely that they'll be in the next stitch guide I buy, right? And so the cycle continues.
And I don't even really want to buy all these stitch guides! I'd rather save my book money for books with actual patterns to make cute clothes and adorable little amigurumi! Probably the only two of my stitch guides I use on a regular basis are The Crochet Stitch Bible
and Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet. And yet I keep looking at every new stitch guide I see and half the time I order them anyway.
I think the saddest part of all this might be that I've even read the part of Crocheting in Plain English where Maggie Righetti explains how she fell prey to thinking a stitch guide would solve all her problems and then when she got it it was all just variations on filet crochet and I still fall for it.
Secretly I am convinced that each new stitch guide I see contains special, super-secret stitches that cannot be found anywhere else and will revolutionize my crochet once I find them. The fact that I haven't really found any of these new special stitches in any of the last five stitch guides I've bought does not dissuade me. It just makes it statistically more likely that they'll be in the next stitch guide I buy, right? And so the cycle continues.
And I don't even really want to buy all these stitch guides! I'd rather save my book money for books with actual patterns to make cute clothes and adorable little amigurumi! Probably the only two of my stitch guides I use on a regular basis are The Crochet Stitch Bible
and Donna Kooler's Encyclopedia of Crochet. And yet I keep looking at every new stitch guide I see and half the time I order them anyway.I think the saddest part of all this might be that I've even read the part of Crocheting in Plain English
where Maggie Righetti explains how she fell prey to thinking a stitch guide would solve all her problems and then when she got it it was all just variations on filet crochet and I still fall for it.
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